{"id":8406,"date":"2020-08-29T09:12:42","date_gmt":"2020-08-29T13:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=8406"},"modified":"2020-08-30T09:39:39","modified_gmt":"2020-08-30T13:39:39","slug":"old-schoolhouse-gallery-what-matters-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/old-schoolhouse-gallery-what-matters-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Old Schoolhouse Gallery: What matters most?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Roy L Hales<\/p>\n

Cortes Island's Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery<\/a> will only have one exhibition this year. While they cancelled their summer season because of COVID, the artists group has been mulling over some ideas for almost a year now. On September 10th, 2020, they bring the discussion to the public in a show called \u201cWhat matters most?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"What<\/a>

Illustration used for 2019 show \u2013 courtesy Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A time of pause<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think the community, the province and the planet is in a time of pause right now,\u201d said\u00a0Kristen Schofield Sweet<\/a>, one of the gallery\u2019s directors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a spectacular season last year. The gallery has grown from an artist\u2019s collective creatively run space, which Oriane Lee [Johnston] called \u2018creative chaos\u2019 \u2026 No one was in charge \u2026 People showed what they wanted, when they wanted \u2026 Over the last twenty years, the gallery has become more professional in that larger context: in terms of exhibitions, a selection committee, a set of procedures and protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cIn a way, this show is a return to a community based \u2018just for us\u2019 kind of exhibition.\u00a0 The whole COVID-19 situation has created this pause, where we could say as board members, and community members involved in the arts, \u2018What matters to us? What do we look like as artists? Who is emerging? What are some young people up to?\u2019 It is an opportunity to get outside the box. We hope it will change things: not just for September, but for sometime to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Artwork for the Old School House gallery\u2019s 2018 annual member\u2019s show \u2013 Laura Balducci photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Returning the gallery to its members<\/h2>\n

Another director, Oriane Lee Johnston, said this has been brewing for some time:<\/p>\n

\u201cLast September, we went through a comprehensive review of the last twenty years since the founding of the gallery. That\u2019s where the title of this show came from.We are returning the gallery to the members in a way. We purposely chose to wait until September \u2026 after the tourist season, to make it clear this is for the community, the artists and our own pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always fun to see the people who submit a piece, or several pieces,\u00a0 every year for a members show \u2013 either their consistency or evolution as artists. I am particularly interested in emerging artists \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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The old schoolhouse Art Gallery \u2013 Roy L Hales photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

In the podcast<\/h2>\n

In the podcast above, they discuss:<\/p>\n

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  • Why there will be no reception or opening night for this show<\/li>\n
  • protocols for this show: everyone must wear masks; only six people will be allowed in the gallery at a time etc.<\/li>\n
  • As they do not know how many pieces will be submitted, the gallery can promises that everyone who enters will have one piece in the show. If space permits, they may have two.<\/li>\n
  • A four step process to enrich your experience while viewing artwork.<\/li>\n
  • The gallery will not be receiving a commision for works sold at this show. Their only revenue will be from donations.<\/li>\n
  • Much more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

    Artists statements<\/h2>\n

    Schofield -Sweet explained, \u201cThe best description of an artist statement I have ever heard is that it is like having the artist stand next to the work, helping you look at it. The artist isn\u2019t standing in front of the work with their words, trying to explain it to you. Art should not need to be explained. Each person who looks at a piece will have their own engagement, their own stories, their own memories and emotional wisdom that emerges from it. That is how it should be. But if I take a few sentences to say: \u2018here\u2019s what I was experiencing\u2019; or \u2018here\u2019s where this came from\u2019; \u201cor this is a real diversion from the work I usually do and this is how come \u2026\u201d \u2013 it helps the viewer get a context of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhat Matters Most\u201d will be on display at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, Thursdays to Sundays, September 10th to 20th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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