New Shows In Art Gallery …

Showing from Sept 16 – Nov 18, 2018
Opening Reception: Sept 16, from 12 – 1 pm

 

Neighbourhood Gallery North:
Unlikely Spoon Collection by Lauren McKinley Renzetti

Artist Statement:

Even though I am a visual artist, I am part of the Group classified as “The 1%” or the “People who Have”. I have shelter, food, clothes, family, jobs, love, purpose, health and wealth. This led me to thinking about the two main classes; the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS.

With the arrival of thousands of Syrian refugees from a war-torn country, this is even more relevant. Refugees arrive with little more than a suitcase and their shattered dignity, while we collect – things – like spoons … That. We. Will. Never. Use.

Spoon collections reside in many homes across America collecting dust. This is a testament to being a Have. If this spoon collection never gets used, then why not make it out of very unlikely materials; hair, nails, lava, toxic waste, the moon, concrete, shingles, feathers, dirt? What if these spoons identified as things of danger, taboo or a mindset of what we should not do, but possibly do, do out of necessity or boredom or apathy (like the suicide spoons)?

This is the thought process for these works. The purposefully small labels under each displayed spoon force the viewer to get up close and personal to shameful things like toxic waste spills and teen suicide. They are commenting on what us “Capitalist Haves” spend our hard-earned money on. The spoons were created to explore that “elephant in the room” and hopefully make you think, laugh and possibly change your World.

 

Neighbourhood Gallery South:
What Do You Believe? by Sheryl A. Keen

Artist Statement:

Art is the place where I can risk everything, the medium through which I can give and show myself to the world. My work is an examination and exploration of self that asks questions: who am I, what is my place in the world, what is my best self and how do I get to that best self that I see in my mind’s eye? As humans, we are always evolving and striving to get to a better place … and that place usually comes with some self-reflection and examination. It’s that process and journey that is fascinating; how do we change to get to a better self?

We are layered, multi-dimensional people who can be several things at once, or one thing today and something completely different tomorrow. Or maybe we just become better versions of ourselves. We can create change.

It is my belief that art can change a space dramatically, and in so doing change the mood of the persons who use the space. Art can also change the way the world is viewed and an individual’s self-impression. On all counts, my intention is to help bring about these changes.

I work mainly with acrylics and mixed media. This mix of tradition with found objects gives the work additional texture and design, makes the finished product more interesting and connects traditional media to things from everyday life, thus making the art work truly a “slice of life.” Much of my work can be considered 3D. I use modeling paste to create a layered effect and that is how I see myself, other people and the questions that I ask with my art.

My work is meditative, contemplative and some say interpretive – but always there is an internal search for meaning.