As fall gets underway this month, there are several new art shows and events happening in the area.
The Whetung Ojibwa Centre Thanksgiving art show is coming up on October 7th and 8th; a six-person art show at Artspace, based on Peterborough’s history as a test market, opens on the 13th; there’s a striking conceptual photography show at Evans Contemporary and Star X gallery; the abstracted atmospheric paintings of Rebecca Last and Janet Read are on display at Christensen Fine Art; and ‘Dots on a Line’, geometric patterns ‘Dots on a Line’ by Gwyneth Fischer, opens at Acme Art and Sailboat Co.
There’s also abstract work by Carol Forbes at the Kawartha Artist’s Gallery, Andrew Cripps’ ‘Careful what you wish for’ series of abstracted paintings at Coeur Nouveau, and a whole new set of shows are on display at The Art Gallery of Peterborough — not to mention their annual fundraiser gala coming up on October 28th. There will be a ‘First Friday Art Crawl’ on Friday, October 6th, featuring a number of galleries (mentioned above) in the downtown core, so mark that Friday on the calendar as well!
Finally, there’s a new initiative in Lakefield to look at turning an unused Parks Canada property into an arts and culture hub, which could include studio space and a public art gallery.
Evans Contemporary and Star X present Mamoru Tsukada’s ‘The Exhausted Sky’
Evans Contemporary and Star X Gallery will both be showing the latest work by photographer Mamoru Tsukada. ‘The Exhausted Sky’ is presented in the two gallery spaces as a series of 112 black and white photographs, presented in a grid formation at Evans Contemporary, and another series of 250 colour photographs lining the floor of the Star X Gallery.
These conceptual works have been digitally layered to include traces of the mushroom cloud from the Hiroshima nuclear attack, as well as images of the sky from two other related sites: Berlin and the Trinity test site in New Mexico. The images are beautiful and striking, as the sky is said to have been after the nuclear bomb that devastated Hiroshima.
The work is focused on the sky, but at its core is about humanity as a whole, and points to a glaring lack of humanity, which as a species we have both caused and encountered throughout history. The sky itself, our atmosphere, is something we all share and rely on regardless of social class or nationality, and is a fitting vehicle for the message encrypted in this series of pictures.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, October 6th from 6 p.m. until midnight and will run until October 28th.
Evans Contemporary is located at #2 Banker’s Common in downtown Peterborough. For more information, visit www.evanscontemporary.com or contact Paolo Fortin at evanscontemporary@gmail.com. Star X is located at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. Hours of operation are Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Coeur Nouveau presents ‘Careful What You Wish For’ by Andrew Cripps
In ‘Careful What You Wish For’, colourful paintings by Andrew Cripps “explore civilization’s inability to understand that picking fights with nature is futile.”
This series looks at things which have not worked out as planned. Unforeseen complications and unknown factors causing unexpected negative results, which is indeed what we often see over time as new innovations prove problematic in unforeseen ways.
The title phrase ‘Careful what you wish for’ is emblematic of instances where you find yourself getting what you wished for literally, yet the change somehow results in unpleasant circumstances.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, October 6th from 6 p.m. until midnight.
Coeur Nouveau is on the 2nd floor of the Commerce Building at 129.5 Hunter St. West in downtown Peterborough.
Christensen Fine Art features recent work by painters Janet Read and Rebecca Last
Painters Rebecca Last and Janet Read approach the canvas with very different methods of working, though they both find inspiration in water, cloud and light; the resulting abstracted works are each their own.
The show is on display now at the gallery at Christensen Fine Art until October 28th.
In addition to regular business hours, the gallery will be open for viewing on the evening of the First Friday Art Crawl on Friday, October 6th, so don’t forget to stop by and see these beautiful pieces for yourself.
Christensen Fine Art is located at 432 George Street North in downtown Peterborough. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit www.christensenfineart.com.
Kawartha Artists’ Gallery & Studio presents Carol Forbes’ ‘Out of My Head’ and group show ‘Rural Outlook’
This October, the Kawartha Artists’ Gallery & Studio (KAGS) will feature ‘Out of My Head’, a series of colourful abstract paintings by Carol Forbes. The opening reception will be held on Sunday, October 15th from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., with the show on display from October 11th until October 22nd.
Later in the month, a collection of paintings by KAGS’ outdoor painters’ group called ‘Rural Outlook’ will open. The show will be on display from October 25th until November 12th, with an opening reception on Sunday, October 29th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio is a not-for-profit artist’s co-operative, located at 420 O’Connell Road in Peterborough. Hours of operation are Wednesday to Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.kawarthaartists.org.
Three new exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Peterborough continue until January
‘Pushing It’ by Becky Welter-Nolan is a performative project featuring a roughly 200-pound quilted soft-sculpture “boulder” pushed uphill in true Sisyphean style. While Becky’s two public performances of ‘Pushing It’ took place in September, her show continues at the Art Gallery of Peterborough until January 7th, 2018.
Also on display is a retrospective of work by artist Brenda Francis Pelkey, known for her contributions to contemporary photography since the 1980s, and a group show ‘Public/Private’ that includes work by Anne Meredith Barry, Sheila Butler, Brian Kipping, Hugh Mackenzie, Waltraud Markgraf, and William Vazan. Both shows also continue until January 7th, 2018.
And don’t forget that the It’s all about ART! Gala Auction, the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s annual fundraiser, is on the horizon — scheduled for Saturday, October 28th.
The Art Gallery of Peterborough is located at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It offers free admission, barrier-free access, and a gallery shop. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.
Acme Art and Sailboat Co. presents Gwyneth Fischer’s ‘Dots on a line’
Drop by and check out these geometric works by multi-disciplinary artist Gwyneth Fischer. The opening reception for this show will take place on Friday, October 6th from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Acme Art and Sailboat Company is located at 129-1/2 Hunter Street West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. Hours of operation are Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Artspace presents ‘A National Test Market’ featuring works by various artists
Running from October 13th until November 17th, this six person show makes reference to Peterborough’s history as a test market. It is a interesting fact the demographics here are representative of those in other settler communities across Canada.
‘A National Test Market’ features work by artists Meagan Christou, Charlotte DiCarlo, Callista Durose Moya, Robin Love, Amber Helene Muller St Thomas, and Jemma Woolidge. The opening reception will be held on Friday, October 13th from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. and there will be a curator’s talk on Wednesday, November 1st at 7 p.m.
Artspace is an accessible space located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
Whetung Ojibwa Centre presents their Thanksgiving Art Show
Get out and see the Thanksgiving art show at the Whetung Ojibwa Centre at Curve Lake First Nation! The show will be held on Saturday, October 7th and Sunday, October 8th from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
With artists in attendance demonstrating their skills, this should be a fun event to attend. Also, if you live in the surrounding area, you can enjoy a nice fall drive on your way over.
The Whetung Ojibwa Centre is located at 875 Curve Lake Rd. in Curve Lake. For more information, call 705-657-3661 or visit www.whetung.com.
Creating an arts and culture hub in Lakefield
Residents of Lakefield will be familiar with the waterfront property at 2 Smith Street, owned by Parks Canada and previously the Trent-Severn Waterway maintenance yard. The building hasn’t been used for a long time and the windows and doors are boarded up. For the past few months, the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism has been meeting with Parks Canada staff, community members, and the Township of Selwyn to find out how the property could be better used.
A group of local artists led by Kay Gregg has been discussing the potential of making it an arts and culture hub, which might include a studio space, a public art gallery, and a location where visiting artists can give talks and seminars. The group has connected with Akin Collective, a Toronto-based arts organization that has spearheaded similar projects. The Kawartha Chamber is partnering with the local artists and Akin to apply for funding to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a business plan.
Akin is taking the lead on the application and report writing and is seeking public input through a brief online survey available at akincollective.com/lakefield.
