The First Friday Art Crawl is happening on February 2nd! With a lot of participants this month, the streets of downtown Peterborough will be packed with arts enthusiasts on the first Friday of February. From late-night art markets, video art, paper art, and sculpture, to the opening of a new community-oriented art studio, there will be a lot to take in.
This is a good opportunity to see the show currently at Artspace if you haven’t already, since Artspace is participating in the crawl this month. Robert Atyeo will have a reception for his show at Black Honey the same evening, and artist and author Wendy Trusler — as the 2018 artist-in-residence at Trent University’s Traill College — has her Voices At Hand art installation, performance and travelling exhibition at Traill College until February 2nd.
Also happening in the arts: the Art Gallery of Peterborough has a new exhibition lineup and the deadline for applications to the Kawartha Autumn Studio tour is fast approaching on February 7th. You also won’t want to miss the third annual Book & Zine fair coming up at Artspace on the 24th.
Creating Space Community Arts Studio open their doors to the public
Drop by 247 George Street North and check out this new community-oriented space run by Michelle Martin, Marion Little, and Deb Reynolds. This non-profit organisation seeks to engage and better the community by fostering connection and resilience through art-making. This is an inclusive space where all are welcome, regardless of ability. They also host creative arts pop-ups and activities around town on an ongoing basis.
Their grand opening will take place on Friday, February 2nd from 6 to 10 p.m. and will feature the work of artist Kevin T. Gallagher.
Hours of operation are 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. All services are free, though any donations will be gratefully accepted. Find them on Facebook.
Star X presents ‘Art : The Personal Made Public’ by Brian Nichols
In this exhibition, Brian Nichols presents us with a peek into his private artistic practice. A collection of silk-screened images, linocuts, photo transfer, assemblage, textiles, pastels and acrylic and oil paintings, this collection has never been shown to the public until now. The body of work is based on time Brian spent in Zimbabwe working with sufferers of AIDS, on Change Island, Newfoundland, and in Peterborough.
As a psychotherapist, Brian’s work often involves the arts, and art also leads him to a deeper understanding of his work, which involves dealing with some of the most difficult things in life such as trauma, suffering and death. In short, art is an essential and necessary part of his life, and serves a purpose both as a therapeutic tool and as a personal outlet and means of exploration.
Drop by and see what promises to be an interesting exhibition. The opening reception will be held on Friday, February 2nd, from 6 to 11 p.m. as part of the First Friday Art Crawl. All proceeds from sales will go to charity.
Star X is located at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. Regular hours of operation are Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m
Evans Contemporary presents ‘Overlay’ by Catherine Telford-Keogh
Toronto-based artist Catherine Telford-Keogh creates art through a process of collecting and re-organising, layering, and adapting objects and cultural ephemera. In doing this, she creates abstract compositions and art-objects that reflect and confront various aspects of culture and environment.
In her recent work she has used the form of the coffee table for inspiration, as it is a site used both for display purposes as well as a place that functions as a repository for all manner of objects from daily life.
Drop by the opening reception on Friday, February 2nd from 6 to 11 p.m. There will be a DJ, dancing, and an outdoor projection of the 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc in the courtyard.
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.
Coeur Nouveau presents ‘Look Inside and You Will Find Me: A Five Minute Body Scan’ by Carlos Vela Prado and Catherine Telford-Keogh
In conjunction with Evans Contemporary’s exhibition of work by Catherine Telford-Keogh, Coeur Nouveau will be screening a video entitled “Look Inside and You Will Find Me: A Five Minute Body Scan” involving artist Carlos Vela Prado and Telford-Keogh.
The video shows the two artists ‘pressing their pupils together’ overlaid with audio of a guided meditation in which the viewer is encouraged to mentally scan their own body.
The opening reception will be held Friday, February 2nd from 6 to 11 p.m. as part of the First Friday Art Crawl.
Coeur Nouveau is located on the 2nd floor of the Commerce Building at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West in downtown Peterborough.
Acme Art and Sailboat Company presents works by Elayne Windsor and Joe Stable
Drop by Acme Art and Sailboat Company and see a selection of new works by paper artist Elayne Windsor, as well as series of new work by Joe Stable in the Copper Closet entitled ‘Mexican Drawings’, inspired by a recent trip to Mexico.
The opening will run from 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday, February 2nd.
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.
Night Market at Watson & Lou
Watson & Lou will be open for business with a “night market” from 6 to 10 p.m. during the First Friday Art Crawl on Friday, February 2nd.
At the market, you will find Lou Brown Vintage in collaboration with McSweeney’s writer Susan Harlan, Catherine Chambers of Honey House Clothing Co., and Nadine McCallen of The Willow’s Bark. If that’s not enough to tempt you, mulled wine will be served!
Watson & Lou are located at 383 Water St. in downtown Peterborough. For more information about membership and upcoming workshops, visit www.watsonandlou.com
Late-Night Craft Market at Meta4 Gallery
Meta4 Gallery will also be open during the First Friday Art Crawl on Friday, February 2nd, with a late-night craft market from 6 to 10 p.m.
META4 Gallery is located at 164 Hunter St. West in Peterborough. For more information, e-mail ptbo@meta4gallery.ca, call 705-874-9444, or visit www.meta4gallery.ca.
Traill College welcomes Wendy Trusler as artist-in-residence and her exhibit ‘Voices at Hand’
Local artist Wendy Trusler is the 2018 artist-in-residence at Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College in downtown Peterborough, and she will perform her award-winning ‘Voices at Hand’ exhibition there until Friday, February 2nd.
‘Voices at Hand’ explores the expressiveness of written correspondence, and Trusler will provide requested readings from nearly 4,000 archived letters spanning 218 years of correspondence. She invites members of the Trent community and the public to contribute their own letters to the engaging exhibit.
An interdisciplinary artist, designer, and writer, Trusler’s site-responsive installations incorporate drawing, painting, text, sculpture, performance, and film. Her recent projects include The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning and ‘Collective Vision – The Fine Art of Health’.
‘Voices at Hand’ has been mounted in nine venues across Ontario and has reached audiences in 26 countries. ‘Voices at Hand’ is in the Senior Common Room in Scott House at Catharine Parr Traill College (310 London St., Peterborough). Trusler will be on hand with her exhibition daily from noon to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. until Friday, February 2nd.
Artspace participates in First Friday Art Crawl and hosts Book & Zine Fest on Feburary 24
If you’re out and about on the evening of Friday, February 2nd, you can stop by Artspace to check out their latest exhibit ‘hochelaga rock’ by Hannah Claus, as they will be open during the Frist Friday Art Crawl.
Coming up later in February, Artspace will be hosting their third annual Book & Zine Fest. Not to be missed, this event will take place on Saturday, February 24th from 10 a.m. to 5 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.
New exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Peterborough: Roberta Bondar, Fallon Simard with jes sachse, Celia Neubauer, and ‘Land Dreams’
The Art Gallery of Peterborough has a new selection of work on display until April 8th.
‘Light in the Land – The Nature of Canada’ in the main gallery space features the photography of Canadian icon Dr. Roberta Bondar, the highly accomplished neurologist, former astronaut, scientist, photographer, and author.
A photographic series that explores the rich Canadian landscape, Bondar’s beautiful images inspire us to appreciate nature and how lucky we are to enjoy so much of it here in this vast country.
Fallon Simard with jes sachse for Been Here So Long, 2018, polyurethane coated aluminum. (Photo courtesy of The Art Gallery of Peterborough)
‘Been Here So Long’, a collaboration between Fallon Simard and jess sache, marks the first time these two artists have worked together. The work brings the aesthetic of industrial signage and the nuance of imagery and poetry together. Simard and sachse present us with words and images that we must interpret, in the form of signs that when encountered in everyday life usually convey a very clear message from the authorities.
Using this aesthetic the work explores strategies for dealing with post traumatic stress disorder and navigating the vagaries of life. To learn more about this series, please attend the upcoming panel discussion on April 8th at 2 p.m.
The almost monochromatic works of Celia Neubauer bring together figurative realism and formal abstraction.
Integrating printmaking, Japanese calligraphy and landscape painting, Neubauer creates striking new compositions in her latest series ‘Affect of Gravity’.
‘Land Dreams’, a selection of landscapes from the gallery’s permanent collection, features the work of both classic and contemporary artists as they approach and represent the land in various ways. Paintings and prints by members and contemporaries of the Group of Seven hang alongside more modern takes on the Canadian landscape.
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.
Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio presents ‘The Beauty of Stillness’
‘The Beauty of Stillness’ is a members’ show currently on display at the Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio.
The works in the show focuses on the traditional art of still-life painting in its many forms. Drop in and check it out. The show continues until Sunday, March 4th.
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.
