This August, the Art Gallery of Northumberland has two interesting shows on display featuring Op Art artist Victor Vasarely and Canadian-Chinese artist Xiaojing Yan, and the Art Gallery of Peterborough will partner with Finer Things to bring a fun summer show and sale to Del Crary Park.
The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington hosts its annual Kids Outdoor Art Festival, the latest paintings by Cynthia Fox will be featured at The Annex Gallery in Bancroft, and, on Friday and Saturday evenings during the month, there will be an immersive art project called ‘Reunion’ happening at a secret location just outside Lakefield,
Sunday Drive presents ‘Reunion’, a new immersive experience near Lakefield
‘Reunion’ is the newest in a series of immersive art experiences in which contemporary art is presented to audiences in unconventional often rural settings.
The project remains a bit of a mystery so far — what we know is that it consists of a 90-minute show beginning at sundown in open fields and wooded areas on a private farm in the Douro-Dummer area, and that the artistic collaborators include Karl Skene, Max Streicher, Joseph Murray, Reza Nik, Sasha Leigh Henry, Tania Thompson, Garrett Gilbart, Jacob Irish, Julie Hall, Sam Shahsavani, Pavel Iodine, and Amina Moon.
So far, there are two dates scheduled — Friday, August 8th and Friday, August 16th — with more dates promised on Friday and Saturday evenings in August as shows get filled. Priced at $20, tickets are available online at www.universe.com/events/reunion-tickets-harcourt-1NWJ7F.
The show begins at 2 Smith Street in Lakefield where a bus, hosted by the farm’s owners, will take visitors to Reunion (10 minutes away).
“This short ride provides time for us to give visitors the full backstory of how Reunion came to be, to meet the artists who own the farm,and deepen the experience they are about to have,” explains Sunday Drive’s creative director Tania Thompson.
There is more in the works from Sunday Drive, which has been working with the Akin Collective and Parks Canada with the goal of eventually turning a decommissioned maintenance yard in Lakefield into an arts and culture hub! More information about this will be available at a later date.
To learn about Sunday Drive, call 416-985-3369, email media@sundaydrive.org, visit www.sundaydrive.org, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @sundaydriveart.
‘A Wanderer’s Mind’ by Xiaojing Yan at Art Gallery of Northumberland
This exhibit focuses on identity as Markham-based Chinese Canadian artist Xiaojing Yan explores her experience of ‘being’ both Chinese and Canadian, the ambiguity behind these notions and the immigrant experience.
In this collection of four series of work by Yan — ‘Face to Face’, ‘Marking’, ‘Morning Glory’, and ‘Naturally Natural’ — these themes are represented in various ways. Featuring painting, installation, sculpture, and ink paintings, this poetic body of work uses traditional Chinese techniques and presents them with a contemporary aesthetic.
The show, which opened in July, will be on display until Sunday, September 15th.
The Art Gallery of Northumberland is located at on the third floor of the west wing of Victoria Hall (55 King St. W., Cobourg). Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit www.artgalleryofnorthumberland.com.
‘Op Art in Motion’, a series of work by Victor Vasarely, at Art Gallery of Northumberland
‘Vancouver Portfolio’ (1981, Serigraph, 30cm x 30cm) and ‘Koround’ (1966, Serigraph, 69.1cm x 65.2cm) by Victor Vasarely. (Photos courtesy of the Art Gallery of Northumberland)
Another exhibition currently on display at the Art Gallery of Northumberland featuring work by Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely (1906-1997), one of the progenitors of the Op Art movement.
The Op Art style is named for the optical and often psychedelic effects (optical illusions) achieved through meticulously planned and executed drawings and paintings. During the 1960s, Vasarely’s style became a universal vocabulary for graphic art.
The gallery has a large display of Vasarely’s work on display until Sunday, September 29th. The pieces are a combination of work from the gallery’s permanent collection and selections from a private collection, and feature the ‘Vegaseries’ in which it appears that pressure is being applied to the image from behind creating various effects as seen above.
If you are interested in creating your own Op Art work, the gallery is hosting a workshop with instructors Shelagh and Kyle Stewart from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21st. Collage techniques will be demonstrated and supplies will be provided (participants are asked to bring a small pair of scissors, an exacto knife with cutting board if preferred, and a glue brush or two). The workshop costs $20, and registration is required as space is limited (email Victoria Towrie at vtowrie@agncobourg.ca).
The Art Gallery of Northumberland is located at on the third floor of the west wing of Victoria Hall (55 King St. W., Cobourg). Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit www.artgalleryofnorthumberland.com.
The Art Gallery of Peterborough partners with Finer Things for a summer show and sale
Finer Things has been running a successful winter pop-up market in Peterborough for the last five years, and has now partnered with the Art Gallery of Peterborough to create a fun summer event in a similar style, promoting professional craftspeople and artists and fostering the local creative community.
The summer show and sale will begin at noon on Saturday, August 24th and run until 8 p.m. that evening, with live performances and refreshments beginning at 6 p.m. The event is free to the public until 6 p.m., when there will be a cover charge of $10 for performances by Rick Fines, Little Fire, and Justin Million and refreshments offered.
On Sunday, August 25th, the show will continue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to attend.
The summer show will be in Del Crary Park Adjacent to the Art Gallery of Peterborough. For more information, follow Finer Things on Instagram and Facebook.
The Annex Gallery in Bancroft presents ‘Creations Alive’ by Cynthia Fox
Fox works from her home studio in Peterborough, which is open to the public by appointment. If you can’t make it out to this show, give her a call at 705-741-6674 or visit her website at www.cynthiafoxstudio.com.
You can also see her work on display in Peterborough at Amandala’s Restaurant, Ashburnham Ale House, Haaseltons Café, and J & J Kawartha Massage Therapy.
The Annex Gallery at A Place for the Arts is located at 23 Bridge Street West in Bancroft. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. For more information, visit www.apfta.ca.
Visual Arts Centre of Clarington hosts Kids Outdoor Art Festival on August 24
The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington is hosting its eighth annual Kids Outdoor Art Festival (previously Picasso’s Picnic) on Saturday, August 24th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.
The festival aims to encourage and connect young artists from the area. There will be lots to do and see including activities, workshops, a youth art market, and live performances.
The festival is a free event that accepts donations. The suggested donation is $10 per family or pay what you can (cash only). All donations are much appreciated.
For more information about the Kids Outdoor Art Festival, visit www.vac.ca/koaf.html.
The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington is located at 143 Simpson Avenue in Bowmanville. Hours of operation are 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. Admission to exhibits and artist talks is free. For more information, visit www.vac.ca.
