This October, the Art Gallery of Peterborough hosts two exhibits by artists Chris Ironside and Michelle Bellemare that reflect on technology and contemporary life, as well as the non-profit gallery’s annual fundraiser, It’s All About Art.
Artspace celebrates its 45th birthday and hosts a free party at the Market Hall, the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington presents an interesting show by Toronto-based Z’otz* Collective, and the Art Gallery of Northumberland displays recent additions to their permanent collection.
The Singing Horse Gallery hosts a show of lovely watercolours by Joan Zageris and the Whetung Ojibwa Centre is having a Thanksgiving Art Show with live demonstrations and artists in attendance. And another First Friday will be in full swing in downtown Peterborough on the night of Friday, October 4th.
Visual Arts Centre of Clarington presents ‘Waiting Outside of My Hand’ by Z’otz* Collective
‘Waiting Outside of My Hand’, a collaborative show by the Z’otz* (Mayan for ‘bat’) Collective, explores the notion of a space, a niche that is thought of as a shadowbox or recess, which contains elements within a larger configuration — a space ‘in which to nest’.
The Z’otz* Collective, made up of three artists of Latin American heritage (Nahúm Flores, Erik Jerezano, and Ilyana Martinez) works with drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation. The group has exhibited across Canada, Mexico, Europe and the United States, and has been based in Toronto since 2004.
Don’t miss this latest exhibit of interesting work, which will be on display until Sunday, November 3rd.
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.
Art Gallery of Peterborough presents Chris Ironside’s ‘Living for the Fame’
‘Living for the Fame’ by Chris Ironside is an installation that explores gay images from social media platforms. Examining ideas of self, identity, desire, and the ironies of social media, Ironside has sifted through these images, which are often almost disposable in nature, and created a series of delicate drawings from them.
The drawings are then framed and presented to us, alongside words in pink glitter, referencing the post-internet age and making poignant comments on the nature of social media platforms. To do this, Ironside uses out-of-context Hole lyrics from the album Doll Parts such as ‘I fake it so real I am beyond fake’. In this re-contextualised setting, we ponder the multifaceted nature of the gay scene and the influence social media has over people’s lives and ideas of self.
The opening reception is coming up on Saturday, October 5th from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be a corresponding artist talk on Saturday, November 2nd from 2 to 4 p.m. The exhibit runs until January 5, 2020.
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.
Art Gallery of Peterborough presents Michelle Bellemare’s ‘Enough, is enough, is enough’
Michelle Bellemare’s ‘Enough, is enough, is enough’ is a sculptural exhibit looking at our modern world of technology and round-the-clock opportunities for work and play, as we become overloaded with information and demands made on our time and attention.
For example, Bellemare’s work ‘Retreat’ (pictured above) is an overwhelmed little power bar, switched off and curled up in an attempt to retreat from it all. The power bar, used as a metaphor for us as we become overtired and overburdened with information, is apt and in a way humorous.
Each sculpture in the show plays with the idea of physical and emotional burnout, anxiety, and the need to step away and care for ourselves in this contemporary world.
The opening reception is coming up, in conjunction with the opening for the Chris Ironside show, on Saturday, October 5th from 2 to 5 p.m. The exhibit runs until January 5, 2020.
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.
Art Gallery of Peterborough’s Annual Art Auction Fundraiser ‘It’s All About Art’ on October 26th
“It’s All About Art”, the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s annual art party that raises funds for the not-profit public gallery, features the work of many artists from the region for auction.
Featuring both a live and a silent auction, music, snacks, drinks, and fun, there are also a series of 10″ x 10″ pieces made by select artists specially for this event.
“It’s All About Art” begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26th at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough). Tickets are $45 for gallery members and $50 for non-members, and are available at agp.on.ca/events/all-about-art/.
Whetung Ojibwa Centre hosts Thanksgiving art show
On Thanksgiving weekend, Whetung Ojibwa Centre is hosting a Thanksgiving art show.
Rick Beaver, whose work is pictured above, has shown at Whetung Ojibwa Centre for a number of years and is one of the artists participating in the Thanksgiving show.
Come out, enjoy the fall colours, and meet artists from the region. With live demonstrations and lots of art to see, it’s fun for the whole family!
The show will run from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 12th and Sunday, October 13th.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Whetung Ojibwa Centre is located in Curve Lake First Nation at 875 Mississauga Street in Curve Lake. For more information, visit www.whetung.com.
Singing Horse Gallery presents ‘Recent Watercolours’ by Joan Zageris
Drop in to Singing Horse Gallery in Peterborough to see this new collection of striking watercolour paintings by Joan Zageris.
Joan is an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour as well as the Society of Canadian Art.
An opening reception will be held on Thursday, October 3rd from 2 to 5 p.m., with the artist in attendance. All are welcome.
Singing Horse Gallery is located at 686 Crown Drive in Peterborough.
Artspace hosts a 45th anniversary celebration at Peterborough’s Market Hall on October 18
It’s Artspace’s 45th birthday! In celebration of this milestone, Artspace has organized ’45: Speculative Histories and Possible Futures of an Artist-Run Centre’, with a panel discussion featuring five panellists from the community who will reflect and reminisce over the last 45 years. They will also discuss ways in which artist run centres benefit the community and support professional arts practices.
This discussion is to be followed by a party! Music, dancing, and revelry will ensue. DJ Billy the K, Johnny Q , musical guests the Ceedees and Susan Newman and Rob Fortin will help you to dance the night away.
Come, join in the fun, and celebrate Artspace’s birthday on Friday, October 18th, starting at 7 p.m. and running till late. The event will be held at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough), located at the intersection of George and Charlotte Streets under the clock tower. The theatre is located on the second floor and is elevator accessible.
Art Gallery of Northumberland presents ‘2019 New Acquisitions’
‘New Acquisitions’ presents eight works of art recently donated to the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Northumberland, featuring artists Darlene Cole, Frances Gage, Jiri Ladocha, Andris Leimanis, and Kenneth Lochhead.
The works will be on display Thursday, October 3rd until January 5, 2020. There will be an opening reception at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 3rd.
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. Entry is free or by donation.
First Friday in downtown Peterborough
Join the monthly First Friday festivities kicking off in downtown Peterborough at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 4th.
There will be art exhibits, open studios, events, sales and workshops around downtown Peterborough, including at Acme Art and Sailboat Company, Atelier Ludmila, Watson & Lou, Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery, Mike’s Tattoo, The Garnet, and much more!
For more details and updates, including individual events, visit firstfridayptbo.com and follow FirstFridayPtbo on Facebook and Instagram.
