Medicine Hat Media

Archive for the ‘Artists’ Category

“To brush history against the grain and write a different account, one that deepens our understanding… one that seeks to reveal the interstices of resistance and pain.”
– Walter Benjamin, Thesis on the Philosophy of History

Portraits of Loss by Safira Lachapelle

Portraits of Loss by Safira Lachapelle

Loss as an emotion that shapes history
What role does cultural identity play in the development of individuals and societies? I continually seek perspective to this question through the processes of cultural immersion and documentation. Reoccurring themes within my work reveal ideas of environmental sustainability, obsolescence, impermanence, humanity’s relationship to earth, traditional First Nation’s worldview, kinship, dreams, visions, the soul, and immortality.

The current ongoing focus of my work is an immersion in the personal, cultural, and historical perspectives that surround loss, specifically from suicide and accident. Suicide has been called Canada’s silent epidemic, and along with accident is the leading cause of death in young men, particularly in First Nation’s communities. These forms of loss are unique in that they offer survivors an unexpected life. My interest and experience with unexpected loss and contemporary First Nations culture presents an opportunity to open this dialogue.

Listening as a form of art
The intent of this installation is to continue exploring techniques that can be used to most effectively tell story. Story has the potential to act as impetus for personal and societal growth; this is a fundamental understanding in First Nation’s oral history teaching methodologies. I am interested in coalescing personal oral history collection with the creation of installation art. The documentation of personal stories will act as a primer for the creation of work and offer an open-ended interpretation to a melding of personal, cultural, and historical perspectives. My aim is that these interpretations will evoke memory and help guide the viewer to a greater truth.

I am interested in how media such as drawing, installation, print making, text, sound, and video interact and layer meaning for audience. Is a story interpreted physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually by the viewer? Are cognitive and perceptive processes enhanced when diverse mediums work together? How do auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli affect that response?

Biography:
Safira Lachapelle is born and raised in Medicine Hat. She has just returned to Medicine Hat to finish the last year of her arts degree. This show was made possible through funding from the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Battlefords and District Community Foundation Inc.

Show Info:
January 7 – 11 @ 11am – 8pm
Reception: January 11 @ 7pm
Medicine Hat College Room N159


The Hive Boutique and Gallery Has Moved!

The Hive Boutique and Gallery Has Moved!

We will officially opened in The Esplanade on Wednesday December 5th. Our new gallery and boutique is located to the left of the main doors next to the Studio Theatre in the former Gift Shop space.

The studios will remain at the current second street location and will still be open to the public on Saturdays. All art classes will still be held at the classroom in the studios.

Come and check out our new location!

Our new hours will be as follows for each location:

Gallery and Boutique
401 First Street SE
Wednesday – Saturday
11:00am – 4:00pm
+advance of evening events

Studios and Classroom
569 Second Street SE
Saturday
11:00am – 4:00pm
+scheduled class times

Our Studios / Classroom are still located at our 2nd street location.


Fall Art Program Poster

Fall Art Program Poster

Our exciting fall art classes are fun-filled with drawing, painting, printmaking, photography & more. Classes held among real working artist studios benefit from the  atmosphere and energy of a vibrant art studio.

Classes begin soon!

Go to www.hivehub.ca, call 403-504-5371or visit us for details & our full schedule

Small class sizes mean lots of individualized attention and instruction.

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!

Hive members will always receive a $10 discount on all art classes. See us about  becoming a member! Also, The Hive offers a “Bring-A-Buddy” special on all classes! Bring a friend/sibling and both of you will receive a 10% discount!

The Hive Artists’ Hub Society strives to promote local art and artists and supports the local art community. We also protect the environment and support small business by selling handmade and up-cycled products. And since proceeds from sales and classes are used in achieving these goals, when you buy products and register in art classes, you are helping the whole community!

The Hive provides promotional & educational opportunities as well as support and services to its members. The Hive is also an artistic and educational resource for the community. It is a vibrant part of Medicine Hat playing an important role on the cultural scene and in the tourism industry.


The Esplanade Art Gallery is pleased to present two new exhibitions, Campbell Tinning: The Newfoundland Paintings and Landwash: Contemporary Newfoundland Art, on display until August 11. The opening reception on Friday, June 15, 2012 from 7 PM to 10 PM is part of the first Downtown Art Walk Roving Art Reception of the year.

Also, on Friday at 7 PM, the City’s Public Art Committee invites all to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the public art commission Reka (River) by Jess Riva Cooper and Rob MacInnis at Batus Park, on Second Street SE.

Campbell Tinning: The Newfoundland PaintingsCampbell Tinning: The Newfoundland Paintings

Campbell Tinning was born in Saskatoon, in 1910. After studying art in Regina and New York, in 1941 he joined the Canadian Army Reserves and became a War Artist in the Historical Section of the Canadian Army. Just prior to being sent overseas, his first Army assignment was to record the east coast defenses, and in late 1943, he was sent to St. John’s, Newfoundland. He was so impressed by this brief visit that he wrote in his diary that he wanted to return and paint there in peacetime – and indeed he did, in 1949, following his service in Italy in 1944-45 as War Artist. Thirteen large watercolours in this exhibition were produced by Tinning during that summer of 1949, painted at Port aux Basques in July, and at Port de Grave in August and September. Tinning settled in Montreal after the war, and exhibited widely in North America in both solo and group exhibitions, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Mendel Art Gallery. Posthumously, his work was included in the national touring exhibition Canvas of War: Masterpieces from the Canadian War Museum. Esplanade Art Curator Joanne Marion comments, “These are strikingly bold paintings that impress visitors – 63 years after being painted – with the rugged beauty of Newfoundland.” This exhibition was curated by Heather Smith, and its tour organized by the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery. THE JUMP – Read the rest of this entry »


The Esplanade Art Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibitions, School Art 2012 and Tracy Bultje: Remnant, on display until June 10.

School Art 2012

School Art 2012 is here! The latest crop of art work from over 40 Medicine Hat and area schools is a rich and vibrant display of students’ talent and effort, from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It’s also a testament to the skill and dedication of teachers of art throughout the region. Come and enjoy the exuberance and artistic exploration in over 700 works in an astounding array of media.

Joanne Ellis, School Art organizer at the Esplanade Art Gallery, comments, “The annual School Art exhibition is only possible with the continued support of all the sponsors, presenters and jurors, and especially the students, teachers, and school administrators who nurture visual arts in our schools.”

The School Art 2012 reception takes place on Sunday May 6 at 1pm in the Gallery Foyer, followed at 1.30pm by the Awards Ceremony in the main Theatre Hall. Admission is free. Refreshments are a courtesy of Medicine Hat Catholic Separate Regional Division #20. Presentation materials are a courtesy of Medicine Hat School District #76.

Admission to the galleries is free during School Art 2012 thanks to Cenovus Energy.

Tracy Bultje Remnant

Tracy Bultje’s recent paintings are large and dramatic, evoking the colourful and ground-breaking early 20th century Canadian Group of Seven. But where the Group of Seven celebrated the Canadian ‘wilderness’ of their time, Tracy Bultje brings to vivid life the remnants of that landscape – the slivers of trees along the river near her home, treed fencerows, property lines and windbreaks. These are slender curtains of landscape with no depth which Tracy Bultje has rendered rich, complex and strikingly intense, defying their flatness with intricate patterning. THE JUMP – Read the rest of this entry »


Another Visual Communications graduation show is upon us! As is the tradition, every year the Visual Communications students throw and end-of-the-year celebration and exhibition to showcase their talent and work. This year’s graduation show, entitled Collect, looks to be very diverse in the work presented and seems to range between all forms of media; from digital, to mixed media, to paintings and drawings, to photography, and much more.

Some of the graduates may already be familiar faces around Medicine Hat, such as Social Threat’s lead singer Kyle Hodgman who has created some cool punk rock designs, Or Gerrit Kat who is a local photographer and the creator of Ginger Kid Studios.

It’s nice to see every year that websites and social media are becoming more popular choices for advertising and sending out invites to the graduation shows. This year the students are advertising their work through Twitter, Facebook and Vimeo. In addition, many graduates have even taken an additional step and created their own websites so they will continue to have a web presence long after the show has run its course.

The show opens the night of April 14th at 7PM and students will be on hand to showcase their work and portfolios and will be available for questions and comments. The show will continue to run until the 22nd. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided followed by an after show party.

More information can be found at the official website: http://www.collectgradshow.com/


Call for Submissions for Curiosities Themed Exhibition

Deadline March 15, 2012

This is a call from The Hive Artists’ Hub for artists of any discipline to submit 2 to 6 pieces of work in any medium for an exhibition entitled Curiosities. Each piece must not exceed a maximum of 12 inches in any direction. The theme is curiosities. Artwork and application form must be submitted on or before 4:00 PM March 15, 2012 to:

The Hive Artists’ Hub
569 2nd Street SE
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0C5

For inquiries on classroom/group submissions and for the application form, please visit our website: www.hivehub.ca, call 403-504-5371 or email info@hivehub.ca


The Medalta International Artists in Residence program can add the University of Montana to its list of partners. In 2011, both organizations agreed on a partnership which would enable promising ceramic arts students to gain valuable real-world experience in a residency setting. In January 2012, 8 students participating in the program will benefit from this partnership through working in Medalta’s Shaw International Centre for Contemporary Ceramics.

According to Artistic Director Aaron Nelson, the students’ time at Medalta provides professional and international experience. “Hosting residencies here at Medalta gives these students a way to apply the knowledge and skills they learn at University,” explains Nelson. “One of the primary benefits of a hands-on approach such as this puts theory into practice and further prepares students for life after university.”

“Forming partnerships with post-secondary institutions has always been one of our goals,” explains Barry Finkelman, Executive Director of the Historic Clay District. “The benefit of having talented, creative people in Medicine Hat is enormous – both from an economic development and community-building perspective.”

Everyone is invited to meet this group of visiting artists during a public open house on Friday, January 27, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. Open Houses provide a unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at an artist’s studio and see artwork in all stages of completion. Work made during the month will be on display. The Open House is free to the public.

The Historic Clay District is a 150-acre National Historic Site in Medicine Hat, Alberta which encompasses a number of historically significant clay factory sites. One of the centerpieces of the Historic Clay District is the Medalta Potteries National Historic Site, which features an industrial history museum, major industrial archaeological excavation, contemporary ceramic artists-in-residence program and working pottery. It is one of eight major attractors within the Canadian Badlands and receives significant support from the Government of Canada, Government of Alberta and City of Medicine Hat.


FIXFIX: A painting exhibition by Stephanie Dalla-Longa

Opening reception Friday, December 9th at 7:00pm-10:00pm at The Hive Artist’s Hub. Refreshments will be served.

569 2nd Street SE
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0C5

Regular Gallery Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00-5:00
Saturday: 12:00-5:00

The Hive Artist’s Hub on Facebook

Website


Aaron is currently working with experimental, highly translucent soft paste porcelain that matures at an extremely low temperature. His interest in this new material, for which there are few historical precedents, grows out of a concern for the environment and reducing the carbon footprint of his practice.

At the same time, he has become interested in contemporary communications technologies – QR Codes in particular. He is experimenting with the merging of ceramic art with these new forms of communication.

This is Aaron’s latest Big Idea. We hope you enjoy it.

Copyright Medalta 2011
Filmed by Quentin Randall
Edited & Directed by Quentin Randall & Jenn Demke-Lange
Music by JS Zamecnik


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