The Quesnel Art Gallery is currently hosting a travelling art exhibition exploring aging in modern times.
“Aging, Art And The Modern Elder” opened earlier this month with pieces by 16 artists from the north Okanagan area.
Before the opening reception on Thursday, July 14, the paintings were removed and unpacked from boxes for display.
“I was super impressed,” said Quesnel Art Gallery assistant Shae Lightening. “Every piece I pulled out, I was blown away by the talent. They used a lot of people, which is not common, and they showed a lot of joy and expression in all of the elders’ faces which I really loved. There’s a lot of expression in a lot of different pieces.”
The travelling art show is sponsored by the North Okanagan (Vernon) Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists through the New Horizons for Seniors program.
In a video, coordinator Cheryl Turner said the artists had worked together for the past six months to create a series of paintings with their ideas about aging, including the joys, the possibilities, and some of the challenges.
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“We try to maintain a positive focus hoping to shift people’s preconceived notions of aging and to present a positive and uplifting view of aging,” Turner added.
Artist Shannon Wylie created two paintings of mixed mediums, one of which featured herself and three of her friends wearing colourful face paint.
“It was a wonderful experience—it gave me permission in my own way to behave like a child again,” Wylie said. “
“I feel like we never really grow up inside, and so often through adulthood we don’t get in touch with our inner children.”
While Wylie has noticed that her peers and other women are older, she said they seem to be getting younger and are not slowing down at all.
“Aging, Art And The Modern Elder” is on display at the Quesnel Art Gallery until Thursday, August 11.
Read More: Quesnel artists display an eclectic of work at Quesnel Art Gallery
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: rebecca.dyok@quesnelobserver.com
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