Every year, the Art Gallery committee reserves the month of February for the Art Gallery’s Art from the Heart, with a different focus each year.
This is a community show which invites emerging artists and diverse media, as well as art enthusiasts, amateur artists and everyone in between.
“This show is inclusive of artists of all stripes and experience,” says gallery co-ordinator Joan Ramsay-Harker.
”There’s no judging, everyone’s work is welcome. Last year, we were pleased to include work by a grandmother and her granddaughter in the show.”
Members of the Art Gallery are also encouraged to submit work for this show, working with this year’s theme It’s in Our Nature.
The opening of the February show is on Friday (Feb. 2) and is in collaboration with the awarding of the Gallery of Honour recipients.
“We enjoy collaborating with the Gallery of Honour as we’re able to reach a wider audience,” says Ramsay-Harker.
One of this year’s recipients is being honoured posthumously. Branwen Patenaude, who died in 2016, was a respected historian and artist and Ramsay-Harker has marked the occasion of her induction into the Gallery of Honour with a small painting of Patenaude, which is included in the gallery show.
One of the challenges of this open show, Ramsay-Harker says, is not knowing until the last moment what work will be submitted.
“Each artist who contributes is guaranteed one piece will be included in the show; however, they are invited to submit more than one piece.”
Regardless of the many and varied shows which grace the walls of the gallery, February is always reserved for this show and is sponsored by Ron Paull and QTAX.