The Comox Valley Art Gallery will host an opening reception Friday evening, March 13, for three new shows that examine our environment through decidedly different perspectives and media.
The event will start with a pre-show talk by visiting artists Amanda McCavour (Neon Bloom) and Tracy Peters (Unusual Migration) at 6 p.m. The opening reception will start at 7 p.m.
The talk and reception are free and open to the public.
McCavour, a Toronto-based artist, will use thousands of small modular sculptural objects to create a faux eco-system in the gallery.
In the week prior to the opening “Neon Bloom” will take on a life of its own, hooking into ceilings, spreading along walls and anchoring along ledges. The public is welcome to drop by the CVAG plaza this week to see the installation taking shape in the window gallery.
Peters is an interdisciplinary artist from Winnipeg. She works with photography, video and installation to explore ways in which organic and human-built environments overlap.
“Unusual Migration” is part of a larger two-year project entitled “Shed”. It documents changes in semi-rural habitat at the edge of Winnipeg.
There will also be a group show by students from Beachcombers Community School called “Combing Through Natural History”. This exhibition employs the centuries-old tradition in the biological sciences of using art as an instrument to better understand flora and fauna.
McCavour is also offering a workshop called “experimental layers” on Saturday, March 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Using a mixed-media approach to embroidery, workshop participants will use stitch and collage techniques to create dynamic surfaces for embroidery, wearable art, and painting.
The workshop costs $70, and you can register by calling CVAG at 250-338-6211.
All three shows will run from March 14 to April 18. The gallery will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for statutory holidays.
For more details about shows and events at the gallery, visit www.comoxvalleyartgallery.com