Submitted
The Comox Valley Art Gallery will be abuzz Friday evening to celebrate the opening of two new exhibits – including a members show that attracted more than 100 submissions – and an ongoing participatory make-art project.
The opening reception will start at 7 p.m., but members of the public are invited to arrive earlier starting at 6 p.m. to participate in an all-ages art making that responds to the theme “(hanging) by a thread.”
Local works
By a Thread is the title and theme of the members show that will open that evening. This group exhibit for members of the Comox Valley Community Arts Council and the Comox Valley Art Gallery will feature more than 100 artworks in a variety of disciplines.
The reception will also celebrate the opening of The Blues Project, an exhibit of work by textile artist Jo Swallow.
Both exhibits and the participatory art project will run from Sept. 27 until Nov. 1, and there will be numerous opportunities for public engagement and participation.
Swallow, known for her expertise as a cloth designer, master weaver and teacher, will provide weaving demonstrations every Friday and Saturday from noon to 1 p.m., starting Saturday, for the duration of the exhibit.
Interdisciplinary artist Medwyn McConachy will also be on site from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays, when she will conduct a performance piece called “Disentangling.”
Participation project
Throughout the exhibit the public is invited to participate in a collaborative make-art project.
Art-making materials will be provided in the George Sawchuk gallery, and people are invited to respond to the theme “(hanging) by a thread”.
Artists Sarah Bergeron, Fiona Thomson and Lukas Roy have seeded the project with their own experiments, and will periodically install the public contributions in CVAG’s George Sawchuk gallery.
CVAG curator Angela Somerset says response to the call for submissions to the members show has been overwhelming.
“At more than 100 submissions by local artists, this is the largest response we’ve experienced,” she said. “We’re very excited by this level of participation.”
The make-art project and the exhibits will be open during gallery hours, Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The gallery exhibition spaces are closed this week for installation, but the CVAG gift shop continues to be open during its regular hours, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more details about the gallery or the exhibits, call 250- 338-6211 or visit www.comoxvalleyartgallery.com.