Paintings Are Feature of Next Exhibitions at Kootenay Gallery
By Contributor
Following the West Kootenay Camera Club’s annual week-long Photo Salon (June 1 – 8), the Kootenay Gallery has two new exhibitions opening June 15 at 7 p.m. Three artists are offering works that will be of interest to local culture lovers.
Carol Reynolds has adeptly captured the landscapes of both Nelson streets and Kootenay birch groves in her popular colour-rich canvasses. Those of you familiar with the Kootenay Gallery building will have seen the mural she completed on the front of the Gallery in 2009.
Entitled Between the Trees, Reynolds’ exhibition is selected from several bodies of work, but largely from her tree paintings.
As Reynolds’ compositions have focussed on birches, the background beyond and between the trees has interested her as much as the primary subjects themselves. The result is a collection that is sometime contemplative, sometimes electric and never dull. The paintings on display include early pieces when she lived in Campbell River up to work completed this May in her Nelson studio.
The second exhibition, DetermiNation, is a collaboration between two indigenous Okanagan artists, Sheldon Louis and Csetkwe Fortier.
Louis creates bold, graphic imagery while Fortier’s medium is photography. The artists describe the show as, “Genetic memories of origin guide two syilx artists to produce works about their inherent responsibilities to ensure the lifeblood of the salmon continues to flow. With bright colours and bold images, they express the determination of the salmon and their people.” DetermiNation is particularly relevant at this time, given the cultural significance of the salmon both historically and currently, to local indigenous populations and with the re-negotiations of the Columbia River Treaty beginning soon.
Both exhibitions open on June 15 at 7 p.m. are free to attend. All of the artists will be in attendance so this is an excellent opportunity to meet them and find out more about their art. The exhibitions continue until July 28.
The Kootenay Gallery is located across from the airport, down the road from the Apple Guy and the Doukhobor Discovery Centre. The two galleries and the Gift Shop are open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To find out more, contact the Gallery at 250-365-3337 or email us at kootenaygallery@telus.com.
