The Comox Valley Art Gallery congratulates all the artists who submitted artwork to the 2011 CVAG Juried Members Show.
The exhibit opened recently with an attendance of over 100 people at the evening reception and awards presentation.
Since opening, there has been steady traffic through the gallery to view the show, which features over 100 artworks by 50 regional and local artists. This exhibit runs until April 16 in the public, window and arts and craft galleries.
Two awards were presented in each of the five juror鈥檚 categories:
Award for Landscape went to Evening Paddle by Helen Utsal (Comox), an acrylic painting with gold and purple hues. Also recognized was Ferry Crossing by Lyndia Terre (Nanoose Bay), a vertically framed graphite on paper drawing, one of three drawings in a series.
The Award for Innovative Use of Imagery went to Fish Farm by Robin de Lavis (Hornby Island), a colourful compact acrylic painting depicting questions about salmon farming. No Place is Home by Paul Bailey (Denman Island) received the second award for its unconventional use of photography.
Award recipients for 3 Dimensional Artwork went to Smoke by Catherine Lavelle (Courtenay), a welded steel sculpture depicting the movement of smoke from a fire.
Zen Flyer (free-footed sail protects flower from lightning strike as we fly through clouds of tranquility) by Jeff Hartbower (Courtenay) was also recognized for its skillful and playful woodcraft.
Cathedral and Cross by Channing Holland (Comox), received recognition with an Award for Works on Paper. It is a collograph print with chine colle which shows technical proficiency and honours the medium of paper.
Also recognized was Reciprocal Nearest Neighbour by Kari Glass (Alert Bay), a colourful grid collage that references science and specimens.
The Award for Figurative Realism went to Gladys and Elizabeth by Kate Hansen (Courtenay). This is a contemporary Madonna and Child portrait print of a drawing with a strong presentation of successful realism.
The second award went to Heather with Peonies by Karen Martin Sampson (Sayward), an evocative, poetic acrylic painting of a portrait on canvas.
Juror鈥檚 awards were selected by three jurors chosen for their expertise in the visual arts:
David Maclean is a visual arts instructor for the North Island College for over 30 years, teaching drawing, painting, printmaking and art history; he is currently chair of NIC Fine Arts.
Megan Wilson is a practising artist, freelance curator recently relocated to the Comox Valley from Vancouver. She is an instructor for both NIC and Emily Carr University Visual Arts.
Robert Moon taught Visual Arts at the University of California, Berkely for decades before working in the Vancouver Film industry painting sets, carving sculpture and creating special effects. Since moving here, he鈥檚 been involved in the arts community on the Arts Council Board, designing sets for Courtenay Little Theatre and as an active volunteer for many creative organizations.
One award will be reserved for presentation at the close of the exhibit in April; the People鈥檚 Choice Award. Make sure to attend the opening or visit the gallery during the run of the show to vote on your favourite piece.
This exhibit is programmed as a celebration of the creativity and diversity of the Comox Valley visual arts community. A few months ago, CVAG had released an open invitation to all members (membership is open to the public) of the gallery, which is a non-profit society, to submit artwork for exhibition.
Drawings, paintings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and fibre arts are some of the genres that have been submitted. As a fundraiser, all works are for sale with pieces priced from $49 to $500, with a portion going to the artist and a portion supporting the gallery鈥檚 programs.
CVAG is located in downtown Courtenay at 580 Duncan Ave. Gallery hours are from Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission to CVAG is by donation. All ages are welcome.
For more information, visit comoxvalleyartgallery.com or call 250-338-6211.
鈥� Comox Valley Art Gallery
