By Brandon Hoffman-
We’re all ready to embark upon another season at the Station House Gallery. I am quite thrilled with the lineup we were able to put together for our 35th year. We received a huge pile of fantastic applications and it was a daunting task narrowing it down.
Our season kicks off in February, with exhibitions from Coral Keehn and Rick Blacklaws.
Coral’s show in the Main Gallery is comprised of the original illustrations from her children’s book Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, out on Friesen Press.
Coral brings a fanciful and creative interpretation of the 19th-century lullaby by Eugene Fieldabout the wistful place between sleep and dreams. Beautiful and imaginative watercolours light a starlit path through the night sky of a wonder-filled dreamscape in this enchanting installation of sweet slumber and adventure.
On display in the Upper Gallery for the month of February is Rick Blacklaw’s photography collection, Along the Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail.
This collection is meant to illustrate the change that has taken place in the past decades along the Blackwater River west of Quesnel. These photos were first captured on black and white film 40 years ago, and have been hand colour-tinted.
The result is a hauntingly nostalgic blend of old and new media. These photographs are contained in the new book, On the Footsteps of Alexander Mackenzie: Archeology and the Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail, by Carol Blacklaws.
For the month of March, Simone Benjamin and Mo Hamilton collaborate on the full-gallery show, Repose and Awakening. The two painters explore nature’s polar states through abstract expression.
The state of repose is revealed through a reduced palette of shapes and colour to convey a feeling of underground stillness, while awakening is represented through an explosion and overabundance of colour and shapes. The two artists bring a wealth of styles and aesthetics to the abstract world.
On April 8, we are extremely excited to host The Station House Express: a fundraising gala in benefit of the Station House Studio and Gallery Society. This all-night event will feature live music, auctions, wine and cheese tastings, a photo booth, and opening receptions for two fantastic exhibitions.
Get into the era and party like it’s 1929 (err, maybe before the market crashed). We’ll have prizes for the sharpest attire.
The Upper Gallery will showcase Absent Reverie: a series of surreal illustrations by Kootenay artist Rhandi Sandford. In the Main Gallery we will open the doors to All Aboard: a group show dedicated to the people, culture, and landscape surrounding the Station House Gallery.
Speaking of which, we are now taking submissions to All Aboard, which will be on display for the month of April.
A tad self-indulgent maybe, but we are excited to host a multi-media show that’s all about us. Originally built in 1920, the Station House Gallery has been a focal point of Cariboo arts and culture since it was converted from a retired BCR train station in 1981.
We are calling on artists to contribute for All Aboard pieces inspired by the Station House Gallery and the community that keeps us going. Feel encouraged to interpret the theme and take it in your own direction.
If you are interested in contributing to the show, email me (Brandon) at coordinator@stationhousegallery.com.
To view the whole 2016 schedule, visit www.stationhousegallery.com or follow us on Facebook.
Don’t miss out on another show—become a member of the gallery. Members receive personal invitations to our monthly opening receptions, and other perks like special deals in the gallery shop.
