Contributed by Parks Canada and the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre
The Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre and Parks Canada are pleased to announce the exhibition Art in the Park.
Since its inception in 2008, the Art in the Park program based in Revelstoke has provided visual artists with special access to explore, be inspired by, and connect with, one of Canada’s national parks. This year, Parks Canada and the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre have celebrated the natural and cultural heritage of Glacier National Park.
Twelve artists from the region were chosen through a rigorous selection process designed to encourage a balance of artistic mediums and experience. The artists spent four days together in early August in a rustic cabin setting in the Alpine Club of Canada’s AO Wheeler Hut.
Image: Artist Jeff Wilson chose Ranger Sharon as one of his subjects for the Art in the Park exhibit.
The artists worked closely over the period of days sharing their visions and techniques while exploring, photographing and sketching their environment. It was an opportunity for the artists to fully immerse themselves in one of Canada’s most beautiful natural places. Artists were then tasked with creating three works of art which represented their experience.
This exhibition presents a way of seeing Canada’s rich national park through the eyes of an artist. By providing this innovative perspective of the park through art, visitors to the exhibition are able to experience the park’s beauty and rich history in a unique way. The exhibition will travel throughout the region in 2017 as part of Canada’s 150 celebrations.
The featured artists are: Kate Brooks-Heinimann, Zuzana Driediger, Lyndsay Esson, Jenny Ireland, Jaymie Johnson, Gwen Lips, Melanie MacVoy, Becky McMahon, Leanne Spanza, Val Speer, Jo Willems and Jeff Wilson.
In addition to the Art in the Park exhibition, the Visual Arts Centre will also be featuring photography by students from the Glacier Adventure Stewardship Program. This program provides opportunities for local youth in Grades 9 and 10 to connect with their natural and cultural heritage through photography, music and hiking experiences in Glacier National Park.
The exhibitions will run from Nov 4 to Nov 25. The opening reception is this Friday, Nov. 4, from 6–9 p.m.