The Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre welcomed a new batch of artists to its latest exhibit that opened yesterday (May 4), including Jacqueline Palmer’s clay fusion artwork, which fills the main gallery with pieces of all shapes and sizes.
The Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre’s (RVAC) rolling exhibitions are back. From now until late fall, RVAC will have new exhibitions opening in the galleries every month. With Palmer’s work in the main gallery, the rest of the galleries are filled with pieces by Robbie McClaran, Isaac Becker, and Sarah Hicks. Palmer talked about her pieces at the opening and the caribou that inspired them.
“This has been on my heart for a while,” said Palmer.
Standing amidst years of her work, Palmer spoke first about her relationship with caribou and how the animal became a source of inspiration for her.
Palmer said the caribou inspiration started roughly 20 years ago while she was on a canoe trip with her family along the Kootenay River. The family were separated on the river when part of the group took on a challenging section of the river, while Palmer accompanied some of the younger paddlers on to a different area to paint. Palmer and the young members of the family waited for the rest of the red canoe of the family to arrive at a bridge where they agreed to meet, but after part of a day and an entire night of waiting, the rest of the family didn’t show.
Palmer and her group slept near the bridge in a vehicle, still waiting for the red canoe.
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The next morning, a blue canoe floated down the river, informing Palmer that the red canoe was at the preceding bridge with her family.
Given the stressful occurrence, Palmer rushed to reconnect with the rest of the group — speeding along the logging road to get to them. She was halted in her tracks by a large herd of caribou that had come across the road. The animals were so big, and there were so many of them that Palmer had to wait and go slow as she proceeded.
“Fast forward 20 years. I realized that that was the herd of mountain caribou that are now extinct in such a short time,” she said.
As the number of caribou shrunk, so did their imagery, which upset Palmer.
“I began to pour my heart into my art,” said Palmer.
From wall art, to pottery, to a full fountain, Palmer’s work runs the gambit of clay fusion.
All the art tells a story, and Palmer invited those looking at the gallery to read through her book in the gallery, which helps to express the full story as she sees it.
The three side galleries are comprised of works by Robbie McClaran, Isaac Becker, and Sarah Hicks. From photography to painting, the galleries have both and a little in-between.
To check out the new exhibit, visit the RVAC. This exhibit will stay on display until May 28.
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@ZacharyDelaney
zach.delaney@revelstokereview.com
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