The Wynndel Mudders and the 2011 Spirit of BC Festival are getting together to mount a contemporary ceramic, sculpture, glass, jewelry and textile exhibition from Feb. 18-24). The exhibition will be mounted at what is being called The Temp Gallery at 1017 Canyon Street.
“I think this is the first time Creston has held a contemporary show that focuses on visual arts other than painting,” said Maggie Leal-Valias, one of the exhibition’s organizers. “We already have a metal artist and a jeweller from Nelson and another from Revelstoke sending work and we think this is going to be a spectacular show.
The Wynndel Mudders is a group that meets in Wynndel to play with clay. It formed in 2005 and have developed a reputation for providing a communal and friendly place in which to learn about clay. Its mission is to develop a centre of excellence in ceramic art in the Kootenays.
For the past four years, the Mudders have hosted high-level international ceramic artists for sold out summer workshops that attracted participants from all over the Kootenays, from Alberta and from the U.S.A.’s Pacific Northwest. As part of the Spirit of BC Festival the Mudders are also hosting a workshop on digital imagery on ceramic and glass with Brian Boldon from Minneapolis, Minn., on Feb. 12 and 13. There may still be places available.
“Our objective for the exhibition is to showcase, to the viewing public, contemporary expressions of ideas in areas not often seen together,” said Leal-Valias. “We also want artists to be able to share with each other ideas and techniques across disciplines and to encourage ‘not yet artists’ to explore and experiment in these areas of artistic expression.”
Video art and installations will be considered depending on available space.
Up to six pieces, two- or three-dimensional, new or previously exhibited work may be submitted depending on size. Experimental work or work in progress is encouraged, especially if accompanied with a written explanation of what the artist is/was trying to achieve and the why or why not of the success of the piece.
“This will be a learning and sharing exhibition as well as a show with work for sale, although work does not need to be for sale.”
Registration is free, thanks to funding from the spirit festival grant, but is required by Jan. 21. to ensure space is made available for the work. For registration information — or to volunteer at the gallery between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. — contact Leal-Valias at 250-866-5674 or email maggie@wynndel.ca. Registration forms are also available at Black Bear Books and Kingfisher Books.