UBCO Creative Studies Virtual Gallery
Animals, was the year end performance created/directed by Neil Cadger in collaboration with students in THTR 280/480 Devised Public Performance. Approximately 250 people attended the 8 performances which were situated throughout the building at Bumpershoot theatre.
Young artists make their mark at the Alternator
The work of up and coming art students will be on show at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art from November 4 – 12.
Part of the Intermission series, Young 2016 is a visual reflection of youth undefined by age. It features the work of UBCO Visual Arts students exploring themes of memory, nostalgia, and adolescence. Visitors can expect to see painting, sculpture and photography in this exhibition curated by fellow UBCO students Shayla Ritchie, Victoria Moore and Addison Oberg.
In a unique twist, the foundation for Young 2016 was laid three years ago as an exhibition at the French Cultural Centre designed show off the works of then-freshman UBCO students. Now in their final year of studies at UBCO, some of those same artists will be on show at the Alternator, giving the public an opportunity to see the growth these students have achieved in the past three years of their studies.
This exhibition is co-presented by the UBCO Visual Arts Course Union who act as a liaison between students and the vibrant Okanagan community. The Visual Arts Course Union organizes events such as art markets, artist talks, and the annual Art on the Line gala.
Curatorial Statement
Victoria Moore, Addison Oberg, and Shayla Ritchie
Three years ago, in a Salmon Arm coffee shop, Young was born as idea between two UBCO freshman. Their goal was to merge UBCO’s visual arts program with the growing Kelowna art community. Young was held at the French Cultural Centre where artwork covered the building floor to ceiling. It was astounding to see so many youthful emerging artists take part in such a hugely successful event. The show was well received and gave a taste of the talent that UBCO had to offer.
Young 2016 follows the success of the original event, curated by one of its original instigators along with her peers. This exhibit has evolved past its predecessor into a professional gallery setting with juried submissions. The students of UBCO brought forth a fantastic roster of artwork exploring themes of youth, nostalgia, and innocence. The curators of Young 2016 are honored to bring new works from the talented artists at UBCO into the downtown core of the Kelowna art community.
Young 2016 focuses on youth as concept, free from the constraints of time and age. In the future, the concept of youth presented in this show can only expand and grow, as the artists understand new perceptions of nostalgia and adolescence as they themselves age. Viewers can expect to see new perspectives and valuable expressions of what youth means in the next generation of Young exhibitions.
These 20 prints feature key scenes from the forthcoming multimedia performance concert Music of the Heavens set for November of 2017. Music of the Heavens maps out the stars and tells ancient legends of the constellations in the sky from 3 different cultures. The interest in the stars is shared by many, which explain the movements of the stars with various character myths. The artists have researched the astrological stories in different cultures to explore their similarities and differences, continuing the ancient human desire to seek representations of human characters in the heavenly bodies and to create mythical constellation creatures that relate to our lives from the heavenly world. Music of the Heavens marries ancient myths and philosophies with modern visual language and digital technology. At the same time, it promotes the awareness of both Indigenous, Asian, and Greek influences in contemporary Canadian arts and the shared heritages as well as connections between different cultures.
While Jessica Dennis worked on developing the compositions, Aleksandra Dulic provided artistic and conceptual direction of the Music of the Heaven project and prints showcased here. The stills shown in the gallery are selected scenes from the project’s storyboard, which represent important portions of the overall Music of the Heavens storylines.
The prints are the result of a collaborative effort. Amberley John designed and created the characters and narrative correlating to the constellation of the Big Dipper. The Chinese Weaver Woman and Cowherd compositions (Vega and Altair stars) include drawings by Diane Schnieders and Li Tung. Third, Ardanna Semeschuk and Li Tung drew the constellation characters in the Greek section.
The Bear and 3 Brothers section of autumn is the story of The Big Dipper constellation. It is A Haudenosaunee story of a giant Bear and the three brothers, as Amberley John recalls hearing it being told by her father, Bradley John. This story shares why the leaves change colours in autumn and relates to when the men should be hunting. Bear is visualized as a mechanical monstrosity, a symbol of industrialization which carries the theme of greed and devastation of land into a contemporary context.
The Chinese Weaver Woman and Cowherd section represents summer, and depicts the eternal love story of the Weaver Woman (Vega Star in Lyra constellation) and Cowherd Man (Altair Star in Aquila constellation). In the story, Weaver Woman and Cowherd are two lovers, but because heavenly bodies were forbidden from romantic endeavors, are separated. Every year, birds fill the sky and create a bridge for the two lovers to meet on. This story is the integral story of the Chinese Qixi festival, held on the 7th day of July every year. Drawings of Cowherd Man and the Ox were drawn by Li Tung, and all other drawings in this section were illustrated by Diane Schnieders.
The ancient Greek section represents spring, and touches upon several different star constellation myths and the intersections between them. This section is rich in imagery, since the public is familiar with Greek constellation stories. Featured are several stories, including the story of Andromeda, Pegasus and Perseus and their rescue of Andromeda, the eternal battle between Orion and Scorpio, and the story of Orpheus, the creator of music, protecting sailors from the sirens. The Greek scenes are styled after ancient Greek pottery, with some modern interpretation. Li Tung illustrated the drawings of the sirens, sailors, and boat, and Ardanna Semeschuk designed all other characters and scenery.
For all inquiries please contact Jessica Dennis or Aleksandra Dulic
jessica-dennis@outlook.com
aleksandra.dulic@ubc.ca
Amy Malbeuf successfully defended her thesis for the degree of Master of Fine Art (Visual Art) this past summer.
Congratulations Amy!
Her thesis show titled apihkêw was at the Alternator Gallery for Contemporary Art
Jordan Bennett successfully defended his thesis for the degree of Master of Fine Art (Visual Art), titled Ktaqamkuk: Remembering and Re-Imagining our Relations.
His show at the Vernon Art gallery titled Mniku addressed the re-contextualizes history written by European settlers in the past through a contemporary indigenous lens.
The second semester of the senior photography class at UBCO is devoted to developing the student’s individual vision. There are no projects assigned and each person is encouraged to research and begin to investigate subject matter and styles of working that are relevant and meaningful to themselves. The results are seen here as early worlds in the new careers of emerging artists.
The work has been divided into two exhibition with two distinct orientations. The first group’s work uses the landscape as a starting point for inspiration and the second group uses the figure as its central theme.
The Landscape:
Kelsie Balehowdky, Faith Clancy, Taylor Crain, Shea Hermanson, Natalie Kreining , Michelle Mackay, Mandira Rajasheker, Gemma Rose, Ali Young
The Figure:
Catriona Blair, Pilar Guinea, Emerald Holden, Dean Krawchuck, Alia Popoff, Ashley Taron
Welcome to the world of Playtime. A place you can enter with an open imagination, and create bonding moments with both friends and strangers alike. With the elimination of rules people should feel free to express themselves as openly as children do. Our aim in creating this exhibit is to engage adults in the idea of play – a concept often masked by adult responsibilities. We want you to feel free and open to follow your childhood inhibitions.
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