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Isabelle Hayeur: Wild Times

March 13 @ 10:00 am May 13 @ 5:00 pm

Isabelle Hayeur: Wild Times

Exhibition on view from March 13 – May 13

Major bodies of works in Hayeur’s studio practice are focused on environmental changes caused by human development or natural causes. Her photographs document the destruction of natural habitats and whole ecosystems. The exhibition titled Wild Times presented at the Vernon Public Art Gallery consist of photographs of landscapes affected by forest fires in Quebec and British Columbia in the 2020 and 2021 summer seasons. The photographs from sites near Las Saint-Jean depict the after effects of the wildfire which changed the ecosystems in the largest forest fire in the province’s history. The images captured in 2021 show the active fires in British Columbia. The oppressive plumes of raising smoke changed the appearance of the landscape and the thick smoke was hardly penetrated by the sun’s rays. The toxic smoke drifted through large areas and the images captured from satellite views exemplified the apocalyptic scale of the burning infernos.

Hayeur’s focus on environmental changes is also a critique of environmental stewardship and management of the forests. Western Canada and the United States have been affected by the climate change and, specifically, prolonged droughts contribute negatively to the fragile ecosystems. In her statement she points out that forest companies harvest timber from ecologically diverse ecosystems, but replant logged areas with monocrop species which inevitably do not contribute to the ecological diversity of healthy forests. She also questions the continuous suppression of forest fires which results in the excessive fuel load on the forest floor. Her works advocate indirectly for prescribed burning, a practice which reintroduces fire as natural part of a healthy ecosystem. Hayeur’s exhibition Wild Times contains images of cataclysmic active fires and resulting destruction of natural environments. The images of burnt forests invoke the feeling of existential angst which serve as powerful memento mori for all humanity to contemplate.

Isabelle Hayeur, Pyrocumulonimbus, 2021,
inkjet on photo paper mounted on aluminum panel, 42″ x 41″ / 107 cm x 104 cm
By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
View Venue Website

August 23 @ 7:00 pm 11:00 pm

Save the date!

Riot on the Roof is Vernon’s annual alternative arts festival. The festival prioritizes creating exposure for young talent, with this event previously attracting over 400 attendees. Get ready for the epic conclusion to summer 2025!

February 11 @ 7:00 pm 9:00 pm

VPAG & The Vernon Winter Carnival Present Pinot & Paint

Join us on February 11th for a painting event, hosted by local Artists Mandi Irmen and Christine Kashuba for an evening of creativity, laughter, good company and wine.

In conjunction with the Vernon Winter Carnival’s Back to the 80’s theme, we will be painting Keith Haring’s iconic work Best Buddies Pop Shop I (A) from 1987. Haring was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. Launched in 1986, Pop Shop I was a revolutionary concept that blurred the lines between commercialism and high art. An extension of his work, the boutique sold prints, T-shirts and novelty items with Keith’s imagery as well as some of his contemporaries, like Kenny Scharf and Jean Michel Basquiat.

Best Buddies remains a testament to Haring’s commitment to accessibility and his belief that art should be for everyone. Aligning with our Mandate to promote and encourage visual arts in the broader community, Best Buddies exemplifies Haring’s dedication to using art as a medium for social change, encouraging dialogue, and breaking down the exclusivity often associated with the art world.

Tickets can be purchased via the Vernon Winter Carnival’s website, bring your group, your friends or just yourself and enjoy a relaxing and creative evening

January 9 @ 10:00 am March 5 @ 5:00 pm

Chrystal Phan: Once for a While

Exhibition on view from January 9 – March 5

Chrystal Phan is a representational artist who integrates the Vietnamese-Canadian experience into narrative oil paintings to challenge the ways in which we imagine Canadian identity, drawing particular attention to how the reification of racial stereotypes in art and media can actually reinforce social divisions that prevent racialized people from ever feeling “Canadian”. Using personal narratives Phan’s work collapses the boundary between public and private so that viewers can connect their own lives and experiences to the paintings at an intimate level.

Once for A While is a series of oil paintings that explore a Vietnamese family’s awkward attempts at integrating into Canadian life. Using examples from Phan’s own childhood and those of her friends, Phan’s intention is to capture humorous moments where cultural values have clashed.

Chrystal Phan: Turkey Dinner, 2021, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 in
by donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173

January 9 @ 10:00 am March 5 @ 5:00 pm

David Wilson Sookinakin: Pictograph Roots

Exhibition on view from January 9 – March 5

Over the years, David Wilson Sookinakin has developed a signature style of paintings based on the traditional pictographs found on numerous locations throughout Syilx Nation Territory. He uses pictorial elements which often illustrate some of the stories and narratives passed down through oral tradition and storytelling. In addition to the traditional narratives, Wilson creates narratives which he invents to highlight the context of post-contact experiences of First Nations peoples. Nevertheless, Wilson’s artforms have been evolving over several decades of his prolific artistic career.

“My art is ever evolving and is a true representation of my identity as an Interior Salish person.  It is natural evolution of pictographs from their ancient form to a contemporary interpretation using form lines unique to First Nations art.  I am a storyteller through art and words and my message to the Interior Salish people and the world is that we Interior Salish have at least one beautiful and vibrant First Nations art form totally unique and must be shared with the world.”

David Wilson Sookinakin

David Wilson Sookinakin: White Birch Creek – Fish Chief
2024, acrylic on canvas, 66 x 66 in
By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
View Venue Website

October 3, 2024 @ 10:00 am December 18, 2024 @ 5:00 pm

Featuring: Sophie Atkinson, Allan Brooks, Joe Plaskett, Paul Jones, Holly Middleton.

Exhibition on view from October 3 – December 18, 2024

The Vernon Public Art Gallery (VPAG) is pleased to present From the Vault, an exhibition highlighting select works from its permanent collection, on display from October 3 to December 18, 2024. This showcase offers the public a rare opportunity to view pieces by influential artists with ties to the region, including Allan Brooks, Sophie Atkinson, Janet Holly Middleton, and Paul Jones, with additional works by renowned BC artist Joe Plaskett.

VPAG’s permanent collection consists of over 670 artworks by 154 artists. The earliest piece dates to 1909, while the latest acquisitions were made as recently as 2022. Each piece contributes to the story of the region’s artistic heritage and evolution.

Featured artist Allan Brooks (1869–1946), known worldwide as a naturalist and illustrator, made significant contributions to North American wildlife studies, especially of Canadian bird species. Brooks, honored by Canadian Heritage in 2000 as a person of Canadian Historical Importance, devoted his career to capturing the unique fauna of British Columbia and beyond.

Trailblazing artist Sophie Atkinson (1876–1972) was among the first women to document the Okanagan landscape in her work. After WWI, she traveled internationally before settling in Canada, where she painted commissioned works for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Her art captured the rugged beauty of Western Canada, establishing a legacy that would inspire future generations.

Janet Holly Middleton (1922–2018) combined her artistic talent with a passion for education. Her career included teaching positions at the University of Alberta, Banff School of Fine Arts, and University of Guelph, where she influenced countless Canadian artists. Known for her adventurous spirit, Middleton drew inspiration from her travels, producing works with scenes from across the globe.

Joe Plaskett (1918–2014) brought his artistic vision to an international stage, with works held in collections from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver Island, including the National Gallery of Canada. Plaskett’s talent was recognized early on by Lawren Harris, and he was awarded the first Emily Carr Scholarship in 1946. This opportunity took him from San Francisco to New York, and eventually to Paris, where he created some of his most celebrated pieces.

The exhibition also includes pieces by Paul Jones (1921–2018), a Vernon-based artist and writer who served on the VPAG board in the 1990s. Jones’s work integrates sand and acrylic resin to evoke the landscapes of his youth near the Pembina River, creating textured pieces that speak to both personal memory and place.

By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
View Venue Website

October 3, 2024 @ 10:00 am December 20, 2024 @ 5:00 pm

Rewilding: The Forest Will Forget Us, Lyndal Osborne, John Freeman, Liz Ingram, Bernd Hildebrandt

Exhibition on view from October 3 – December 20

The exhibition Rewilding: The Forest Will Forget Us, created by Lyndal Osborne and John Freeman, and Liz Ingram and Bernd Hildebrandt, is an exhibit about the resilience of nature as witnessed in land sited on a boreal forest lake in Alberta. In the process they acknowledge the many other stories that go back millennia, and which have been shaped by people living and surviving on the land. These legends and beliefs are now re-emerging from oral histories of the original peoples of these lands and help us to shape our common existence within nature.

Settler Objects in Transition, Liz Ingram and Bernd Hildebrandt
By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
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October 17, 2024 @ 10:00 am December 20, 2024 @ 5:00 pm

Exposed! VPAG Member Exhibition

Exhibition on view from October 17 – December 20

This group exhibition of artwork produced by the Vernon Public Art Gallery’s members give the public a view of a variety of different media used to create works of art in various artistic genres ranging from abstract art to landscapes, still lives, and portraiture.

Lake Louise, Serena Arsenault
By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
View Venue Website

July 25, 2024 @ 10:00 am September 17, 2024 @ 5:00 pm

Inside Out: Lana Schuster

Exhibition on view from July 25 – September 17

Artist statement:

I am interested in so many things about painting. The paint for one. I love to scoop it up, squeeze it out, and mix it around, watch the colours develop, spread it around, see what happens, how the colours and forms look against each other. The brushes for another. I have my favourites. Mostly the ones that hold a lot of paint. The ‘Why paint?’ Because I am compelled to, I can’t not. The ‘How to paint?’ Now it’s getting really interesting. Because this is what it’s really all about. I try to stay open to new ideas, to the suggestions of my voice inside, my outside voice. It is all about trusting the process and being willing to paint authentically, to be part of something new.

The beginnings of my process may start with observing what’s around me. Or it could be a response with something going on internally that I may or may not be aware of. That can be as dramatic as the experience of losing a loved one or simply just wanting to spread some paint around. I’m often moved to paint after I’ve spent time outdoors. Sometimes I start with a plan for a landscape or a concrete image and then I get lost in the paint and process and something completely non-objective emerges. My intuition takes over, if I let it, if I trust it, if I allow myself.

Creating these works surprise me every time. What you see in them is an expression of an experience, a record of an experience in time, something in the past that has passed but truly lives on in the painting. What you see in them is  what you see in them – what is evoked or personally meaningful for you. I hope  that in looking at them, you will feel something, see something, perhaps even experience something that resonates with you.

By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
View Venue Website

July 25, 2024 @ 10:00 am September 17, 2024 @ 5:00 pm

Descent into Classicism: Glenn Clark

Exhibition on view from July 25 – September 17

Artist statement:

When I was young, I dreamed and schemed of creating neo-classical paintings.  There are a lot of ducks one must put in a row before mural size classical themed paintings can develop.  Fifteen years ago, I took a couple years off my regular practice to build a studio and that opened the gate of possibilities.

I always get there it just takes me longer.  Beyond the space and gumption, an artist needs the reason, finances, imagery, time, ambition and lots of practice to create this type of work.  After visiting the Louvre in 2016 there was a jolt, my paintings would look to the past for guidance. It finally all came together and I suspect this descent is turning into something more akin to a spiral.  

It always seemed to me that classical artists from previous centuries had better props to work with; horses, armor, castles and archaic ruins. I needed new models to push ahead and a photo shoot at a jousting event in Osoyoos was perfect to get started.

What drives an artist; is it the fear of death? The love for life and art are interconnected. When you look at centuries old work you sense a window into the past, a connection, a message or warning through this time hole called a painting. You see how things were, the humor, mood, fashion, cruelty of the time. It’s like the artists were reaching out through a one-way portal to the future, never wanting to let go, hanging on through their art. 

Timing is everything and it’s a good time for artists to take cues from the eighteenth century and beyond when art famously rebelled against the status quo.  People are consistent, history repeats.  Neo-classicism, the art of the time of the French Revolution, arguably the most important chapter in the history of modern civilization; the perfect art for a time of upheaval. All these influences; art history, my own history, and the current events that are making history.  You throw that in a studio with yours truly and this is what shakes out.

By donation

2505453173

3228 31st Ave
Vernon, British Columbia V1T2H3 Canada
2505453173
View Venue Website

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