July 24, 2012 
Vancouver Island School of Art Newsletter

Dear Friends and Fans of VISA,

I have just returned from a month-long art tour of various cities including Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Boston and North Adams, Massachusetts (where I saw the largest exhibition of contemporary Canadian art ever done outside of Canada at the 'Oh, Canada' show). I came back exhilerated and exhausted, thinking that I could just take it easy now because there is probably not that much going on in the local Victoria art scene, being summer and all. Much to my delight and surprise, there is so much happening that it has taken me over three hours to compile the current newsletter. I have probably not even covered everything, but what I have showcased below makes me feel excited to be back in our vibrant town. Hope you have time to check out some of the things that are going on in the next month. Please scan the newsletter to the end so you don't miss out on anything!

Wendy Welch
Executive Director
ELEGANT OBJECT SALE
July 28, 2pm-4pm

Do you like unique and interesting vintage objects? Or perhaps you know somebody who does? Please let them know about our Elegant Object Sale this Saturday, July 28.

There is a vast selection of wonderful and unique  objects on sale to raise funds for VISA prior to our fiscal year end (August 31).

Items include Swarovski jewellery, a beautiful Persian silk rug, a set of elegant William Morris upholstered chairs, vintage Corningware casserole dishes and much much more. There are large, medium and small items and something for everybody's taste. Even if you aren't in the market for vintage items, it is worth coming to the event just to see the array of beautiful things.

We have carefully vetted all the donations so everything on sale is attractive, in excellent condition and in working order. This event is more of a vintage fair as a opposed to a garage sale.

We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our community in giving us such fantastic donations for our Elegant Object Sale. Thank you so much!

Sangria, fruit water and cookies will be available. Doors open at 2pm sharp.
For more information: 250-380-3500


DRAWING TODAY: NATURE AND SCIENCE

 July 30, 31, Aug 1
(Mon - Wed) 10am - 5pm
Instructor: Wendy Welch  

  

Nature has long been a subject of drawing from scientific diagrams to a range of purely observational sketches. Focus in this workshop is on integrating the scientific with the expressive approach towards a natural phenomenon or object. Workshop is comprised of hands-on exercises, critiques and visual presentations of artists doing related work. Artists discussed include: Russell Crotty, Vija Celmins, Ellen Gallagher, Sandra Cinto and Robyn O'Neil.

 

Tuition: $250.00 (includes 18 hours of instruction and two optional studio days, Thursday & Friday )

 

Material Fee: $15 for paper

Wednesday Night Drop-in Writing Group

6:00 pm - 7:30pm every Wednesday night at VISA (Room #4) with author Buffy Cram

Cost: $15


Participants are raving about these drop-in writing sessions. If you ever had the slightest inkling that you'd like to do some writing, please drop by and try it out. Its a great chance to try something out without a huge commitment. In each session the instructor leads everybody through a series of "warming up" exercises and prompts which target the different building blocks of fiction and which will sustain and inspire you throughout the week. All levels are welcome. If you are new to writing, this is a safe and nurturing environment to explore your voice. If you are more experienced, this is a great place to polish your skills.

 

More info on Buffy Cram 

 


Critique Session with Jeroen Witvliet 

July 31, 6:30-7:30. Cost: $12

 

Are you looking for some feedback about your work?  

 

Join VISA instructor and Jeroen Witvliet as he conducts a critique session with a small group of interested artists. Bring 3-4 artworks (drawings or paintings).

 

Sessions take place at VISA.  

 

If possible please email in advance if you intend to show up for the critique: Jeroen's email

 


One more opportunity to see this fun night time photo exhibition, July 28 at 10pm
 
FAYE HOFFMAN AND HEATHER KEENAN

EXHIBITION CONTINUES UNTIL THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012
 
MARTIN BATCHELOR GALLERY
712 CORMORANT STREET, VICTORIA BC
OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY, 10AM-5:00PM

SOOKE FINE ARTS SHOW, July 28-August 6
The Sooke Fine Arts Show provides the opportunity for the finest artists from Vancouver Island and BC's Coastal Islands to showcase and sell their work. The Show, now in its 26th year, is Vancouver Island's longest-running art show and the island's premier summer arts event. For more information on days and times and ticket price please refer to website:
Sooke Fine Arts

Congratulations to VISA Diploma student, Ira Hoffecker, who received this year's JUROR'S AWARD.
Image right: Ira Hoffecker
OPEN SPACE: TId's Its - Installations by Deirdre Logue


Exhibition continues to Aug 4, 2012 

Since early May, Deirdre Logue (Toronto, ON) has immersed herself in Victoria's springtime energy, inhabiting a summer residency studio at Open Space. She has completed a major new video installation entitled Id's Its, which opens on Friday, July 13, at 7 p.m.

Id's Its showcases Logue's recent experimental self-portraits that continue her ongoing exploration into the psychological and physiological space of the self in contemporary art. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter an immersive and visually intense terrain.Logue is internationally recognized for her experimental film and video works that engage questions around queer identity, mental health, feminism, and the role of media arts in a broader spectrum of art and society. 

For more info: Open Space  

Open Space is located at 510 Fort St.

SOUVENIR GALLERY: NEW CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY IN VICTORIA! Yay!

If you haven't had the chance to check out Victoria's newest gallery space,  (albeit just for the summer), SOUVENIR, you must do so as soon as you can.
This is Victoria's freshest new contemporary art spot and is located at
560 Johnson St. Check out the video of the Grand Opening courtesy of ExhibitV:
LAST WEEKEND TO SEE CURRENT EXHIBIT AT XCHANGES

DELUGE CONTEMPORARY ART
Sarah Gee:  I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It

Exhibition continues to August 11
Paper is a kind of everyman material, both modest and dynamic, capable of anything. Dangerously exacting, it lets me work quickly and intuitively, moving shapes around until the right note has been struck. Even though I use collage techniques, my work, with its strong hues and sleek surfaces, relates more to pop serigraph than traditional cut-and-paste.

My work is utopian in nature, rational, harmonious, and balanced. Rather than narratives or emotional gestures, I'm presenting a kind of transcendentalism. Blazing colour is contained within precision and structure, and the effect is something that is loud and silent at the same time. The colour sings, but the content is mute.
Deluge is located at 636 Yates   
 

Fifty-Fifty Arts Collective   MURMUR, August 3 -18
MURMUR is the latest series of drumskin paintings by Canadian artist, illustrator and animator Aimée van Drimmelen. Working exclusively on synthetic drumheads, that youʼd normally find on a bass or snare drum, this solo show studies the rhythm, motion and eccentricities of the Common Starling, an invasive species of bird that thrives in urban environments. MURMUR marks an exciting turning point for van Drimmelen, who for the first time combines her signature ink and water technique with hand drawn animated stills, studying every move these birds make with organic ink depictions that seek a commonality between them and ourselves. 

 
INTEGRATE ARTS FESTIVAL, August 3 & 4
Victoria's 6th annual Integrate Arts Festival (formerly called Off the Grid Art Crawl) will take place August 3rd & 4th with an official art crawl, outdoor visual projections and various other art and music events throughout the festival. 29 galleries are participating. The Slide Room Gallery will have an exhibition of current drawings and paintings by Jeroen Witvliet as well a presentation of video art from MediaNet. Maps available at VISA or online





We are pleased to announce our wonderful emerging and established artists who have generously donated work for our upcoming Gala Fundraiser and Art Auction.

For up-to-date Art Incognito information: Art Incognito 
For more information about our courses or events contact
Linda or Jen at the office: 250-380-3500 or info@vancouverislandschoolart.com
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