Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
30 November 2021 Vol 6 No 24 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2021
Portia Priegert
From the Editor
Here in British Columbia, recent days have seen terrible flooding and landslides. And with more storms in the forecast, we are collectively holding our breath about what may come.
Happily, museums and galleries we reached out to last week seemed to be doing okay, including The Reach, which is on higher ground in Abbotsford. And in Merritt, Jano Howarth, curator at the Nicola Valley Arts Gallery, said their building had escaped damage, although the flood has impacted the local arts community.
“Several of our artists, artisans, directors and volunteers have tragically experienced loss of homes or damage to their homes or properties,” Howarth wrote in an email. “And some have been cut off from our community by the breaks and destruction of our roadways and bridges.”
Our thoughts here at Galleries West go out to everyone caught up in this disaster.
If you’re trying to salvage work from your studio you can find helpful resources, including What to Do When Collections Get Wet, on the B.C. Museums Association website.
Collectively, we are facing challenges on so many fronts these days.
And it just keeps coming, including news this week that a worrying new COVID-19 variant has turned up in Canada. Meanwhile, many people, including artists and artisans, are coping with financial hardships as government pandemic assistance phases out for those fortunate enough to have received it.
Thus, a recent item in my inbox seemed particularly relevant. The subject line read: “Move Over Black Friday, Artists Sunday is Nov. 28.” It’s from the United States, so it isn’t a story a Canadian magazine like Galleries West would cover.
I don’t know anything about this particular organization and whether it’s a good fit for Canadian artists, although I see a few have signed on. And while Artists Sunday is now over for this year, I will say that collectively building national buzz around a day to shop for art timed to coincide with the holiday season, is a smart strategy.
In recent weeks, we have received numerous pitches for sales, fairs and fundraisers from across Western Canada – too many to mention in any meaningful way. But there is strength in collective actions and a one-day national movement could boost awareness about supporting local makers, while encouraging people to avoid the wasteful excesses that are driving the climate crisis and making gazillionaires even richer. Are there organizers out there who want to take on something like this for next year?
In this issue, our most popular story, hands down, is Boss Bodies, which has already garnered some 500 shares. Writer Mark Mushet considers an exhibition that takes a critical look at the people profiting most from Vancouver’s affordability crisis.
We’re also pleased to include reviews of a remarkable show of textile works by emerging Calgary artist Simone Elizabeth Saunders, as well as two exhibitions by leading artists, Steven Shearer and the late Jean Paul Riopelle. We also check out a memoir by Jesse Wente, the new chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, and Sankofa, a group exhibition that features Black artists from Vancouver and Nigeria.
Looking ahead, we’ll start spooling out our annual art books issue online on Thursday, leading up to our popular roundup of the year’s best books about Canadian art and artists. You will not find anything like this elsewhere! The books issue also includes some treats from further afield – including a Phaidon cookbook with recipes from artists like world-famous Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson.
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Beverly Cramp, Yani Kong, Mark Mushet, Lissa Robinson, John Thomson
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Special Measures for Journalism Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
