The mission of the Okanagan Institute
is to contribute to
the quality of creative engagement in the Okanagan through publications and events.
» Home
» The Institute
» Express
» Arts for Health
» Culinaria
» Monographs
» Chapbooks
» Progress Report
» Contact
Kelowna BC Canada
Telephone 250.870.2690
Email: Click here
Click here to help us improve our programs.
|
 |
Open Studios
Open Hearts
» Thursday 17 April 2008 | 4:30 pm
» Hanna's Lounge, 1392 Water Street
An informal afternoon hour showcasing the people and ideas featured in Okanagan Arts. Join us for a discussion about creative spaces featuring three engaging local artists: Shelah Pansegrau, Madelyn Hamilton and Kenna Graff.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna
Artists Offer an Inside Glimpse into their Creative World
It's one thing to look at a painting on a wall and love it, it's quite something else to discover for yourself how the painting made its way to the canvass. Often the beginning and the end bear little resemblance to one another and it's this inside look at the creative process that's so compelling.
This Thursday April 17, at 4:30 p.m. at Hanna's Lounge, the Okanagan Institute presents Open Studios Open Hearts - a discussion about the artist's physical space featuring three local artists - Shelah Pansegrau, Madelyn Hamilton and Kenna Graff.
"Opening up our studios to the public gives people a really exciting experience," said Shelah Pansegrau, a contemporary glass bead artist and jewellery designer. The former university college instructor now creates Bella Dolci glass beads - each one individually crafted from molten strands of Italian and German glass, combined with precious metals and enamels.
"Visitors get to see fire and glass being melted and it's exciting, even scary."
The Arts Council of the Central Okanagan launched its Open Studio concept in September 2006 with a large selection of juried artists. Since then, the studios have been growing, but it's taken a while for the public to realize they really can knock on the artists' doors and take a look.
"People think that there is a magical aura connected to artists' studios," said Madelyn Hamilton, who works with a variety of mediums including acrylic, etching, collage and more. "People will ask me in almost whispered tones: could I just see your studio? And what they see is the raw work, and for most artists, that's based on the inner process."
Elke Lange, executive director of the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, says while open studios might be a new concept here, it has a lengthy history in Europe where entire cultural tours are focused on visiting artists' studios - similar to the way people embark on winery tours here.
"I think at first artists thought this would bring instant fame, but everything takes time," says Kenna Graff, whose colourful evocative paintings have engendered a following and a place at Hambleton Gallery. Graff says visiting a studio provides people with an intimate understanding of how the creativity transforms into works of art.
Both Graff and Hamilton prefer to work in solitude, so opening their doors to the public is an unusual experience, but rewarding just the same.
"Most artists love to talk about their work, and every studio is totally unique," Hamilton said. "You get insight and education, and I think people need that."
Open Studios Open Hearts is a free event, and takes place at Hanna's Lounge. It's presented by the Okanagan Institute in association with Wheat King Publishing.
Express is sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and supports the work of Project Literacy Kelowna.
Okanagan Insitute at Hanna's Lounge A hearty feast of lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture and community. Produced by the Okanagan institute in association with Wheat King Publishing magazines: Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Home.
Expresss is a cultural tonic that refreshes the mind. Join us at Hanna's Lounge after work on Thursdays for a free hour of stimulation that will get your synapses tingling with new ideas and fresh images. Designed for inquiring minds looking for, among other things, the wild blue yonder.
|
