CANMORE – Residents and visitors to Canmore will have another reason to spend time at Elevation Place during November.
The Canmore Art Guild will host its 16th annual Off the Wall three dimensional works from local Bow Valley artists until Nov. 28 on Wednesdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After having to take a one-year hiatus from the show due to COVID-19, members of the guild are aiming to showcase their work to the broader community.
“There’s an excitement to coming in and seeing people that they know and potentially new artists that they’re not familiar with and seeing the work they’re doing,” said Lynne Kemshead, one of the two curators for the show. “It’s a three dimensional show, so it’s wonderful to walk around pieces.”
This year features 12 artists – all from Canmore – for what has become the guild’s most popular show.
The original Off the Wall event began in 2004 with three local potters at their previous location, now home to artsPlace.
“It was too good of a show and it needed to be expanded because there were many more three dimensional artists in the valley,” said Priscilla Janes, a co-curator. “The first show might’ve been 20 people with all types of different mediums.”
In the past, the guild has had up to 100 members, but has declined to about 35 members during the pandemic. The guild has existed for more than 40 years and members volunteer their time to run the gallery.
With the gallery opening once again and shows taking place and more coming, there is hope the interest will increase the guild’s numbers.
“We’re hoping to rebuild, especially with the excitement of the gallery reopening again for the first time in 16 months in August. We’ve had three shows and momentum is building,” Kemshead said. "People are excited to see the space utilized and busy again.”
And with galleries and artists once again showcasing their work to the public following multiple lockdowns and public health restrictions, they’re excited to display their creations.
“It’s great. Everything we did for artwork during COVID suddenly has a place to be displayed,” said local artist John Witteman.
“Some people will get ideas of their own. They have artistic abilities and can do their own work. It also gives us ideas of what we can do later on as a member of the guild.”
Many of the pieces of work are for sale, while the artists can also be contacted to have specific work created.
“It gives people who work in three dimensional mediums a chance to bring their work out of the studio. Often there aren’t other opportunities,” Janes said.
Other artists featured are Peig Abbott, Mike Gibeau, Joe Martin, Jessica Mayne, Tessa Mendoze, Meg Nicks, Kerrie Pain, Rudi Peet, Dana Roman and Miles Tindal.
“To see the talent that exists in the Bow Valley is just amazing,” Witteman said. “There are so many people who are artistic and you don’t know it until you come and see it.”
