CANMORE – With the arrival of the Christmas season, Canmore artists are showcasing their artwork at the Canmore Art Guild.
All the work on display is available through the Christmas show and market, which runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 31.
“The Christmas show and sale is a little different from the other exhibitions during the year,” said Art Guild member Heather Wood. “It is more of a marketplace. More small items, a larger cross-section of people in the show.”
Along with the show and sale, two fundraisers are running this month as well. Five artists have donated work for the art draw, which raises money for the annual art scholarship for a Bow Valley student, and funds for arts magazines available at the Canmore Library. Tickets are $5, or three for $10.
The raffle draw is Dec. 23.
“It is an annual show that a lot of people do their shopping at,” Wood said. “It is all local artists, so you are supporting your local economy.”
The show itself differs from the usual monthly art show at the Canmore Art Guild. In December, there is a wider cross-section of artists, creating varieties of work from stained glass to pottery to prints to fabric art.
“It is a random selection,” Wood said. “We put a call for entries and ask if they want to be part of it. The membership responds and we never know what we are going to get until the last moment.”
The entire show is run by Art Guild volunteers, who help with the entire process.
“It is a magical mix of things coming together,” Wood said.
One artist who has provided 15 pieces for the show and sale, as well as artwork for the raffle, is Lynn Kemshead.
Kemshead produces pottery using the Raku method, which was developed in Japan in the 15th century.
“It was used initially to make ceremonial tea cups for the tea ceremony,” Kemshead said. “The process was celebrated for the metallic glaze effect and sheens and colours achieved in the process.”
Kemshead began working with pottery in her early-20s, training in Eugene, Oregon using the fire stone technique. As a teacher, she always used clay work in the classroom. Once she retired, she started learning Raku.
“It has now been 15 years that I have been working with the Raku process and I am not feeling the need to stop,” Kemshead said. “I just feel like I am growing with learning new things all the time.”
Rather than having an idea of what she is going to make, Kemshead goes into each creation process with only a slim idea of what she wants to do.
“When I go into my studio and roll out a large piece of clay,” she said, “I don’t know what I am going to make.”
Using that method allows Kemshead to produce pottery that is unique.
“It is meant to be on a mantlepiece or coffee table,” Kemshead said. “Admired wherever you decide to put it.”
When her artwork is bought and displayed in a home, it gives Kemshead a sense of pride to know she has created something that people admire.
“I get really excited and it warms my heart,” Kemshead said. “One couple from Edmonton, they have purchased two of my pieces and sent me a picture with their pieces on the mantle. My heart is warmed that someone loves this work.”
