Banff Town Hall’s exhibition of artwork from Bow Valley community members offers an annual outlet to showcase local talent at all levels and through multiple artistic mediums.
An opening reception for the 2015 Homegrown Art Show will be held this Friday (March 6) from 7-9 p.m. at Banff Town Hall, with artwork being displayed until April 2.
A wide variety of art is featured, including original paintings, photographs and sculpture, as well as live music, fashion design and performance art.
“Since the early 2000s it’s been held at the Town Hall. Currently, we have 35 artists registered, so I’m guessing we’ll have around 36-37 participants, which is fantastic,” said Town of Banff employee Kim Coultice.
“There is certainly homegrown participants, both amateur and professional artists, that have taken part in this show for many years, but every year we see new artists, which is exactly what this grassroots program is for.
“It’s an opportunity for people who may not have had a chance to take part in an opening of their own to step outside of their comfort level and be surrounded by artists and be able to share their work with the community and it really is a great opportunity for that.”
This is the third time local photographer Meghan Krauss will take part in Homegrown, and she’s also helping with the overall exhibition.
“Kim put a call out to people who had taken part in prior years, and I’ve had a lot of shows, so I said I would help out. I also teach photography classes through The Town of Banff,” Krauss said.
“I’m a photographic artist and I recently went to Iceland and did a week-long residency while I was there, so the piece that I’m putting in was one that I took there ... a landscape piece that I took while hiking there.”
Krauss adds she tends to shoot a lot of landscapes, especially in Banff, but is looking forward to adding an international landscape to the show.
A draw for her is the chance to see and interact with other local artists taking part. “You tend to see a lot more locals at the event; Banff is known to have a lot of tourists around and it’s kind of nice to go to an event that just seems to be meant for locals,” Krauss said.
“You get to see people’s work and then you recognize faces and get to see them next to that work – it’s just nice to see what people in the community are making.
“There is such a vibrant art community in Banff and the Bow Valley, it’s a lot of fun and food.”
Banff’s The Block is catering this year, with the Banff Wine Store and Banff Ave. Brewing Co. providing beverages.
“All ages hang out, young, old and there’s professionals to amateurs,” Krauss said on the inclusive atmosphere. “Even if you’ve only been here six months, it’s a great opportunity to put work in.
“Another thing that’s great about it too is the Town of Banff doesn’t take a commission out of sales, so pretty much the price you put up there is the price that you get, and if someone is interested, they can also email the artist directly.”
