be contemporary gallery in Stroud had just opened at the beginning of March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit - forcing the doors to close.
Founder Jeanette Luchese has maintained the gallery over the months of closure, keeping the arts community connected on the gallery’s website and Facebook page in creative and innovative ways.
With Stage 3 of the recovery now in place, the gallery is planning a staged reopening, beginning Aug. 13 – with visitors asked to book a time to visit, to view two new exhibitions, both running to Sept. 5.
Sun through Storm is an exhibit of Lesley McInally’s clay vessels and the textile art of Victoria Carley.
At the same time, the gallery will be showing Selected Works from the PRNT (Print Research Network Teach) Collective in Barrie.
“These were exhibitions that were planned beforehand,” said Luchese – before the pandemic that is – but she acknowledged that without the efforts of Cookstown artist Christina Luck, who curated Sun through Storm, the shows might not have happened.
Luck is acquainted with both McInally, who lives in Cookstown, and with Toronto-based Carley.
“When we were talking about programming for the gallery, Lesley came to mind, because her work is amazing,” Luck said.
McInally’s hand-built ceramics, built up with layers of porcelain slip, ceramic pigments, stains and glazes, have the feel and look of ancient ceremonial objects, or sun-and-wind-bleached bone, washed ashore on North Atlantic shores, Luck said.
Other pieces, created of Hungarian stoneware while McInally was in residence in Hungary, are extruded, and have an organic presence that is elemental.
“I wanted to pair it with something interesting,” Luck said – and found the perfect counterbalance in Carley’s textile art.
Carley uses the idiom of traditional quilting, but her hangings “are taken somewhere else” – into the realm of abstract expressionism, through her use of color and light-reflecting fabrics, noted Luck.
“As we’re lighting the show, they come alive in different ways,” she said. “The surface becomes even more active.”
Four of the works selected for the show are from Carley’s ‘Memory’ series, inspired by a major ice storm – the “Storm” in Sun through Storm - others, by Greek and Roman mythology.
The pairings, of pottery and textiles, creates a powerful interplay. “I thought if I was excited by that, other people would be too,” said Luck. “I think it’s a great show to reopen with, really showcasing two wonderful artists.”
The second exhibit, featuring works of PRNT Collective members Tamara Benoit, Tim Laurin, Katie Argyle, Derek Berry, Jennie Clark, Christina McBean, Patricia Vega, Kimberly Brett, Clinton Todd, Hope Rogers, and Luchese herself, is housed in the smaller BHVC gallery space.
The exhibit showcases works by the artists, to raise funds for the PRNT collective (a portion of sales will go to support the Barrie-based collective), and to reach out to other artists interested in joining, or learning print-making.
“We’ve got a lot of artists that are missing opportunities,” noted Luchese, something that be contemporary gallery was established to address, also providing a connection to the community.
She admited that she was hesitant about reopening the gallery.
“I could have opened as retail in Stage 2, but I wanted to wait, just to make sure,” Luchese said, that the safety of visitors would be top priority.
There will be directional arrows inside the gallery, hand-sanitizer, a requirement that visitors wear facemasks, and a limit on the number of visitors allowed into the gallery at any one time, to maintain physical distancing. The gallery is open from Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but visitors are required to book a time slot in advance at [email protected]
And anyone experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus is asked to self-screen and do the responsible thing, and stay away.
“Still, it’s very nerve-wracking,” Luchese admitted. “We have to do contact tracing.”
She’s hopeful that the precautions put in place will make it possible for the gallery to reopen safely, and share the vision of local, regional and international artists.
In the coming months, the gallery will be involved in International Sculpture Day and the Town of Innisfil’s Bicentennial, working with the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library on displays of public art in September, and a sculpture show at be contemporary gallery.
But for now, the focus is on the reopening. Luchese had hands-on help from fellow artists Patricia Vega, in hanging the works in the PRNT Collective show; Tim Laurin, who assisted with lighting and signage, and Sue Hickling, Advisory Committee member, as well as Luck, and is ready to reopen on the 13th.
“We’ll see how that goes, as we move forward,” said Luchese. “We’ve just got to find our way forward and be optimistic… Especially in the arts.”
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Art students interesting in volunteering to help guide visitors and maintain social distancing; artists interested in the PRNT Collective or upcoming shows – including the year-end Open Call; and patrons who would like to be added to the email list for upcoming exhibits should contact Luchese at [email protected] or call 705-431-4044.
