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From Indigenous to mythical, new art graces Vernon gallery

4 new exhibits kick off 2022 at public art gallery
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From the Void features deities or martyrs, monsters and demons at the Vernon Public Art Gallery. (Stephen Scott)

A new year brings in a new collection of exhibits to check out at the Vernon Public Art Gallery.

Four new, diverse exhibits are being launched Jan. 13 until March 9, with an opening reception planned for Jan. 20 from 6-8 p.m.

“From indigenous inspired works to mythical themes, there is something for everyone to explore within the new exhibitions being presented,” gallery executive director Dauna Kennedy said.

Among the varied exhibitions are pieces by talented individual artists as well as sections derived from collaborating artists and collections.

Ramble On, featuring selected works from UBCO’s public collection, is one of the region’s largest public art collections, with a focus on Canadian contemporary art and the Okanagan’s emerging local artistry. This exhibition provides viewers with insight towards a variety of different artists, their practices and the various media used to create thought-provoking, insightful works.

Hidden Spirits by Coralee Miller consists of works inspired by traditional Sylix/Okanagan oral stories. It connects Miller’s daily life and environment through cultural perspectives and sharing integral teachings of bravery, forgiveness, responsibility and transformation. As a Sylix/Okanagan woman and a member of the Westbank First Nation Miller works as a guide at the Sncewips Heritage Museum, where she is able to further her passion for storytelling, culture and art.

Steve Scott’s creations of From the Void are inspired by ancient depictions of deities, martyrs and the struggles between monsters, demons and gods placed upon unearthly planes of existence. Scott creates his own mythical heroes, villains and entities within limitless expanses that are both infinite and intentionally sparse, inviting the viewer to glimpse at alternate realities of potential futures and undiscovered pasts, blending antiquity with imagination.

The KAMA Creative Aboriginal Arts Collective: Unsettling the Settler: Dismantling Systemic Oppression is composed of Okanagan Nation’s established and emerging artists who have joined together to advocate aboriginal interdisciplinary and multimedia arts development promotion, education/community involvement and production.

The gallery will be checking vaccine passports at the opening reception for these exhibitions.

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Hidden Spirits is just one of the newest exhibits at the Vernon Public Art Gallery Jan. 13-March 9. (Coralee Miller)


Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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