SURREY — OK, teachers, let’s see what you got.
A new show at Surrey Art Gallery (SAG) features works by faculty employed by Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s fine arts department.
Traditional painting, ceramics, photography and sculpture are featured in the Shift exhibit, which opens Saturday (July 22) and continues until Nov. 5. Admission is free.
For the public, it’s a chance to “see the remarkable talent of the individuals teaching the next generation of this province’s artists,” according to curators of the exhibit.
Kwantlen’s fine arts professors and instructors are formidable experts within their respective disciplines, according to gallery staff.
“Their practices encompass both the physical and theoretical exploration of material,” a SAG press release states.
“Some artworks push the limits of the form, demonstrating mastery of traditional media, while others focus on how images are artificially constructed via technology. All are unified by a keen interest in using artistic media to create compelling imagery and to address socially relevant topics such as personal health, the subconscious and the construction of text.”
Artists featured in Shift include Elizabeth Barnes, Ana Black, Ying-Yueh Chang, Bastien DesFriches Doria, Sibeal Foyle, Jessica Gnyp, Heather Lippold, Alison MacTaggart, Paulo Majano, Scott McBride, Maria Anna Parolin, Terry Sawatzky, Liz Toohey-Wiese and Kira Wu.
Also at Surrey Art Gallery this summer, Arts 2017: Reflections on Canada is on view until Aug. 26. The Arts Council of Surrey’s 33nd juried exhibition showcases a variety of artworks by established and emerging visual artists from across the Lower Mainland. In conjunction with Canada’s 150th anniversary, the exhibit features more than 40 artworks that consider the ideas, realities, and myths associated with Canada.
Also on view until Aug. 26 is High Muck a Muck: Playing Chinese, a digital/interactive exhibit that explores historical and contemporary tensions surrounding Chinese immigration to British Columbia.
Meanwhile, Toronto-based artist Meera Margaret Singh’s Lalbagh, a three-channel video installation that examines the body language and movements of people on a three billion-year-old rock formation in Bangalore, India, continues at the gallery until next February.
Surrey Art Gallery is located at 13750 88th Ave., at Bear Creek Park. For show details, call 604-501-5566 or visit surrey.ca/artgallery.
• On Thursday evening (July 27), the gallery plays host to Reflections on Canada, a panel discussion featuring presentations by, and conversations with, Surrey poet laureate Renée Sarojini Saklikar, visual artist Kira Wu, ceramic artist Laura Wee Lay Laq and musician Amarjeet Singh. The event, held in conjunction with the Arts 2017: Reflections on Canada exhibit, takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
