What comes to mind for most people when they hear about a new exhibition opening at a public art gallery is paintings hung on the wall with the lighting carefully trained to spot the pieces just right. One seldom thinks of an outdoor exhibition, exposed to the elements, with installations using living things, and a water feature—but that’s just what the second in our series of commissioned artist’s gardens accomplishes.
Kelowna-based artist Lynden Beesley pays tribute to the medieval herb/physic garden, using raised beds arranged symmetrically around a central fountain in a new installation entitled Hortus Conclusus (Latin for enclosed garden). Beesley has transformed the Gallery’s outdoor courtyard area, even commissioning custom-made seating under arbors constructed from willow branches and grape vines by local artist Annabel Stanley. Visitors to the Kelowna Art Gallery’s Rotary Courtyard will be assured a different experience each time they visit, as the garden and its plants respond to the changing seasons and weather.
Beesley received her BFA in printmaking from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 2001. That same year she relocated to Kelowna to pursue her art. Beesley has been active as an artist in the region, exhibiting her prints and sculptures regularly in both solo and group exhibitions.
An opening reception to celebrate this exhibition will be held on Friday, June 20, 2014, from 7 to 9 pm, at the Kelowna Art Gallery. This will be a free event, open to members and guests, by invitation. Artist Lynden Beesley will be in attendance and will offer remarks.
Hortus Conclusus is accompanied and documented by a web-based publication available shortly on the Gallery’s website. Images will be added to it throughout the duration of the installation. The Artist’s Garden Project: Lynden Beesley: Hortus Conclusus is on view now until Spring 2015 at the Kelowna Art Gallery.
The Kelowna Art Gallery is located at 1315 Water Street in downtown Kelowna. For more information about current exhibitions, public programming or special events, please visit the Kelowna Art Gallery online at www.kelownaartgallery.com or call 250-762-2226.
