Campbell River Arts Council’s annual members’ show has been hosted in a number of venues since its inception more than 30 years ago. North Vancouver Island artists’ works have hung in the community centre, the Tidemark Theatre and most recently, the Campbell River Art Gallery. This year, the show is heading online.
The show, which Campbell River Arts Council (CRAC) Executive Director Ken Blackburn, says normally attracts 80 artists, is one of the art council’s largest events and is usually well-attended. It was scheduled to run March 26 to April 22 at the Campbell River Art Gallery.
“The question was with everything shut down, how could we continue the show,” says Blackburn. “We made the decision to basically post it online.”
A website was created and artists were asked to submit pictures of their work. The result, campbellriverarts.wixsite.com/membershow38, features artist work that makes up the 38th Annual Members’ Show.
The show features different mediums including sculpture, paint, fibre, mixed media and more.
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The work is being shared on CRAC’s social media pages with different artists sharing the spotlight each day.
The first post on March 28 was centred on a heroes theme and highlighted “Hero Ark” by Bob McLeod, Shannon Proctor-McLeod and Kay Lovett and “All the King’s Men” by Barb Round.
March 31’s post centered around the theme of architecture and shone a spotlight on David Rigler’s “Nootka Lighthouse,” Jannine Ranniger’s “Venice of China” and Dominique Gosling’s “Omen Over Notre Dame.”
The way people interact with the work will be different viewed online compared to in-person in a gallery.
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“There’s a great shift with the experience of visual art going from actual experience in a gallery, to an online format that it definitely changes how we can look at and interpret work,” says Blackburn. “But on the other hand, it can also kind of create new conversations as well.”
The show is live online and the social media posts will continue through the month.
“I think the show itself is really positive to look at,” says Blackburn, “and just kind of shows the diversity of art that’s still continuing on in Campbell River.”
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