Sherry Bezansonthe chronicle
A forest of art goes on display at the Waterfront Gallery March 3 to 27, all part of the Ladysmith Arts Council’s challenge for artists to tell their stories on the theme of trees in paint, clay, stone, fabric or glass.
On the west coast we live in a rainforest that provides life for a multitude of organisms and animals. The cedar tree was the staple of life for the First Nation people of the area; providing shelter, clothing, baskets for cooking and carrying, rope, planking, and an integral part of spiritual life and cultural practice.
Our forests are also rich with arbutus, hemlock, pine, fir, dogwood and alder. All these trees serve a place in the joy of island life.
Trees not only provide us with great beauty but they are the planet’s main source of oxygen. They bear fruit for us to eat. Some bloom exotic, breathtaking flowers, others shelter wildlife, and provide man with a living in the forest industry.
How would we live without them?
Opening night for the show is Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m.
Guest speaker at the Gala, Penny Maday, will share her journey in the art world. She created and runs Island Girl Art Studio on Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo.
The studio offers small classes that feature lots of support and instruction in a nurturing atmosphere for all ages. She offers inspiration in mixed media art, acrylic and water colour.
Penny has been an artist for over forty years and a teacher for almost thirty. She has taught in public, private and First Nation Schools in two Canadian provinces, as well as developing and delivering art curriculum for numerous community agencies and public education courses for youth and adults. Her story will inspire and invigorate you.
The sponsor for The Tree Show is Ladysmith Pharmasave. More information at ladysmithwaterfrontgallery.com. The Waterfront Gallery is located at 610 Oyster Bay Drive. Phone 250-245-1252
