We are excited about this year’s Studio Tour coming up June 13 & 14. Some interesting facts on your local artists that may surprise you!
• One of the artists had a portrait he’d painted given to Barbra Streisand and James Brolin for their wedding.
• One of our artisans had his handicraft given as a presents to two monarchs - the King of Bhutan and Queen Elizabeth II. Even the Americans love him … Michelle Obama’s used his work.
• The Prime Minister of Canada purchased a work from another local artist on the Tour.
Check out our website to find out more www.studiotour-nb.com
Join with your friends and make a day of it!
Look for our pamphlets at Holly’s Restaurant and the Pharmasave in Hampton, the Saint John Arts Centre in Saint John, and Jitters Café and Winterwood Natural Food Store in Sussex and many other stops from Saint John to Sussex..
The hours of the event are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday the 13th, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday the 14th.
The tour encompasses 14 studios in the Hampton and Sussex areas. Brent Rourke will be showing his wooden wares at the Barn in Bloomfield, There are a number of painters including Andrew Giffin, Pat Mercer and Alice Whitney, Helga Lobb, Judi Baxter, and Eleanor Jenkins, who also does leatherwork, and Elizabeth Cameron who works in coloured pencil. We have two fibre artists who work with handspun and died yarns, Angela Belyea and Liz Miller. There is one clay artist - Carol Taylor, one photographer - Jamie Wilson, and one stained glass worker - Sharyn Gulliver. Hooper Studios will have Kathy and Sue’s paintings but other artists will be showing there as well so there will be sculpture and some other art forms. Lastly Saponetta Divino features homemade soaps and lotions. It is certainly a diverse and eclectic group of artists and craftspeople..
Any further inquiries may be addressed to Trudy at the Barn in Bloomfield 506 832-3716 or by emailing me at andrew@giffinartworks.ca
Miramichi Midnight 60″ x 96″ Acrylic on canvas 2008
Last Friday evening, November 7th, 2008, was a new beginning in a way for my career. It is the first time since 1981 that I have had an exhibition of my work in Saint John, the city of my birth. It was in August of 1981 when I was granted my first ever exhibition by the late Robert Percival. Robert was the curator at the New Brunswick Museum and he was a mentor and an inspiration for my choice of a career in art. During the time that my work was hanging in the Link Gallery at the museum I boarded a train bound for Winnipeg. The exhibition came down on September 10th and I was already in Manitoba.
It seems amazing to me now to imagine that 27 years has passed, as well as many exhibitions, since that time. The opening was very well attended and the reception to my work was overwhelming. Fortunately for me the Saint John Art Club was kicking off the exhibit for their 100th anniversary which aided in drawing in the numbers of attendees. The Honourable Lieutenant Governor Hermenegilde Chiasson was present to officially open the Art Club exhibit. He made his way through my show as well and was very supportive.
The exhibit entitled “Andrew Giffin Personal Geography “ is a collection of works that have been painted over the past ten years or so. There are pieces from my time in Manitoba as well as new ones painted since my return to New Brunswick in December 2005. I had so much work that it had to be distributed in other parts of the gallery besides the Frazee Gallery. There are pieces adorning places in the gallery that have never seen work hung before. The curator, Kathryn McCarroll who is also the director of the gallery, was very enthusiastic about having my work in the gallery and she has been very supportive. It surely is a confidence booster when the work touches someone in this manner.
I gave each of my children a camera to record their own angle of the evening. Jesse, 15, had a video camera and managed to capture the speeches. Ty, 12, had my digital SLR and did a great job of capturing the evening and well Dane, 7, managed to mangle the family camera. C’est la vie! Below is one of the shots Ty captured.
The exhibition runs until late December. I will be present once again on December 5th for the Saint John Gallery Hop. Many of the downtown venues will be holding openings and other art related events. It is the last of the season so try and make it out to the different venues. I will be in the gallery with a fresh canvas and armed with a paint brush. It is a different approach but we thought it may be a fun time. Hope to see you on December the 5th.
Some of the other galleries that will be a part of the Gallery Hop are:
www.peterbucklandgallery.ca
www.handworksnb.com
www.trinitygalleries.ca
www.timisaac.com
There are other spaces that will be participating as well. Check the Telegraph Journal close to the date for further information.
