By Mark Schadenberg
I
have always thought if something had value, it should have a cost.
Sometimes
a junior hockey club will host a free admission night to promote game attendance,
but usually a sponsor will be attached to such an event.
A
walk down trails should be free and, of course, is at no charge.
How
about a visit to a museum or art gallery?
Both
Woodstock (www.city.woodstock.on.ca)
attractions – and they are attractions – are free. I wonder why.
I
have studied at the museum Downtown several times and I’ve twice taken my children
to the Watt’s Up exhibit this year, which is an educational and hands-on promotional
display depicting how power is created; some history, some innovation and a sum
of the parts – hydro-electric dams, solar, nuclear, windmills and even how someone can create energy by riding a bicycle (turbine).
I
enjoy attending the Woodstock Art Gallery (WAG at 449 Dundas St. or online at
www.woodstockartgallery.ca) and walked through a current display with my
children about two weeks ago.
The
WAG mission statement is: “To provide a centre that is open to all for the enrichment, enjoyment and
participation in the arts.”
Sounds
great, but should there not be even a small nominal entrance fee? Perhaps even $2 and $1
for children 12-and-under.
The
on-going exhibit of Florence Carlyle (1864-1923) is a must-viewing for
all.
One
of the just-ended exhibits focused on abstract painting and included
side-by-side productions of the local mother-daughter duo of Betty McArthur and
Jaquie Poole (pictured).
Ojibway Sculptor
The
current focus is on the ‘Toil: Michael Belmore’ exhibit, until Aug. 3. Belmore
is an Ontario artist/sculptor, who resides in Haliburton, and is a member of
the Ojibway nation, growing up near Thunder Bay. According to the Haliburton
County website, his works have appeared at the Smithsonian in New York, the McMichael collection, and galleries in Ottawa, Oshawa and Sudbury.
“Many
artists make money by selling art that can be almost mass produced, such as
pottery,” says Mary Anne Barkhouse, who is a partner of Michael Belmore. “This
system works well for a lot of people. However, Michael and I have taken
another route. We create pieces of work that are much harder to commodify. The
construction processes and media we use aren’t new. Some of them, like
hammering bronze, are actually thousands of years old. However, we try to do
different things with them. A lot of our sculptures are outdoor installations,
which means that they tend to be quite large. Furthermore, while our art may be
animals, plants, or even depictions of harbours, they also have a strong
conceptual elements and impacts.”
Later
In The Summer
The
late summer show (Aug. 10 – Oct. 5) appears to be a touring collection from the
K-W art gallery and is entitled Jane Buyers: Gather . . . Arrange . . .
Maintain. The opening afternoon is Saturday, Aug. 10, 2-4 p.m. with
refreshments, etc.
The
55th annual juried art show / competition is slated for Oct. 12 and
will continue into December.
I
enjoyed the abstract works as they appeared in the second floor air conditioned
(the gallery truly has a strict control on its air movement, temperature,
humidity and even light) closed-doors studio room.
Poole of talent
I
grew up with Jaquie Poole’s three children and fully realize there is immense
talent, along with supreme dedication to a craft to create any work at this level. The Poole family is also well known in Woodstock in political circles as Jaquie's late husband Phil was on city council for more than 20 years.
Back at the gallery, and considering this obvious value, there should be an admission charge.
While
at the WAG in late June, I scribbled down the following posted quote by Jaquie
Poole: “My paintings can be described as mental landscapes. They are not
actual locations of where I have been, but my experiences of these places. I
begin with colours and the forms emerge.”
Mark
Schadenberg
(519) 537-1553,
cell or text
Twitter:
markroyallepage
Discussion
. . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination
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