When Spellbound opened its doors earlier this month at the Rossland Art Gallery it signified more than just another show at the city’s premier gallery.
Led by Rossland painter Stephanie Gauvin, the six-person show was another step in the journey of the space in the former Bank of Montreal Building to inclusion.
The gallery is nearing one year in its vision quest to become a hub for the arts in the city, shaping the notion of community—economically, socially and politically—through an arts space.
“I really want the space to be a public space, to be a commons, to be a space people feel comfortable coming in, walking around and enjoying the art and not feeling like they are in a private gallery and inclined to purchase something to come in the door,” said gallery curator Fletcher Quince.
“I just want people to come in and enjoy the space, enjoy the art.”
It’s important for people to have art and culture, interaction and conversation, he explained, and if people are coming in and participating in that then that’s as important as anything else.
“Then the art and the sale of the art is a by-product of providing that environment to the community,” he said.
In Spellbound, Quince asked Gauvin to do a show based on one of her paintings, Spellbound, and she pulled in five other artists for the project. There is glass work by Christy Holden of Alley Cat Glassworks, fabric art by Robin Wiltse, quilts by national award winning artist Karen Thatcher of Rossland, Prospero pottery from Eryn Prospero of Nelson, and Danielle Valade’s stained glass art.
Like several previous shows, Quince asks artists to devise a theme for a show, and then to combine their talents into a collective presentation. For other shows he lets people from the community come forward with ideas and works with them to pull that notion off.
“Then they will get the kind of show they want to have, and so will the community,” he said.
Some gallery shows have been inspired by events, like the Burlesque show last month, or the historical show slated for September around Golden City Days.
Spellbound runs for the month of July at the Rossland Art Gallery.
editor@rosslandnews.com
- What: Spellbound. A six-person show.
- Where: Rossland Art Gallery
- When: For the month of July.
- Artists: Stephanie Gauvin, Christy Holden, Robin Wiltse, Karen Thatcher, Eryn Prospero, Danielle Valade.
- For more info: http://www.rosslandart.com