Now showing at the Seymour Art Gallery: DisCOVEry 2012 - Water

Opening: January 10th 2012

January 10th to February 5th, 2012

Water is our annual juried 'DisCOVEry' exhibition for emerging artists

Our annual discovery juried exhibition provides exposure to emerging artists. The jurors, Ross Penhall (celebrated North Shore artist), Alison Keller (independent curator and art consultant), and Sarah Cavanaugh (Seymour Art Gallery's curator) have selected 20 artists to exhibit. Each has created a piece that reflects our theme: water. The result is a fresh and eclectic show, with the artists presenting work that is as varied as their backgrounds; encompassing painting, pottery, mixed media, and photography.

Shannon Leonard was presented with the Carole Badgley Emerging Artist Award, a cash prize of $300 furnished by the SAG. Honourable mentions Anna Milton and Katherine Nielsen received prizes donated by Opus Art Supplies and Kroma Acrylics. Prize-winning artists were selected by former Seymour Art Gallery curator Carole Badgley.

Featured artists: Mary-Jean Butler, Nancy Cramer, Liz De Beer, Dorothy Doherty, Shelley Fearnley, Peter Fruhling, Jessica Gnyp, Diane Isherwood, Shannon Leonard, Anna Milton, Vern Montgomery, Katherine Nielsen, Renay Piper, Jack Prasad, Jennifer Skillen, Laura Skuse, Melanie Thompson, Elizabeth Topham, Tannis Turner, and Kelly Wharton.

Coming soon to the Seymour Art Gallery: Intersections - Full Circle Art Collective

Opening: February 7th 2012

February 7th to March 4th, 2012

Artist talk with Brigitte Potter-Mael: Sunday February 19, 2pm

Full Circle Art Collective was formed when the artists, who had worked in the same communal printmaking studio for many years, found their paths diverging but had a strong desire to stay connected. With 'Intersections', the artists take us on an exploration of the place where encounters happen and choices are made. Covering numerous printmaking techniques and displayed as 2D works, scrolls, and paper sculpture, 'Intersections' is a compelling examination of the connection between artists and ideas.

Full Circle Art Collective: Heather Aston, Jocelyn Barrable Segal, Anne Gaze, Hannamari Jalovaara, Milos Jones, Julie McIntyre, Wendy Morosoff Smith, Lucille Pilutik, Rina Pita, Brigitte Potter-Mael, Elisabeth Sommerville

Coming soon to the Seymour Art Gallery: Aspects of Karma - Kay Bonathan

Opening: March 6th 2012

March 6th to April 1st, 2012

The lotus flower grows out of the mud in shallow, stagnant water and rises pristine and lovely containing both fruit and flower within its bud. Thus, throughout the ages and in many different cultures, the lotus flower has been used to symbolize rebirth, purification, and karma.

In 'Aspects of Karma', artist Kay Bonathan explores the lotus flower through the lens of Buddhism, with an exhibition of mixed media paintings and ceramic sculptures. Her collage-paintings represent lotuses composed with torn fragments of printed media depicting some of our society's ills (including consumerism, pollution, poverty, sickness, and greed). The flower images suggest a beauty and vitality that overcomes negative karma, while an interesting tension occurs between the whole image and the remnants of still-visible text and commercial photographs which make up the composition.

Kay Bonathan was born in Montreal and studied art history and visual art at McGill and Concordia Universities. In the early 1970's, she taught art for two years in Haiti and did research for a thesis on Haitian art. She has taught at several post-secondary institutions including the Academie des Beaux Arts in Haiti, Concordia University in Montreal, and Surrey's Kwantlen University. In 2006, she was invited to attend the Terracotta Symposium in Santiago de Cuba and in 2010 she took an artist's residency in Jingdezhen, China focusing on pottery. Her work continues to show the influence of her extensive travels.

See the Calendar for details of upcoming exhibitions and events.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver through The Arts Office: