Art and literature come together for the Salmon Arm Gallery’s next exhibition.
Environments for Reading is a mixed media soft sculpture show featuring 12 unique enclosures that provide dedicated spaces for reading.
Inspired by Evelyn Roth’s work of the same name, this exhibition features six different fibre-media artists on collaborative projects using up-cycled and repurposed materials.
“All exhibitions at Salmon Arm Art Gallery are designed with sustainability in mind, a cradle-to-cradle approach to resource use,” explained curator Tracey Kutschker in a media release.
Roth is a Canadian-born textile and performance artist who is well known for her innovative use of knit together recycled materials that explore contemporary social issues. Her work has inspired local artists Melissa Nasby, Anne Long, Myrna Button, Carol Schlosar, Patricia Smith and Barbara Adler, all of whom have designed their own reading environments in various themes.
The group also worked together and formed connections in the development of collaborative artworks, with fibre artist Gudie Hupfauer creating an opportunity for individuals to knit or crochet a panel that was then incorporated in a larger reading enclosure. Hupfauer, the “queen of up-cycling yarns,” provided skeins of repurposed materials, while other participants also used their own stashes or took apart old knitted items to make these colourful panels.
With its literary connection, this exhibition also pays homage to the art centre’s history as the city’s former library.
“This place has been an important connection point for the people of Salmon Arm, and many have memories of reading in the quiet, tucked away spaces within these walls,” Kutschker said. “Many folks who visit the art gallery share stories of visiting when it was a library, and some even remember when it was a post office. History plays a critical role in art-making, as experience and materials come together to create a new story.”
The show opens with a reception on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m., and runs until March 23. There will be a number of special events during that time, including a Family Preview during Unplug and Play Week, with families invited to come find a cozy place to read on Friday, Jan. 26 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. There will also be an Artist Talk on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. and a Silent Book Club on Thursday, Feb. 29 from 5-8 p.m.
Following the close of the exhibition, the pieces will be for sale, with the unique enclosures providing buyers an artistic reading nook in the comfort of their homes.
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