New historical and cultural temporary exhibits are presented in the first floor gallery every 3-4 months.
From local architectural and human history to contemporary art and culture, the Fernie Museum’s exhibitions and programs offer a diversity of topics and themes that reflect the broad interests, creative energy and rich heritage of our region.
Current Exhibit
INTO THE WEEDS – MAKING RELATIONS
| AN ART EXHIBIT BY LIZA GAREAU TOSH
IN THE GALLERY JUNE 29 OCTOBER 8 2023, 2023
´In this exhibit of new works, fine art painter Liza Gareau Tosh will look at the symbiosis found amongst common weeds and the variety of textures and colours found in places often overlooked. Through the connectivity of relationships – from family to community to intergenerational roots – she will explore the ways in which people and plants support and nurture one another.
Liza Gareau Tosh is of French Canadian and Metis ancestry originally from St-Isidore-de-Bellevue, Saskatchewan.
OPENING RECEPTION | 7PM THURSDAY, JUNE 29TH.
Join the artist for an opening reception in the gallery. Presentations will begin at 7:30PM, including:
- Lee-Anne Walker – Longtime resident & interpretative naturalist – will open the event.
- Jean Sulzer will give an introduction on behalf of the Métis Nation.
- Paul L. Gareau (an academic in Métis culture, and brother of the Artist) with Liza Gareau-Tosh will discuss the exhibit and the Métis culture and influence on the exhibit.
Refreshments will be served, drinks by donation and live music to follow the presentations. All welcome.
Artist’s Statement:
As an artist, I am motivated by the fact that I always feel like I’m a student first: a student of colour, of capturing the essential shape of something, of composition and line. I am also interested in how my family is naturally looking into its Métis roots, this charge being led by my brother Paul L. Gareau who is an academic in this field of study. I am also motivated by my desire to connect with my surroundings here in the Elk Valley. As a girl from the prairies, I want to be able to identify with this place as well.
It is thus that this particular exhibition is at minimum five years in the making, in the sense that it is when I first had the idea that images were going to allow me to examine who I am and where I am. And so my long-standing studies of plants in my garden naturally evolved to plants that I would see along my many nature walks in the area surrounding Fernie. And realizing that “visits” with family and friends and new acquaintances were more culturally important than first thought. That our interconnectedness with each other can be explored through these same weeds that are growing without inhibition around us.
And so, I have been privileged to “make relations” with the people from this area who have their own relations with these plants. Such collaborations, whether through visits yielding first-hand accounts or memories passed on, or through a treasure-trove of print material informing all of us on the Métis perspective, all of it has been invaluable to my being able to come out the other side having learned a bit more about who I am and where I am. I hope you enjoy taking this “nature walk” together.
~Liza Gareau Tosh
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
City of Fernie
Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance
Columbia Basin Trust
Elk Valley Métis Nation
Upcoming Exhibits
DETAILS COMING SOON
Past Exhibits
PAUSE IN PLIGHT
– ILLUMINATING OUR PAST FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR FUTURE
| AN ART EXHIBIT BY KERRI PARNELL
APRIL 14 – JUNE 11, 2023
A study of the WWI national security fears and wartime prejudices that led to the internment of 8,579 men – among them, women and children – identified as ‘enemy aliens.’
This touring exhibit will be on display across Canada during 2020 – 2025 and will help bring awareness to this historical injustice. The exhibit includes a light installation and collections of oil and acrylic paintings: Old Eyes Series, Interpretation Series and To Hell with the Enemy Alien, along with interpretive panels and historical war posters.
OPENING RECEPTION | THURSDAY, MARCH 16TH.
Artist Kerri Parnell, and Endowment Council member, Dr Joseph Patrouch, invite you to join them for a visual presentation and talk about the exhibit and the history of interment in Canada. We will also be displaying a selection of artifacts from the Fernie collections.
DOORS OPEN 7PM
PRESENTATIONS FROM 7:30PM
Drinks by donation; complimentary appetizers.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
The Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Recognition Fund
Shevchenko Foundation
Kerri Parnell Art
City of Fernie
The Turyk Family
SECOND SKIN
| FERNIE SPINNERS & WEAVERS GUILD
DECEMBER 15, 2022 – MARCH 5, 2023
The Fernie Museum is pleased to welcome back the Fernie Spinners & Weavers Guild for a second show featuring new work focusing on the sustainability and environmental aspects of hand made and locally produced garments.
In this new exhibit, the Fernie Spinners and Weavers Guild looks at fashion through the lens of sustainability and showcases how the natural fibre arts have a direct role to play in the growing Slow Fashion movement. Content encourages viewers to explore ways we can help make a shift away from the many negative impacts of Fast Fashion systems.
Items include a variety of textiles produced from dyeing, spinning and weaving locally made yarns, plus stitched, knitted, felted and upcycled garments along with interpretive information.
OPENING RECEPTION | 7 PM, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15TH.
Join the artist for a preview of the exhibit in the gallery, with drinks by donation and complimentary appetizers. Admission is free and all are welcome.
WORSHOPS & DEMONSTRATIONS
Workshops and demonstrations were held in the gallery every Sunday from June 15th to March 5th, 2023. These events offered additional insights into the exhibit materials and were an opportunity for the public to meet and learn from the artists.
During Griz Days on Saturday, March 4th, a mini loom weaving activity was attended by 20 children and their families.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
City of Fernie | Columbia Basin Trust | Kootenay Columbia Cultural Alliance
WOMEN OF MICHEL
SEPTEMBER 9 – NOVEMBER 27, 2022
The above-ground realm of women and girls in the coal mining town of Michel was one of colour, caretaking and pride. After its relocation to Sparwood in the mid 1960s, Michel ceased to exist on the map. For those who lived there, Michel still exists in their hearts and the things they create.
This art installation will feature paintings, drawings and fibre arts by four Michel-born artists. Artists Michelle Kozler Loughery, Gayle Gaskell Vallance, Monica Paniec Beranek and Elaine Gaskell DeSpoelberch invite you into their place of origin, the place that informed and inspired them. Artifacts from the community will add context. The hope is to share a lesser-seen perspective of a community built around the coal industry. The Women of Michel invite you to witness their return this September at the Fernie Museum.
Related programming will include video interviews with local residents who lived and grew up in the communities and a commemorative website.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
City of Fernie | Columbia Basin Trust
Sparwood Museum
OPENING RECEPTION | 7PM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH
Artists in attendance; complimentary appetizers, drinks by donation.
IN THIS TOGETHER
| MICHAEL HEPHER
JULY 1 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2022
IN THIS TOGETHER is a subjective look at the wildlife, trees, communities, geography, aquatic life, and history of the Columbia Basin utilising the same iconography that artist Michael Hepher developed for the Fernie mural All Kinds of Beauty.
OPENING RECEPTION | 7pm, Thursday, June 30th.
Join the artist for a preview of the exhibit in the gallery, with drinks by donation, complimentary appetizers, and live music from Hark Raving Sirens. Admission is free and all are welcome. Donations to the Fernie Museum gratefully accepted. Reception Sponsor: Parastone.
In This Together is an attempt to create a body of work that explores a new iconography—a visual vocabulary—of what ties us together as Canadian Columbia River Basin residents. We are truly in this together, and to move forward we must find ways to act in each others’ interests. We are colourful, we are imperfect, but we have each other and we have hope.
~ Michael Hepher, 2021
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
City of Fernie | Columbia Basin Trust
IGS | Fernie Foundation
THE DRAGON TAMERS
DECEMBER 4, 2021 – APRIL 9, 2022
Following the development of avalanche control at Fernie’s ski area, The Dragon Tamers offers insight into how dangerous, yet exciting this winter work can be.
The Land of Thundering Snow, a travelling exhibit from the Revelstoke Museum and Archives, augments the local story by explaining what an avalanche is and how best to control them.
Click here to see the virtual exhibit:
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
BC Arts Council | City of Fernie | Canadian Heritage
Revelstoke Museum | Teck | Fernie Alpine Resort
GIFT GIVING X2 ART SHOW & SALE
NOVEMBER 12 – 28, 2021
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
BC Arts Council | City of Fernie
TROY COOK | NIGHT RAMBLES IN SHADOWS WITH LIQUOR STORE BLUES
FEBRUARY 12 – MAY 30, 2021
New works by Troy Cook explore travel and the nexus between art and music. Perspectives formed through examinations of subject matter and environments during a unique set of circumstances.
Music can set the map for travel and tone during the collection of materials and research for the production of visual work. In this exhibit, Troy Cook brings together his many interests and passions in vibrant, engaging works that invite reflection and discussion about the way we see the world around us.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
BC Arts Council | City of Fernie | Columbia Basin Trust | Wapiti Music Festival Society
STORIES FROM FERNIE:
FROM SPALDING TO ABDOU – AUTHORS AND INSPIRATION
FEBRUARY 12 – MAY 30, 2021
Celebrating the published authors who have made Fernie their home and inspiration and/or write stories and histories about Fernie and the Elk Valley. The stories that have been written in and around Fernie record our history, our lifestyle and our hopes and dreams in a narrative style.
Along with researched historical texts, this exhibit features a collection of books and content from Angie Abdou, Bobby Hutchinson, Jon Turk, Wayne Norton, Michael Hepher, Keya White, Keith Liggett, Kevin Allen, Sydney Hutcheson, Grace Dvorak, Pepper Couelle-Sterling, Shelby Cain, and many more.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
BC Arts Council | Heritage Canada
Fernie Heritage Library | Oolichan Books | Polar Peek Books and Treasures
FERNIE SPINNERS & WEAVERS GUILD:
FABRICS THROUGH HISTORY
DECEMBER 6, 2020 – JANUARY 24, 2021
Unravelling the Ancient Art of Spinning, Weaving, Knitting and Felting with textile artists from Fernie and the Kootenays.
This new exhibit featuring the work of the Fernie Spinners & Weavers Guild will explore the origins and history of fabric arts.
Curated by local artist Laura Nelson, the exhibit explores a wide range of styles and illustrates the range of talent of guild members. Untangle the world of spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and discover new methods of upcycling and recycling textiles.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
BC Arts Council | Heritage Canada |
City of Fernie | Fernie Cardlock | Louise Poirier | Gayle Vallance
HOT & COLD:
GLASS ART IN 3 PARTS
DECEMBER 13, 2019 TO APRIL 19, 2020
Opening Gala: Friday, December 13, 2019 | 7:00 pm | Artist in Attendance
Katherine Russell is one of Canada’s leading glass artists, based in Elkford. She splits her time between making blown glasswork and kiln-formed glasswork, utilizing both methods to explore new concepts, techniques and creative objectives.
In the early 20th century, most decorative glass production happened in factories. The design and affordability of smaller furnaces permitted artists to work with smaller production runs from their own studio, giving rise to what is known as the studio glass movement.
In this newly curated exhibit, Russell examines the methods and techniques that she employs in her studio. The series includes large blown works for which she is most known, a kiln-fired experimental series titled ‘Memories are Malliable’ and cold-fused work. The exhibit demonstrates an incredible breadth and diversity of work which represents this relatively new genre of decorative art.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge | Skimmerhorn Winery
DIVERSITY:
THROUGH THESE ARTISTS’ EYES
NOVEMBER 1 TO 24, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, November 1, 2019 | 7:00 pm | Artists in Attendance
In this special pop-up show and sale, the artists of the Fernie Visual Arts Guild have attempted to show diversity through their work, examining ‘unlikeness’ and difference in the way they see and experience the outside world. Through a collaborative process, the artist of the guild support and encourage each other in developing their own unique styles and diverse viewpoints. In a range of mediums including oil, pastel, pencil, acrylic, encaustic wax, alcohol ink and mixed media, the works utilize the basic principles of shape, form, and colour to reference each artists’ interpretation of the outdoors.
Artists will be in the gallery regularly throughout the show to interpret the exhibit and demonstrate their work. See online calendars for dates and times.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge | Skimmerhorn Winery
GEISHA TO DIVA:
THE KIMONO OF ICHIMARU
JUNE 7 TO SEPTEMBER 22, 2019
Opening Gala: Friday, June 7, 2019 | 7:00 pm
Famed for their elegant shapes and brilliant colouring—everything from peacock blue to tangerine—kimonos are an enduring symbol of the geisha. But there is more to the garments than their admirable style. Woven into the silk or linen of a kimono is the story of the woman who donned it while performing. And no story is more captivating than that of Japan’s most sought-after geisha of the 20th century, Ichimaru. Her illustrious life from a geisha to an internationally known and acclaimed singer is the focus of this rare exhibition from the Greater Victoria Art Gallery.
This exhibit examines a relatively unknown and misunderstood custom of Japanese culture, beyond the sensationalism to its importance to Japanese society. First and foremost, Ichimaru was an artist and one of Japan’s most enigmatic stars.
The exhibit also shines light on Japanese investment in the Elk Valley’s coal industry, and the short-lived “geisha house” built to entertain visiting dignitaries and investors from Japan.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
and:
PERFECT LINE
NOVEMBER 1, 2018 TO MARCH 31, 2019
Opening reception: November 1, 2018 | 7:00 pm | Artist in Attendance
Over a period of 17 years, Gordon Milne has attended company class each week to draw the dancers of Alberta Ballet. This ongoing relationship has inspired a very distinctive feel to his drawings and paintings celebrating movement in dance. The exhibit features numerous studies and drawings completed in the ballet studio along with 12 large scale works which demonstrate the quest for the perfect line by both dancer and artist.
Presented in collaboration with the Alberta Ballet.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
BENT ON ART
SEPT 27 TO OCT 14, 2018
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 27, 2018 | 7:00 pm | Artists in Attendance
This pop-up exhibit highlights the work of queer and trans/gender non-conforming artists in the Kootenay region while creating educational opportunities, fostering community connection, and promoting resilience through the arts.
Presented in collaboration with Fernie Pride as part of the Elk Valley Pride Festival.
Pride Fuze Party: Friday, October 12, 2018. 8:00 pm. Part of the 2018 Elk Valley Pride Festival
Live Performance art | 2 floors of DJs | Artists in Attendance | Cash Bar & Complimentary Appetizers
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
BACKROADS BC
JUNE 7 TO SEPTEMBER 16, 2018
Opening reception: June 15, 2018 | 7:00 pm | Artist in Attendance
The exhibit features 30 new works by Fernie artist Michael Hepher which explore the scenic backroads of British Columbia as seen by the artist and his family during a 2-month summer road trip in 2017 throughout each of the distinct regions of BC in their 1971 Volkswagen van.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
TREASURES and CURIOSITIES
FROM THE FERNIE MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
DECEMBER 1, 2017 to APRIL 30, 2018
Opening Reception: December 1st | 7:00 pm
The Fernie Museum has collected objects since 1964. The diverse collections tell how communities in the Elk Valley grew and evolved over time. Individual objects provide insight into each generation’s desire to preserve their part of the Fernie story.
In a rare peek into the vaults, the Fernie Museum presents 150 treasures and curiosities in the final exhibition celebrating Canada 150. These objects have not been seen by the public since they were put into storage 20 years ago. In 2018, the Museum will begin a program to rehouse and catalogue the entire collection. The collection will not be available to the public again until after this process is complete, scheduled for 2020.
Part of the Fernie Museum and the Fernie Art Station’s Canada 150 Cultural Series, which also includes:
I Am Fernie | March 2 to May 30, 2017
Fernie Artography | June 15 to September 17, 2017
The Canadian Youth identity Project | April 27 to May 13, 2017
Visit the online exhibit which highlights the stories of artifacts featured in the gallery exhibit.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Columbia-Kootenay Cultural Alliance
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
and:
The Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between the Fernie Fund of the Cranbrook & District Community Foundation, the government of Canada and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.
FERNIE ARTOGRAPHY
JUNE 15 to SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
Opening Reception: June 15th | 7:00 pm | Local Artists in Attendance
How wanderlust and resident artists contribute to our understanding of Fernie’s natural, social/cultural and built landscapes is the subject of this proposed exhibit, Fernie Artography. The exhibit draws on a wealth of artistic material from the works of Canadian artists A.Y. Jackson and David Paton to local contemporary visual artists such as Laura Nelson, Pat Moore, Glenys Takala, Patrick Markle and Melanie MacVoy, and video artists such as Gwen McGregor. The artists will each share their personal connection and stories related to their work shared in the interactive online exhibit guide. Programming includes an exhibit opening, curator’s talk, plein air artist workshops, storytelling workshops and author/poetry readings.
Part of the Fernie Museum and the Fernie Art Station’s Canada 150 Cultural Series, which also includes:
I Am Fernie | March 2 to May 30, 2017
Fernie Treasurers | September 14, 2017 to March 31, 2018
The Canadian Youth identity Project | April 27 to May 13, 2017
Visit the exhibit’s interactive online guide.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Columbia-Kootenay Cultural Alliance
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
I AM FERNIE
MARCH 2 TO MAY 30, 2017
Opening Reception: March 2nd | 7:00 pm | Artist in Attendance
From the earliest days of the daguerreotype in the mid-1850s, photographic portraiture has helped to commemorate events such as graduations or weddings, or to mark personal milestones. Kyle Hamilton, a local photographer, has sought to document the every-day face of Fernie from 2015 to 2017 by capturing Fernie residents (full time and part time?) in portraits taken in the midst of daily life, whether they have lived in Fernie for a lifetime or five minutes.
Part of the Fernie Museum and the Fernie Art Station’s Canada 150 Cultural Series, which also includes:
Fernie Artography | June 15 to September 4, 2017
Fernie Treasurers | December 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018
The Canadian Youth identity Project | April 27 to May 13, 2017
Visit the online exhibit which features all 150 portraits chosen for the gallery exhibit.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Columbia-Kootenay Cultural Alliance
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
HOSMER: BOOM, BUST AND WAR
OCTOBER 13, 2016 to FEBRUARY 13, 2017
Opening Reception: October 13th | 7:00 pm
The exhibit traces the history of Hosmer from its establishment in 1906 as the one of only two coal mining communities in the Elk Valley not owned and operated by the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company to its near demise following the closure of the mine in 1914 to its life as a hamlet today. At its peak, over 1,200 people called Hosmer home. The exhibit also examines how the beginning of World War I further drained the remaining population, both with men signing up with the 54th East Kootenay Battalion and “enemy aliens” being taken to an internment camp located in another Elk Valley ghost town, Morrissey.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Province of BC | BC Arts Council | Resort Municipality Initiative | Regional District of East Kootenay, Area A | Columbia-Kootenay Cultural Alliance
City of Fernie | Park Place Lodge
CURRENTS:
AN ARTISTIC EXPLORATION OF THE ELK RIVER
JUNE 17 TO AUGUST 28, 2016
Opening Reception | June 17 | 7:00 pm
The Elk River has multiple identities.
It is a river named Wasaʔki by the Ktunaxa people, fed by the ancient Petain Glacier.
It is a source of sustenance and energy.
It is a place valued by residents and visitors alike for recreation and fishing.
It is the lifeblood of our communities.
The Elk River is central to who we are and what we do. This multi-disciplinary art exhibition explores how this precious resource shapes and defines our region.
Upper Waterton Lake | Norman E. Riley
PEACE PARK PERSPECTIVES
FEBRUARY 26 TO MAY 30, 2016
Opening Reception | February 26th | 7:00 pm
In 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) was combined with the Glacier National Park (Montana, United States) to form the world’s first International Peace Park. Situated on the border between the two countries and offering outstanding scenery, the park is exceptionally rich in plant and mammal species as well as prairie, forest, and alpine and glacial features. The International Peace Park is a designated UNESCO Heritage Site.
This photography exhibition by Norman E. Riley explores the spectacular scenery of the International Peace Park from a number of vantage points. Based in Bellingham, Washington. Riley was honored to be selected as one of six artists from across the United States to participate in the 2015 Glacier National Park (USA) Artist in Residence program. The artist has generously donated the works to the collection of the Fernie Museum as part of the requirements for the program.
AN IMMIGRANT STORY:
THE RISE AND FALL OF EMILIO PICARIELLO
SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 TO FEBRUARY 14, 2016
Opening Reception | September 19 | 1:30 pm
Emilio Picariello was an adventurous and hard-working family man whose ambitions led him to challenge the law of the land for profit. On the other hand, he was well known in the community for helping the less well off. His contravening of the Prohibition Act, and consequent violence, led authorities to realize that criminalizing the use of liquor was not in the best interest of society. In addition, it confirmed the need for provincial governments to address the regulation of the sale and use of liquor. The story is unquestionably associated with the history of Fernie and the Crowsnest Pass, and has generated media attention not only in the past but also today. It has been immortalized in the opera Filumena (librettist John Murrell and composer John Estacio) that has been performed not only in British Columbia and Alberta but also nationally.
The Emilio Picariello story is a significant one not only because it provides insight into the immigration history of Fernie but also because it allows for the exploration of the impact of Prohibition on individuals and the community as a whole. It also provides insight into ethnic tensions, law and order and justice themes.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Government of Canada | Canadian Heritage |Province of BC | BC Arts Council
Resort Municipality Initiative | City of Fernie|Park Place Lodge
Fernie Museum | 3884DO
FERNIE AT WAR:
THE MORRISSEY INTERNMENT CAMP
JUNE 5 TO SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
Opening Reception | June 6, 2015 | 1:00 pm
Now a ghost town, Morrissey was once a First World War internment camp located just eight miles from Fernie. Canada, as part of the British Empire, became part of the Allied First World War effort in August, 1914.
There had been no plans to establish a camp in Fernie. In early June 1915, however, Fernie saw miners turn against their colleagues of non-British origin and demand that single miners and married miners with families still back in Eastern Europe be interned. The miners’ threat of a major uprising and further closure of the mine forced civic, provincial and federal governments to react quickly. By June 9, a makeshift detention camp was created at the Fernie arena by the local government and supported by the Premier of BC.
The population of the camp grew quickly and the need for a larger and more secure camp forced the move to Morrissey. The economic downturn had left most of the town’s buildings, which were owned by the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company, empty and able to be repurposed. Prisoners were housed in the Windsor and Alexandria Hotels. By October, 1915, Morrissey became an established internment camp able to house from 250 to 300 prisoners.
The exhibit Fernie at War: The Morrissey Internment Camp explores this painful period in Canada’s history and illustrates the impact of an international war had on the home front in the Elk Valley region of British Columbia.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund
The Consulate of Switzerland in Vancouver
FROM THE GROUND UP:
A TRIBUTE TO THE LANDSCAPE WE LIVE IN
APRIL 4 TO MAY 16, 2015
Opening Reception | Saturday, April 4 | 7:00 pm | Artist in Attendance
A Show and Sale Exhibition of New Paintings by Fernie artist Laura Nelson
“I view and experience the landscape from the ground up. Very aware of the interconnectedness of everything. I imagine atoms, the building blocks of life, in a perpetual dance, reacting with each other, generating a palpable life force over the land. I look for patterns in shapes and shadows that weave the scene together and infuse them into my paintings to recreate this flow of energy and magic. There’s a sense of building and sculpting with my brush, working colour and value to create the illusion of 3 dimensions on the flat surface of the canvas.
I continue to find inspiration for my work through the powerful sense of place I feel here in the Kootenays. I owe much to the landscape that has shaped me, sustained me, challenged me and gifted me with much adventure and healed me with its restorative secrets. It’s a wonderful feeling of gratitude and being part of something much bigger than myself, part of something magic! “ From the Ground Up” is a tribute to these landscapes.
As you take in my show, I hope you too are reminded of your connection to the ecosystems we live in, and our role in helping maintain the fragile balance necessary for our collective well being.”
~ Laura Nelson, Artist
OLYMPIC SPIRIT:
CANADA’S SPORTS HEROES
NOVEMBER 28, 2014 TO MARCH 28, 2015
A select group of Canadian athletes have changed the face of sport in Canada forever. Olympic medalists, world champions, fierce competitors – they have competed for our country, won with pride and lost with dignity. Through their efforts, they have proven that sport can capture the imagination of an entire country – and often the entire world. They deserve to be remembered.
In 2002, Alberta artist Gordon Milne was commissioned by the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary to paint a series of large-scale portraits to celebrate our Olympic sports heroes. On exhibit at the Fernie Museum are twelve portraits from this series.
Accompanying the series are personal artifacts related to the achievements of the Olympians featured in the exhibit from Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
This collection of portraits has been achieved with the generous support of the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary, ARC Energy Trust, BMO Financial and Alberta Culture and will ensure a lasting tribute to our Canadian sport heroes.
PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Canadian Tire