Tag Archives: Kevin Rice Confederation Centre Art Gallery

News Flash

Art, Party, and the Glam Bat Cave

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One night only, the Confederation Centre Art Gallery will be transformed into a sprawling dance party and showcase of artist creativity for afterimage, an event that animates the gallery at night. This promises to be an unforgettable night in Charlottetown, and a completely new way of experiencing contemporary art in the stunning architecture of the art gallery.

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The CCAG is in between exhibition cycles this month, hence the event title; a brief window in time where the gallery will be redefined visually and conceptually. “This will be a truly special night,” says Gallery Director Kevin Rice. “We are excited to bring a new audience into the gallery, to see what an amazing space it is, and experience it in an entirely new way.”

Stretching across multiple galleries – even including a service elevator – afterimage features a variety of artists from P.E.I., New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia and installations ranging from themed spaces, projections, and video works; to live music, guest DJs, and interactive games.

Belfast, P.E.I. painter and media artist Damien Worth is creating an interactive piece that allows users to navigate a virtual landscape. Another featured guest is Montreal’s Pascal Dufaux, who recently relocated his studio to the Guild, known for his interactive sculptures that capture the movements of partygoers through motion sensors. The galleries will also include a dance floor showcasing the music of guest DJs Willow Bell (Whaleskin) and DJ Lucy MOD (Kate Walchuk), as well as performances by Nathan Gill, Andrew Cairns, and some surprise off-Island guests.

afterimage is one night only and runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on May 13. The entire gallery team as well as other Centre staff and over a dozen artists will be working full tilt to make this an unforgettable combination of party and art experience, and a true showcase of talent from around the region. Event tickets are $20 (plus tax and service fees) in advance, via the Box Office, and $25 (plus tax and service fees) at the door.

Other highlights include an interactive installation dubbed ‘The Glam Bat Cave’ featuring creations by Halifax’s Mitchell Wiebe, and Island artists Ali O’Sullivan and Andrew Cairns, a wheel of prizes hosted by Tamara Steele and Charlottetown comedian Lennie MacPherson, a new projection work from Becka Viau, and a multimedia installation in the gallery elevator designed by Charlottetown’s Monica Lacey and Devon Ross. A more relaxed lounge area with specialty cocktails, a playlist by Colin Buchanan, and a Lucy van Pelt-inspired ‘advice booth’ will contrast the live performance space.

State of the Art

‘Holding the Pose’ Opens at Confederation Centre’s Art Gallery

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Portraits are often thought of as a fairly straightforward kind of art work. The goal is to produce a likeness of the subject, whether physical or psychological, mediated by the interpretation of the artist. But those portrayed are rarely passive actors in the exchange that takes place when a portrait is made. Through pose, attitude, costume, and other means of self-presentation, sitters always influence the end result.

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The active involvement of subjects in the creation of any portrait is the focus of Holding the Pose: Portraits From the Collection, a new exhibition presented by the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, opening on January 27th.

Featuring works from the gallery’s permanent collection by artists from across Canada, the show demonstrates the complexity of the interaction between artist and sitter through a wide variety of portraits in various mediums. From P.E.I. painter Brian Burke’s evocative portraits of local literary figures Milton Acorn and Libby Oughton to the work of David Blackwood, Marion Wagschal, Edward Poitras, and others, the exhibition reflects the richness of the art of portraiture in Canada.

The Gallery’s collection also includes a significant quantity of works by one of Canada’s definitive portrait painters, Robert Harris, and the work of Harris will feature prominently in the exhibition.

“In the work of Robert Harris, we encounter an incredible richness and subtlety brought to bear on the craft of portraiture,” says Gallery Director Kevin Rice. “In the context of this exhibition, we have a great opportunity to see how the artist approached the vibrant subjects of his paintings, and how they played a role in the final result.”

Curated by the Gallery’s Pan Wendt, Holding the Pose will be on display from January 27 to November 27, 2016. The Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

For more information visit http://www.confederationcentre.com.