One of the city’s major cultural institutions is getting set to once again prove that it is indeed hip to be square. At the same time, the Art Gallery of St. Albert says that Square One, its still fresh-out-of-the-box exhibition and fundraiser is far from exclusive.
“There’s going to be something for everybody,” stated Frances Gagnon, the gallery’s director of art, talking about the diversity of styles and subjects and experience levels. “It’s a very exquisite exhibition ... that brings all these different people together, not just artists but people from the community.”
She ain’t kidding.
Kicking off this weekend, the gallery’s three-week-long festival of visual art will see dozens upon dozens of local and regional painters, potters and other multimedia visual artists displaying one foot squared (or cubed) works to tickle the public’s fancy and support the gallery all at the same time. The walls will literally be filled from head to toe with new creations. If you thought that May’s High Energy exhibit was a cornucopia of art (featuring works by students from all five city high schools) then you haven’t seen anything yet.
There’s an even larger number and a greater range of artists here, Gagnon explains, including some High Energy holdovers, all of whom had to work within the confines of space.
“There’s more emerging artists from high school and more established artists that are trying new techniques just because it’s a new size. Not many artists work 1’ by 1’. It’s a challenge for them. It pushes them into something that maybe they wouldn’t have typically done.”
Now in its second year, the event is actually the gallery’s 23rd annual fundraiser. In 2012, it replaced the An Evening With… themed art auction gala series that were considered by many to be a premier event over the years. That party had, by then, even outgrown and overpopulated even the spacious banquet facilities at the Enjoy Centre.
Not wanting to completely depart from the successes of the past, Square One still has the evening gala – relocated to the gallery’s historic Banque d’Hochelaga building for extra ambience – with the added benefit of an Art Walk evening less than a week later.
Gagnon said that she and her staff were pleased to be able to bring things back to the gallery.
The fun starts with a bang on Saturday with its opening night of the exhibition and the start of art sales. The evening event will see the gallery’s walls and floors filled with paintings, pottery and patrons, all of whom will be there to be the early birds for the best selection of the most affordable and widest variety of art to be had in these parts.
Prices for any of the two- and three-dimensional pieces range from $100 on the low end to $150 in the middle and $200 at the top. That, coupled with ticket sales ($20 in advance for the fairly exclusive, sure-to-be-sold-out affair) should allow the gallery to easily reach its goal of raising $20,000 when all is said and done.
Last year’s take was close to $30,000 after all, and that still had fewer artworks than this one on the wall.
What’s even better is how differently the donations are figured into the equation. Contributing artists get a 50 per cent take from the sales of their pieces, a welcome change to many artists who often face endless requests to donate artwork outright for other fundraisers. Of course, they still have the option of donating the full sale to the gallery.
All proceeds go directly to support the gallery’s educational programs and exhibitions including its ever-popular children’s programs that see more than 25,000 children in attendance each and every year.
The opening night gala will feature a festive atmosphere of live music, prizes and games, plus the return of the much-missed art bar. Attendees will get to create their own miniature versions of square artworks. There will also be a licensed garden party out back and a raffle with ridiculously good odds of winning. For $20 a pop, people can choose one out of a hundred squares on a board. There are a hundred prizes to be won, ranging from gift cards to local stores and stops to the grand prize of a one-night stay for two in Banff. Do the math and you’ll see that there are only winners.
Tickets, if any are still available, can be purchased at the door on Saturday for $25 each. Doors open at 7 p.m. with art sales starting on the dot at 8.
For more information, call the gallery at 780-460-4310 or visit www.artgalleryofstalbert.com. The website also contains a link for the public to buy opening night tickets online.
Of course the other highlight of Square One comes the following Thursday on the evening of the next ArtWalk on June 6. Many of the participating artists will be in attendance at one or both events, giving the cultural community even more reason to get dressed up and get out of the house.
“Typically, we could see 400 or 500 people that night. That’s when the artists are invited especially so they can interact with the public and people can meet them. That’s a big time that people can buy too.”
Square One runs until June 22.
The Art Gallery of St. Albert is located at 19 Perron Street.
