A piece of “prime real estate” in Anvil Centre is proving to be so popular it’s already booking into 2017.
Biliana Velkova, the city’s arts coordinator, said the community art space is booked solid through 2016 and is already considering artists’ groups wanting to display in the space in 2017.
“That’s just New Westminster artist groups and we haven’t repeated anybody,” she said. “For such a small city, I am really surprised myself. I thought, ‘Oh, we’ll be done in a year.’”
Since its opening last fall, the community art space has exhibited works in a variety of mediums, including pottery, fibre arts, painting and graphic arts. The space has also been embraced by a diverse group of artists from throughout the city, including the Arts Council of New Westminster (Cover Story: Album Art Re-Imagined); Artists in the Boro (Let Me Count the Ways); and Century House arts and crafts (Expression of Spring).
The latest exhibit in the community art space, The Art of History, features four local artists – Gillian Wright, Angie Au Hemphill, Katherine Freund-Hainsworth and Peri-Lane Nilan, who will explore the city’s past through painting, drawing and mixed media works. The Art of History continues until July 24.
Along with more established artists like those taking part in The Art of History, Velkova said the space has also provided a venue where emerging artists can show their work.
“It is only open to New Westminster artists,” she told the Record. “Other municipalities have community galleries, of course, but their selection process is far reaching. They have artists from Metro Vancouver, whereas ours really celebrates New Westminster.”
Each group of artists gets two months to display their members’ works in the community art space. They’re responsible for coming up with a theme and selecting the works that will be included in the exhibition.
“They have really taken ownership of it. I think it is because the artists’ groups self-curate,” Velkova said. “They are really proud of it.”
Expression of Spring, which wrapped up last week, featured works by quilters, potters and crafters in Century House’s programs.
“I was really happy with the show because the oldest artist was 102,” Velkova said. “It’s such a lovely thing for our city.”
On the other side of the age spectrum, the city is looking at opportunities for youth to display their works in the space, including young artists taking art programs at Anvil Centre.
Upcoming exhibitions will feature New West Artists (Faces and Places), 100 Braid St. Studios and the New Westminster Photography Club. Inclusion B.C., New West Pride, the Garden Gals and others are lined up for 2016
The community art space is located on the third floor of Anvil Centre, near the entrance to the theatre.
“Where it’s situated, it’s on the most windowed space of the Anvil Centre. When you are walking along Columbia Street at night you can actually see the work from the outside. That’s prime real estate,” Velkova said. “It does showcase to a really diverse audience as well. Because it’s on the back of the Anvil Centre theatre, it gets their audiences whenever there is a performance. We also have the conference centre. When they have events, their audiences spills out to the community arts space so they get to see it. When we have our own VIBE events or cultural events that happen on the third floor, it’s an open space. It’s not a gallery. It doesn’t have four walls with an attendant. It’s always open. You don’t have to make an appointment or go in when it’s open.”
While city staff try to cross-promote offerings in the community art space, the museum and the theatre, they also strive to offer “something for everybody” at Anvil Centre.
“What I’m really hearing is the diversity of programming at Anvil Centre,” Velkova said of feedback she’s received. “They come and see a community space of quilt artists who are 102 and then they go across the way and see the most contemporary new media art exhibition. That feedback is really important to us – it really plays to us the role that Anvil Centre is kind of a catalyst for culture.”
