In the East Gallery of the Kootenay Gallery of Art in Castlegar, Claire Kujundzic of Wells, BC will present an exhibition entitled Message from the Beetle. Her work is a response to the impact on our forests as a result of the pine beetle epidemic. Caught between her repulsion to the devastation of our forests by the pine beetle and her fascination with the marks and coloration of the beetles’ work, Kujundzic has rendered a version of our forests demise with care and sensitivity. Her giant canvases will fill the gallery reflecting this devastation while at the same time carrying a message of hope and serving as a tribute to the forests of British Columbia during this International Year of the Forest. As Kujundzic herself states,” the making of this work has been challenging, but it has also made me more hopeful. Doing it has forced me to confront large, complex issues, but it has also prompted me to notice our connectedness to the planet and to see the green that grows through.” This provocative exhibit will encourage the viewer to examine a subject of particular significance to this resource based region.
Building the Building - Building Community, a photographic exhibition in the West Gallery reflects and documents 40 years of building, maintaining, and initiating community activities by the volunteers of the Vallican Whole Community Centre and the Rural Alternatives Research and Training Society. The Vallican Whole is an architecturally interesting and beautiful building created by the women, men and children of the Slocan Valley and beyond. The Vallican Whole was a long time home for the Whole School (1976-2008), and has become a centre for the education and celebration of ideas and practices for producing, buying and eating local goods. This exhibition, curated by Helen Sebelius, documents through iconic and everyday photographs, taken and collected by Marcia Braundy, the construction, maintenance, community initiatives and celebratory gatherings. It also includes the recent development of the ecological sculpture park on the site. The opening reception for these exhibitions, with both artists in attendance, will be held on Friday July 29 at 7 p.m. and the shows will run until September 10.
The Kootenay Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located across from the Castlegar Airport on Heritage Way. www.kootenaygallery.com