A slice of artistic interpretation on resilience is showing at The Old School House Arts Centre (TOSH) in Qualicum Beach.
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 11, a multimedia member exhibit titled ‘Resilience: The Power of Adaptation’ will show in the Brown Gallery until Feb. 26.
Illana Hester, executive director for TOSH, said she first put the call out in fall of 2021, and asked the exhibiting artists to contemplate what the word ‘resilience’ meant to them and to reflect upon the last few years.
“It’s been really crazy for everybody,” said Hester. “And I would love to see an artistic interpretation of where people are at and what they got from it.”
As a self-described person who focuses on the glass being half full and always looking towards positivity, Hester said she’s really looking forward to how people have found beautiful moments in an otherwise constantly moving world.
“I asked people to reflect on that, and create work from that. And it was really interesting to see. It’s going to be a very diverse show; we have neophytes and people who are just hobbyist artists and we also have incredible professional artists. So there will be a real range of ability and technique and medium,” she said.
Some of the artists, she said, chose to reflect on the power of friendship and relationships, while others focused on isolation and learning how to be comfortable with being lonely. And again, in juxtaposition of each other, some artists focused on world problems while others focused on nature and solutions.
“It’s interesting to see how personal people took that theme on.”
Hester said the exhibit’s variety will include everything from abstract to landscape to photorealism, as well as photography, sculpture work and even fabric work.
“The installation committee hung it quite nicely, so there’s a real conversation between works – which is always interesting when you’re hanging up the different works of individuals. But you’ll recognize the specific themes come up in the exhibit,” said Hester.
The show will have 37 artists with 37 individual pieces.
Each exhibiting member will be from the mid-Island region and not specifically from the Parksville Qualicum Beach area. Hester confirmed that some artists have submitted work from as far as Comox.
While some exhibiting artists are seasoned and have plenty of shows under their belts, some members will be showing for the first time in a gallery exhibit, she said, and that it is fortunate for TOSH to be able to foster that experience for them so they can have a place to begin.
TOSH’s website will also hold an online component of the exhibit for viewers to enjoy virtually starting on Jan. 11 as well.
On Jan. 12 at 2 p.m., TOSH will also host an online opening reception to give people an overview on what’s happening at the arts centre.
The opening reception will include discussions on the Resilience exhibit, as well as the Town of Qualicum Beach’s photo contest, and the work of Darren Claydon who is also showing at the arts centre until Feb. 26 in The Volunteer Gallery.
Hester said that during the opening reception they will likely announce the winner of the photo contest, as organized by the town and aimed to highlight the people, activities and places that make Qualicum Beach uniquely its own.
She also confirmed that the arts centre will be doing another call out for the next members show starting in April for 2023.
“Membership is just really great here,” she said, adding that those interested will need to make sure they become a member of the arts centre first to apply.