Blyth Festival Art Gallery begins search for next season's artists - May 23, 2019

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Things are humming along for the Blyth Festival Art Gallery with its first two shows, the Student Show and the Community Show, both in the books.

Art Gallery Board President Carl Stevenson said he’s constantly impressed with the quality of art that comes to the gallery by way of the students of Huron and Perth Counties.

“I’m always impressed with [the Student Show],” Stevenson said, adding that when he first saw some of the work to be exhibited this year in the hours before the show opened, he was blown away by both its quality and its diversity.

“My jaw drops when we get the work we do from the student artists of Huron and Perth,” he said.

This year the show received over 120 entries, which is relatively high compared to recent years.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of being involved with the Student Show year after year, Stevenson said, is to see students submit pieces year after year. Seeing them grow as artists, Stevenson said, is very rewarding.

Hot on the heels of the Student Show was the Community Show, which opened to the public on Saturday night.

Stevenson, who has submitted his own photography into the show for a number of years, said the show is always a great opportunity for members of the community to brush shoulders and share gallery wall space with some of the county’s most established artists.

Furthermore, it’s another chance for students to have their work exhibited at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery. There are always students who submit work to the show, Stevenson said.

For example, he said, there is a local public school student who has submitted her work for the past two years. Seeing that confidence and willingness to present art in a professional setting is what the Community Show is all about.

Stevenson and other members of the gallery board are currently busy conducting visits to choose artists for the next two seasons of the gallery’s professional shows.

There are some very good artists in the mix for the coming seasons, Stevenson said, with some very high-quality art being considered.

The board members have approximately 10 visits scheduled for the coming two seasons, to be conducted in the next few weeks. He said that visiting an artist in their creative space is a great way to learn more about the artist and the motivation behind their art.

For more information on the Blyth Festival Art Gallery, visit blythfestival.com or find the gallery on Facebook.