AGGV

Join us April 18 from 6-7PM for a free artist talk with City of Victoria Artist in Residence Kemi Craig and the creative team behind the exhibition Afroquatics: A Call and Response Below the Surface. The talk will delve into exhibition themes and the technology which supports the installation, developed by Victoria’s Hololabs Studio. Afroquatics: A Call and Response Below the Surface has been created by Kemi Craig as part of her City of Victoria Artist Residency. Admission is free! About Kemi Craig: Kemi Craig (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist primarily working through dance and media based here in the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territories. Through her lived experience as a woman of African descent, Kemi’s art utilizes movement, materiality and new media to center experiences for people with racialized and gendered bodies. She is inspired by Black history and Afrofuturism, dance that expresses and augments what we do every day, DIY culture and by visual histories and pop cultural production. Kemi is a graduate from the Emily Carr University of Art Design with a Masters degree in Fine Art. Since graduating she has exhibited and performed through local arts centers as well as across BC and Canada. Her film and video work has been exhibited at local galleries such as Legacy Art Gallery, Flux Gallery, the Ministry of Casual Living as well as the Victoria International Film Festival and Antimatter Media Arts Festival. She has worked with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and Xchanges Gallery as an artist educator/mentor and curator. For the past three years, Kemi has been the Artist in Residence with Dance Victoria and currently works for the city of Victoria as the Artist in Residence. Image Credit: Installation images courtesy of Hololabs Studio Inc.

Supported by the Province of B.C. Come celebrate Family Day at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria! Families of all ages are invited to discover the exhibition Crossing: Art, Heritage and Personal Journeys; learning about the stories of three local artists and their families who embarked on transformative journeys from Asia to Canada. Take inspiration from the exhibition to create your own family portrait in graphite, a collaged landscape and even participate in an art project with one of the artists from the exhibition! Join us for an afternoon filled with fun and engaging art making activities, self-guided tours and more, embracing the importance of family to all of us. Free with admission. Image Credits (T-B, L-R): Yumi Kono, Family Portrait - Mother and Daughter (1977), (detail). Graphite drawing on paper | Image courtesy of the AGGV | Andy Lou, Colour of the West Coast (2008), (detail), Mixed media on ride paper | Chrystal Phan, I have something to tell you (2023), Plastisial clay, acrylic, nail polish |

A projected video/interactive augmented reality installation by Kemi Craig, City of Victoria Artist in Residence. Made in collaboration with Hololabs, and facilitated by Kemi Craig, this interactive and immersive installation will spark conversations, challenge perceptions, and transport viewers into an experiential underwater landscape. The exhibition pulls inspiration from African spiritual practices of Orisha, the little-known history of expert free divers that existed throughout coastal communities in West Africa, and underwater worlds imagined by many artists and storytellers of the African diaspora including the electronic music duo, Drexciya. Exhibition runs until May 26, 2024 Image Credit: Kemi Craig, Diving Elvis's, Digital Print, 2023

Curated by Dr. Heng Wu, AGGV Curator of Asian Art Crossing: Art, Heritage, and Personal Journeys delves into the intricate narratives of three remarkable local artists, who and whose family embarked on transformative journeys from Asia to Canada: Yumie Kono, Andy Lou, and Chrystal Phan. This compelling showcase unearths the essence of migration, heritage, and identity, painting a vivid picture of the diverse and enriching experiences that lie at the heart of our multicultural nation. Exhibition runs until May 26, 2024. Image Credits (T-B): Andy Lou, Colour of the West Coast (2008) (detail), 27" x 26", Mixed media on ride paper | Chrystal Phan, I have something to tell you (2023) (detail), Plastisial clay, acrylic, nail polish | Yumi Kono, Family Portrait - Mother and Daughter (1977) (detail), 57cm x 77cm (22.5" x 30"). Graphite drawing on paper

Curated by Steven McNeil, Chief Curator & Director of Collections and Exhibitions In The Flesh brings together more than one hundred works that share a common focus: the nude as a subject for artistic expression. Drawing upon the strengths of the AGGV Collections, works by renowned historical artists including Renoir, Rodin, Picasso and Henry Moore are brought together alongside works by modern and contemporary Indigenous and Canadian artists, including Pat Martin Bates, Ivan Eyre, Evergon, Michael Morris, Susan Point and Carole Sabiston. The AGGV is especially proud to present new work made by Andrew Moncrief, an artist originally from Vancouver Island who is currently living and exhibiting in Berlin, Germany. At varying times beautiful, sensual, intimate and provocative, the works presented in this exhibition trace our captivation with the human form from the Renaissance to today. Visitors will experience a visual journey through time, ranging from the classical and literary subjects of the past to the body and gender politics of the present. The meaning of the exhibition title, In the Flesh, is twofold: it refers both to the naked human form as well as to the importance of experiencing things in real life, of viewing art that is physically in front of you. The latter meaning comes from a practice that the AGGV is currently embracing: to highlight treasures from the permanent collection and to create opportunities for our communities to experience great art In the Flesh. This exhibition is presented with the generous support of the Gallery Associates. Image Credit: Michael Morris, Man and Mirror (detail), 1983, pastel and watercolour on paper, Gift of Rosita Tovell, AGGV 2004.039.007

Please join us on Oct 13 from 6:00-7:30pm us for this fun, free live-online culinary class, Cooking Online with the London Chef – The Fragrant Mushroom, an exciting collaboration with the London Chef and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Symbiosis exhibition, where we will be exploring delectable mushroom cuisine. From the comfort of your home, hear from the Symbiosis co-curators, Jaimie Isaac and Mel Granley, who will share a window into the mycelial fascinations of this exhibition. Then cook with the talented Chef Dan; his skilled cooking instruction and deliciously designed mushroom risotto menu will inspire your home cooking. To register, receive the shopping list, and access link to this live online class, click here. Participants are encouraged to plan and purchase the ingredients for this class ahead of time if they would like to cook alongside Chef Dan. We also invite participants to still join the online class, if they wish to observe instead of cook. Image Credit: Dan Hayes. Courtesy of the London Chef.

Curated by Mel Granley, AGGV Assistant Curator Kali Spitzer’s work embraces the stories of contemporary BIPOC, queer and trans bodies, creating representation that is self-determined, with her collaborative process being informed by the desire to rewrite the visual histories of indigenous bodies beyond a colonial lens. Kali is Kaska Dena from Daylu (Lower Post, british columbia) on her father's side. On her Mother’s side, she is Jewish from Transylvania, Romania. Kali’s heritage deeply influences her work as she focuses on cultural revitalization through her art, whether in the medium of photography, ceramics, tanning hides or hunting. Trust and vulnerability are an integral part of Kali’s practice and she is continually grateful to all she has been able to work with thus far. Kali studied photography at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the Santa Fe Community College. Working with film in 35 mm, 120 and large format, as well as wet plate collodion process using an 8x10 camera, her work includes portraits, figure studies and photographs of her people, and culture. Throughout Kali’s career she has documented traditional practices with a sense of urgency, highlighting their vital cultural significance. The exhibition runs from November 18th, 2023 to March 17th, 2024. Image Credit: Kali Spitzer, black and white tintypes, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.

Join us for a talk with the kimono expert, Hitomi Harama. In this educational talk session, Hitomi discusses seasonal differences and features of kimono. One feature of kimono culture reflects the appreciation of nature to kimono designs. Depicting the beauty of nature, and presenting different seasonal items on design patterns or colour coordination choices of kimono is a way of celebrating or showing respect to certain seasonal matters. Two kimonos from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s collection will be displayed and featured in the discussion with opportunities for participants to engage with kimonos from Hitomi’s special collection. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE: https://aggv.ca/events/kimono-culture-in-seasons/ CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/introduction-to-kimono-culture-in-seasons-tickets-709738566157?aff=oddtdtcreator Image Credit L-R: Kimono with Cranes, silk crepe, 53 x 120 cm, Gift of Yoshi Audain and Mrs. Suzuki, AGGV.SC1033 | Kimono with Phoenix Birds and Flowers, silk satin damask; gold and silk thread; silver, 162 x 124 cm, Gift of Yoshi Audain and Mrs. Suzuki, AGGV SC1056

Curated by Mel GranleyTender Touch delves into Victoria’s unique and proliferating tattoo community. In recent years, the tattoo industry in Victoria has grown considerably, with more and more queer and BIPOC artists beginning their career and opening up their own tattoo shops in town. Alternatives to the traditional western tattoo scene, these spaces are bastions for many seeking to adorn themselves with ink.The exhibition will invite several contemporary tattoo artists in Victoria to show their work and explain their connection to tattooing as an art practice. The exhibition will explore tattooing as a source of bodily autonomy and a practice that requires a sense of trust between tattoo artist and tattoo receiver. Artists participating in this show are Brianna Chatwin, Simran Dhaliwal, Mason Larose, Kaman Lu, Mina Malahah Raposo, Stephanie Papik, and Grae Salisbury.Exhibition runs November 25, 2023 - May 5, 2024Image Credit: "Held" by Grae Salisbury, 2023, digital drawing

SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 - JANUARY 21, 2024 Curated by Guest Curator Kathryn Bridge Victoria-born and raised, Sophie Pemberton was the middle daughter, her father’s favourite, and a determined personality. Despite episodes of debilitating illnesses and family tragedies, she pursued a serious international artistic career with paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy and Paris Salon. A portraitist by training, she was also a landscape painter of great talent. Through her international connections and friendships forged at art school in England and France with the advantages of birth and position, Pemberton aimed to become a professional artist, a career not readily accomplished by a woman at this time in history. This exhibition discusses Pemberton’s life, her family and social networks, her art training and accomplishments, and the historical times in which she lived. It includes women’s suffrage, the rise of modernism, the role of post impressionism in Canada and within Sophie’s own world, and of the influence she brings to today’s world. This exhibition is generously supported by the Gallery Associates. Image Credit: Sophie Pemberton, Driveway of Groos Mansion on Newport Ave., Victoria, oil, 45.7 x 61.7 cm. Gift of George and Lola Kidd. AGGV 1995.040.001

Public Open House | The Street JUNE 10, 2023 Exhibition borrowed from the Vancouver Art Gallery. Founders, Drury, Pollard Galleries. Please join us for the Public Open House for The Street on June 10 from 10am-5pm. Free admission, all day. The urban street has been an important source of inspiration for artists since the Renaissance, and it remains one of the primary sites for the production and enactment of culture in the world today. Comprising more than 50 works from the Vancouver Art Gallery’s holdings, The Street includes painting, photography, sculpture and video ranging in date from the eighteenth century to the present. The exhibition will feature work by Canadian and international artists, including Roy Arden, Kati Campbell, Robert Capa, Allyson Clay, Robert Frank, Fred Herzog, and Ian Wallace. Exhibition runs until September 3, 2023. Image Credit: Roy Arden, Flea Market, Paris (from Fragments), 1981–85, inkjet print, Collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Gift of the Artist.

Curated by Charles Campbell, Michelle Jacques & Denise Ryner While Black: a forum for speculation on what the gallery can’t hold is a multi-year series of forums, talks, and public presentations developed and organized by Black curators from across Canada in conversation with artists to consider both the limits and possibilities of the relationship between contemporary art spaces in Canada and Black art, artists, arts workers, and audiences. This project is a collaboration between Or Gallery, the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, and the AGGV, and is organized by Charles Campbell, Michelle Jacques and Denise Ryner in consultation with Pamela Edmonds, Alyssa Fearon, Dominique Fontaine, Sally Frater, Bushra Junaid, Crystal Mowry, Allison Yearwood.In 2021, the curators asked each artist to produce a document of their relationship to the art gallery and its systems of representation as Black artists working in Canada, including consideration of the project query what the gallery can’t hold? Through multimodal and multimedia responses, these ten artists offered questions, imperatives, proposals and insight into their own experiences within contemporary art institutions. Since While Black was intended to initiate conversation and exchange between artists, curators and audiences, space to talk, respond and introduce new questions and ideas into the project is an important element within the presentation space. Artists in the iteration at the AGGV present questions, imperatives, narratives, and proposals to initiate exchange on the space for Black art in public culture with local respondents, collaborating curators and gallery visitors. As well as three exhibitions of these projects at Or Gallery (Vancouver), Confederation Centre Art Gallery (Charlottetown), and now the AGGV, While Black has also included two discursive gatherings in Montreal and Saskatoon.Artists include: Lucie Chan (Vancouver, BC), Karma Clarke-Davis (Toronto, ON/Berlin, Germany), Kemi Craig (Victoria, BC), Spatial Esk (Toronto, ON), Stanley Février (Montréal, QC), Iyunade Judah (Winnipeg, MB), Anna Jane McIntyre (Montreal, QC), Chukwudubem Ukaigwe (Winnipeg, MB), Jan Wade (Vancouver, BC), Valérie D. Walker (Vancouver, BC). Exhibition runs April 29, 2023 - October 22, 2023Image Credit: Iyunade Judah, Bond, 2019, digital print

APRIL 1, 2023 - OCTOBER 29, 2023 Curated by Jaimie Isaac, Chief Curator, and Mel Granley, Guest Curator Fascinations with the mushroom form and functions have shaped creative imaginations and scientific ideas for generations. Symbiosis gathers interdisciplinary contemporary artists located in British Columbia, across Canada and internationally who have produced work that explore forest ecologies and musings about mushrooms. The symbiotic relationships between fungia and boreal realms have co-dependent networks that are essential to the health and vitality of ecosystems. These interconnected relationships have inspired artists and researchers to delve into these micro and macro worlds to consider teachings from the land, medicines, and survival. Scientific and artistic curiosities of the natural world offer inquiries and explorations in Symbiosis. Image Credit: Rick Leong, Nature Morte (2014), oil. Purchased with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Grants program and the George and Lola Kidd BC Art Acquisitions Fund. AGGV 2015.011.001.

artful: 55+ Art Social B (adult workshop) Wednesday, March 1, 2023 | 10:00am to 12:00pm Free with AGGV Admission | Free for members with April Caverhill @ the AGGV Studio Bring your art projects and create in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Enjoy the social aspects of making art together in our cozy studio. Our instructor April will be on hand to provide guidance. Pre-registration required: https://shop.aggv.ca/collections/studio-classes/products/artful-art-social-b-winter-2023-adult-workshop-in-person

The Gallery Associates are pleased to present the 2023 Sunday Art Lecture Series featuring Dr. Katherine Young’s richly illustrated overview of youth and old age in South Asia, East Asia, and the West. The series portrays age as perceived through different cultural values, symbols, and archetypes. Join us for the first installment of As if Autumn Leaves: Age in Asian and Western Art.Examining the paradox that the Buddha poignantly describes himself at 80 yet Buddhist art always images him as eternally young, this lecture explores how South Asian art features youth. In addition, Dr. Young addresses how new portraiture styles and photography reverse the erasure of old age in traditional visual arts.Image credit: Ogata Kenzan “Autumn Ivy” Japan MET