Less is More: Japanese Zen Paintings of the Edo Period (1615 – 1868)

Curated by Barry Till. Zen is a meditative school of the Buddhist religion. The fundamental concept of Zen is said to have been brought to China from India by the Indian monk Bodhidharma (Daruma in Japanese) in the 6th century. The primary aim of Zen Buddhism is personal enlightenment which, according to Daruma, cannot be…

LAB 6.0: High Early, Gary Pearson

Kelowna-based artist Gary Pearson explores the artwork of Maxwell Bates in this multimedia LAB project. Pearson examines Bates’ fascination for the living theatre of social life. Pearson’s project revisits two of Bates’ works to develop a creative dialogue and an environment that examines the idea of entertainment. Pearson states, “The silence and stasis of paintings,…

Maxwell Bates

At the Crossroads of Expressionism

Presented by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Volunteer Committee

Artist, architect, and writer Maxwell Bates (1906 to 1980) is a pivotal figure in the history and evolution of Canadian art. We are particularly pleased to be exhibiting his work at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Bates’ tremendous impact on the art scene here from…

ItuKiag?tta!

Inuit Sculpture from the Collection of the TD Bank Financial Group

ItuKiag?tta! is an expression that means “How it amazes us!” in the Labrador Inuktitut dialect. This exhibition features some of the finest sculptures from the TD Bank Financial Group’s (TDBFG) Inuit art collection, representing an early, vital period in the development of Inuit art. Throughout its history the TDBFG has been a generous patron of…

Abraham Anghik Ruben

The Gallery is pairing our presentation of ItuKiag?tta! with a small selection of contemporary Inuit sculpture by Abraham Anghik Ruben. This prolific artist was born in 1951 near Paulatuk in the Western Arctic. He lives and works on Salt Spring Island. During his studies at the University of Alaska’s Native Art Center in Fairbanks in…

Art In Bloom Floral Exhibition

Literally art in bloom, this fantastical exhibition is one of the many events involved with Art In Bloom; the Gallery’s 7th biennial fundraiser taking place from March 21 to 25.

Witness 25 works from the Gallery’s permanent art collection brought to life by a diverse group of floral stylists, designers, architects and even chefs. These talented…

LAB 5.5: Improvisation Space, Alisdair MacRae

Drawing on his background in improvisational jazz and dance, New York based artist Alisdair MacRae will create an interactive improvisation space in The LAB. The project uses viewer-activated sculpture to explore the improvisational qualities of seemingly rigid technologies. MacRae is influenced by the sculptures of Mowry Baden and Roland Brener which often include elements of…

Full Space

Modern Art from the Firestone Collection

The Firestone Collection of Canadian Art is a significant art collection that spans the modern period (1900 – 1980). Collectors O.J. and Isobel Firestone originally established the collection in the early 1950s, when they began acquiring sketches and drawings done by A.Y. Jackson and other members of the Group of Seven. Over time, the Firestones…

Body & Soul

Chinese Figure Painting of the 20th Century

Brian S. McElney, an important Gallery supporter from Bath, England, has donated over 350, twentieth century Chinese paintings to the Gallery over the past decade. Previously this collection has been featured in exhibitions at the Gallery entitled Romantic Landscapes and Birds, Beasts, Blossoms and Bugs. This exhibition features a sizeable number of paintings dealing with…