RCA West

Organized in partnership with the Prairie Region RCA, this exhibition showcases the work of artists from Manitoba and Saskatchewan together with RCA members of the Gulf Island and Vancouver Island regions. Visitors to the AGGV are able to view the work of more than 50 distinguished RCA members.

Representatives from our own region will include Carole Sabiston, recipient of the prestigious Bronfman Award for Excellence in the Crafts in 1987; E.J. Hughes, one of Vancouver Island?s best kept artistic secrets; and Myfanwy Pavelic, the only Canadian artist to have a painting in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Other major artists included are Robert Bateman, Roland Brener, Walter Dexter, Atom Egoyan, Don Harvey, Fenwick Lansdowne, Pat Martin-Bates, Elza Mayhew and Douglas Morton.

Form & Spirit

Fifteen sculptures by each artist will comprise this exhibition. Visitors will see that both artists share an affinity for form and spirit in their intensely personal sculptures.

Schaddelee?s work is collected world-wide, his muse is the west coast, and he is the best-known for his beloved whales, dolphins, eagles and seals, as well as sculptures depicting…

Ulli Steltzer: Portraits of a Forgotten Kingdom

In a high valley, nestled against the jagged snowy peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province, lies Lijiang. Founded some 800 years ago, this ancient town is still home to approximately 245,000 Naxi people, one of the 24 recognized national minorities of the People?s Republic of China. They have a rich culture based…

The Soul of the Tiger: Chinese Amber Carvings of the Reif Collection

Amber is actually tree resin which has fossilized over millions of years. ??when a tiger dies, its soul penetrates the earth and becomes a stone. This object resembles amber and is called hu po (tiger?s soul).? Written by Li Shizhen in Bancao gangmu (16th century). Hu po is the Chinese word for amber and is…

Frances Grafton: Herd in Stone

Frances Grafton?s installation Herd in Stone is timely. The two hundred-year-old furor over the ownership of the Elgin Marbles is once again very much in the public eye in Europe.In 1996, Grafton visited the British Museum to view the Elgin Marbles. Like many people, she experienced wonder that these works have been preserved, while at…

Lines of Inquiry: British Prints from the David Lemon Collection

David Lemon?s collection outlines the history of British printmaking from 1815 ? 1955. A highlight will be a group of outstanding prints by Samual Palmer together with prints representing the Palmer Revival in the 1920s by such artists as Paul Drury, Graham Sutherland and Robin Tanner.

Victorian printmakers are represented by Pre-Raphaelites Holman Hunt and Millais….

The Enchanted Owl: Art of the Inuit

We have a small but high-quality collection of prints, drawings and sculptures by Inuit artists. This exhibition will feature approximately 50 of our most significant pieces including Kenojuak’s famous print The Enchanted Owl. Her stunning portrayal from the spirit world was used by Canada Post for a stamp in 1970. Also included in the exhibition…

Chinese & Japanese Cloisonn

Cloisonn?, a labour-intensive craft, has been popular in Asia for centuries. The principle materials necessary to make cloisonn? are enamel, glass, metal wires and a metal form. In comparison to ancient ceramics, antique cloisonn? is relatively rare. The two main nations producing fine cloisonn? were China and Japan. Both countries have their own tastes in cloisonn? and this exhibition shows some of the contrasts. Approximately 40 pieces of Chinese and Japanese cloisonn? are on display from the AGGV collection. Two major recent donations of Chinese cloisonn? ? an incense burner and a pair of lions are featured in the exhibit.

Painterly Abstraction

The 20th century will be remembered for the development of abstract art in the Western world. Artists have pushed abstract art-making in various directions depending on temperament, fashion, materials and numerous other factors. In the paintings selected for this exhibition one finds that the artists, who include Joseph Drapell, Jack Bush and Gathie Falk, are primarily interested in the effects of paint on the canvas. In nearly all these paintings, the concern is in the lyrical or atmospheric effects of colour applied to the canvas.