Local artists, potters celebrate Canada with display at Esplanade
Medicine Hat artists and potters are keeping the local celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday going at the Esplanade.
The Hat Art Club and Medicine Hat Potters Association: Biennial Exhibition opens next weekend and runs until Sept. 2.
More than 70 artists and artisans of the two clubs have created pieces that honour and celebrate Canada.
“We ran with it, it was fun to see what people came up with,” said Dixie Baker, who is in charge of arranging shows for the potters’ club, about being approached by Esplanade director/curator of art Joanne Marion. “It’s all different and varied, people from beginner to advanced.”
Baker said there are plenty of maple leafs in the close to 50 works from the club. Other hallmarks of Canadiana such as the beaver and the Canada goose also appear on the vases, jars, plates and vessels of varying sizes that were contributed by 21 club members.
From the Hat Art Club acrylics, oil paintings, watercolours, pastels, pencil crayon drawings and computer-generated works are among the 69 paintings from 50 artists that are part of the exhibition. Alberta scenes, prairie scenes, flowers, Canadian gray jays, mountain views, Jasper Avenue and Red Rock Coulee are all included.
“A lot of scenery mainly,” said show and sales co-ordinator Pat Barbier of the collection of pieces from the Hat Art Club. “A lot of Canadian nature.”
A public reception with the artists beginning at 7 p.m. will be held July 14 in conjunction with the Downtown Art Walk. There will be free admission, a cash bar, refreshments and music by David Humphrey.