Portrait of the artists
Display at museum intended to introduce work of local people
An 80-foot hallway in the Museum of Industry has a fresh collection of art this week.
The art pieces are the work of established and emergent artists who are part of the Art at Large Collective of Pictou County.
From charcoal drawings to hand-carved wooden faces the wall is brightened with a variety of visual artworks.
This is the second installation that the group has featured at the museum in Stellarton. The goal is that the artwork will be rotated every three months to allow a variety to be displayed.
Carolyn Bedford said the goal is to introduce the work to residents of Pictou County.
“Often they don’t realize they have so many artists in the area. This way they can come up and they learn about the artist.”
Bios of the artists will be included on site as well as contact information should anyone want to buy one.
Bedford said most of the galleries in town are usually packed and this is a great way for artists to get their work seen by people who might not otherwise view it.
While the Art at Large is putting out a call for artists who might be interested in showcasing their art for the next period, Bedford said if it’s anything like the response they’ve had for the first two, there won’t be a problem finding willing artists.
“I’m sure we could have filled another wall up,” she said.
In addition to introducing new artists to residents of Pictou County, Bedford hopes it’s also a chance for the artists themselves to get to know each other and perhaps open the doors to group projects. For instance she and another artist, Todd Vassallo, worked together on a sculpture beside Glasgow Square which features a car cut in half.
For that particular project she learned from Vassallo how to weld and points to that as an example of how artists can learn from each other rather than working in isolation all the time.
Another reason Bedford believes the Art at Large collections are good is because they expose youth who visit the museum to artwork at a young age.
“This is important to artists. We want to know there are some collectors coming up that will learn to appreciate art and know art.”
Director of the Museum of Industry Debra McNabb said staff there are happy to be able to have the art displayed.
“We are very excited to be able to promote Pictou County culture. We have heritage things here, but we also wanted to support culture and particularly the local community. What’s great about this is it provides a showcase for artists.”
The exhibit is free for the public to look at and admire.
For those who would like to learn more about the exhibit or how they can showcase their art, they can email artatlargecollective@gmail.com or carolynbedford10@gmail.com
“We are very excited to be able to promote Pictou County culture. We have heritage things here, but we also wanted to support culture and particularly the local community.”
Debra McNabb, Museum of Industry