Niagara virtual gallery gearing up for artists
Ctrl V finds alternative to bricks and mortar
There’s a new art gallery in Niagara, with sweeping, naturally lit corridors, wings on paintings and illustrations, and floors of creativity on display.
Before anyone boots up their internet browser to start looking for an address, however, it should be noted this space is far from physical. In fact, it is entirely digital.
The gallery, Artists of Niagara, is a virtual reality art museum of sorts, one that is set to open Nov. 10 at Ctrl V in St. Catharines.
“We were going to do an art show elsewhere, like a physical art show,” said Adam Dellow, a member of the Artists of Niagara Facebook group.
The Welland game designer and digital artist has been a member of the group for five years. He explained how the group of visual artists were eyeing the idea of an art show somewhere in Niagara earlier this year. That plan never became a reality for lack of a place to showcase their works.
So, in true DIY fashion, Dellow stepped up to create a gallery for the group. But, rather than acquiring land, filing building permits and hiring tradesmen, he put his own skills to work, creating a virtual gallery, a digital space for the artists.
He’s been working on his virtual gallery since early July. In August he put out a call to the group’s artists with 23 submitting roughly five pieces each. The artists range from established to fledgling, with names such as Geoff Farnsworth, George George and Tracey Greening.
“We got a huge response,” said Dellow, noting mediums range from oil to watercolour to mixed media and photography.
Beyond that it was a chance for him to showcase his own work in crafting the virtual space with the Unreal Engine.
“It gives me an opportunity to really showcase my work,” said Dellow, who did admit the virtual space won’t have the smells and
textures that come with viewing traditional artistic mediums such as oils up close.
“You’ll never find a replacement for that,” he said, adding, “this is a good substitute.”
While that aspect might be lacking, he said the digital space brings its own advantages. There isn’t a cost for artists to display, nor the logistical issues of transporting works and having them tied up in a gallery.
“It allows artists a platform where they don’t have to get out,” he said, .
The gallery will be metaphorically open to the public on Nov. 10 at Ctrl V on Hartzel Road from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. thanks to a sponsorship from the virtualreality business. Guests will have the chance to don a VR headset and walk the corridors of the virtual gallery, taking in the works as they would at a museum.
“It looks awesome,” said Ctrl V co-owner Charmine Essex, adding the choice to sponsor the show was an easy one to make.
“We’re all about supporting our community,” she said.
For people with their own VR setups at home, Dellow is working on a free release in early December for the HTC Vibe, Oculus Go and mobile platforms.
“When people buy their new VR headset I want them to have something to install on there that’s local,” said Dellow.