Drahos exhibit opens at new Kentville art gallery
Hardware Gallery’s second exhibit this season, entitled My North American Home, features the work of celebrated Wolfville artist and arts educator, Terry Drahos.
It runs to May 30 and will present her body of work that was inspired by architecture.
Drahos uses bold colours and shapes reminiscent of both rural and urban constructions rendered into abstraction.
Drahos is passionately engaged with the practice of painting. Her use of colour is sophisticated — rich darks and somber, murky hues act as foils to bold primaries and other luminous colours.
My North American Home explores the question, ‘Where are you from?’ Drahos presents the work via her personal history, chronicling each house she has lived in from birth to the present day.
“Terry is a talented and accomplished local artist and we are extremely pleased to have her work at Hardware Gallery this season,” says gallery director, Sasha Nelson.
“In addition, her work in art education and introducing art to young people is completely consistent with and supportive of Hardware Gallery’s objectives.”
An opening event will be held May 3 at the gallery.
Hardware Gallery is the brainchild of Nelson, who holds a Masters degree in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo, a degree in painting from NSCAD, and is, in addition, a Red Seal carpenter. Nelson saw a need in Kentville to offer a public creative space.
In addition to monthly rotating exhibits, the gallery will host workshops and talks, as well as offer an art rental program.
“We’re hoping that we can create a space and a general atmos- phere that will inspire people to engage more in the arts.
The gallery is open to all media, traditional or otherwise. There will always be a space for what comes out as people become more engaged.”
Hardware Gallery will be presenting its first workshop, YogaArt, for middle school girls to experience both yoga and drawing.
This after school workshop, in partnership with the Town of Kentville, starts May 10. It will be taught by Nelson and his wife, Beth Ross.
The gallery opened recently with a group exhibit by local artists: Shasta Grant, of the Kentville area, and Simone Labuschagne, of Wolfville.
Hardware Gallery is run by the Kentville Art Gallery Society (KAGS). Established in 2017, KAGS is a nonprofit society with the mission to offer cultural experiences in downtown Kentville and provide exposure to contemporary and historical aesthetic practices.