February 9th – March 9th
John Down
Of Line and Landscapes
Reception + Artist Talk: Friday, February 9th at 5pm
As rainforests of the West Coast become increasingly threatened, Of Line and Landscape documents the intimate conversation between the artist and the surrounding natural landscape. John Down’s studio sits high atop a granite outcrop looking into the forest where he interprets and expresses the energetic company of forest, rocks, trees and sky in acrylic, charcoal and pastel.
In celebration of Black History Month, Distant Shores New Horizons tells of the artist’s journey from Africa to England to the prairies of Canada, ending with her settling on Canada’s west coast. Told through landscapes and seascapes, Ezmina Samaroo’s exhibition illustrates what it is like to leave behind all that is familiar to arrive at distant shores. The movement of peoples is a complex story, shared by immigrants, refugees and enslaved peoples of the world. Through Samaroo’s lens, it is a story not of despair and fear, but of courage, resolve and determination. An exhibition in Joe’s Lounge.
Meet the artist Ezmina Samaroo on Saturday Feb 3rd, 2pm – 4pm. Samaroo’s exhibition Distant Shores New Horizons tells of the artist’s journey from Africa to England to the prairies of Canada, ending with her settling on Canada’s west coast. An exhibition in celebration of Black History Month, located in Joe’s Lounge.
Born in Mombasa, Kenya with ancestral roots in India, Ezmina Samaroo spent many years in London, UK before finding her new home in Canada. Her artwork is inspired by the colors, sights, smells, sounds, and feelings of the changing landscapes and countries around her. Samaroo works primarily in oils whilst exploring a variety of other mediums. Her aim is to highlight the essence of the world as she sees it, through simplicity with a focus on shape, line and form.
January 5 – February 3, 2024
Reception: Friday, January 5th (5-7PM)
The Friends of the Gallery (FOG) is our annual celebration of the creativity of our membership. This exhibition launches our new year, and features the work of members of the Sunshine Coast Arts Council. The exhibition is a long-standing community event that has spanned more than 25 years. Its aim is to involve the broadest range of local artists, to acknowledge the role of the arts in our community, and to celebrate the extraordinary diversity in materials, forms and approach. Artists are invited to submit one piece of art they have completed in the previous year to be shown in this group exhibition.
Our popular annual exhibition Present Tense features the creative work of GPAG members in all mediums.
Present Tense is a celebration of the creativity of our members, as well as a fundraiser for local artists and for GPAG. Members have been invited to submit one original piece for this show in the Main Gallery and up to four pieces of tiny art in Joe’s Lounge (formerly the library lounge). This exhibition includes paintings, photographs, drawings, prints, sculpture, fibre arts, wood work, and much more! Join us on Saturday, Dec 2nd, 12pm – 2pm for the opening reception.
November 24 – December 22, 2023
Banner Project: “Fantastical Foods”
The Banner Project brings together elementary schools across the Sunshine Coast to make work under one theme. Each year young artists develop their ideas for the banners in the classroom, and 20 final designs are selected to be hand-painted onto banners by artists, parents, students, and volunteers. Each year’s exhibition includes around 300+ submissions from across the Coast. This wonderful, intergenerational art-making project has been in place since 1994. The banners are installed in Sechelt’s Civic Square for all to enjoy.
This year we invite you to help select banner designs!
Ask for voting dots at the front desk: each person gets 3!
Please join us for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Members’ Appreciation Night, Monday, November 13th at 5:30pm. After the AGM, we’ll raise a glass to all our members and enjoy refreshments and canapés, plus a preview of our 2024 exhibitions. Not a GPAG member? Need to renew? You can join/renew online, or simply sign up that evening.
November 24 – December 22, 2023
Cath Hughes
Re-Wildings
Reception + Artist Talk: Friday, November 24th at 5pm
Re-Wildings is an exhibition of work by Cath Hughes developed in response to issues of climate change, and a questioning as to what this term might mean, both for civilization, and for us as individuals. How can we ‘re-wild’ ourselves and our planet, to find fecundity of our imaginations, our hearts, and our habitats?
Check website for hours. A Co-operative Gallery consisting of 30 members with a very wide selection of local original art, fine craft, handmade and art cards for every taste and budget. Safety protocols observed. We run a guest artist program or, if you would like to become a member artist, applications are always welcome.
In this body of work the artists explore the force of gravity artistically. This mixed media presentation aims to engage viewers visually and physically in the experience. These works are imaginative representations, however each of the works was made using gravitational force directly and some can be activated by it.
The works are informed by abstract expressionism, spin, and fluid art. An interest in art and science brought these artists together, sharing a curiosity about the visible and invisible world around us.
September 8 – October 7, 2023
Opening Reception + Artist Talk: Friday, September 8th at 5pm
Embodying a deep connection to place and community, Jordan’s photography displays a passion for storytelling and a technical eye for capturing moments of beauty in the everyday. Jordan Louie was born and raised on the Sunshine Coast. Having worked in natural resources for the Sechelt Indian Band, this gave him an opportunity to go to school at NVIT in Merritt for Natural Resources. Jordan is now the General Manager for Tsain-Ko Forestry LP. We are honoured to work with the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, and with Jordan, to showcase his work. ?ul nu msh chalap (thank you everyone)
Allyson Clay: Flow
Opening Reception + Artist Talk: Thursday October 12th at 5pm
This exhibition includes a selection of work made through the last 40 years that expresses the breadth of Allyson Clay’s practice. From paintings, photographs, video, and print based works, her work has remained committed to making relationships between images and texts. This small survey shares how this thread is sewn into her work across the years. She is attentive to text as representing a personal voice, in counterpoint to, and as an extension of, the image. Her rule is to not use text as a caption, but as an extension of the possibilities of the image and the total artwork.
David Evanson rescues old growth trees abandoned on our local beaches and reveals their unique inner beauty. Abstract free form carvings from old growth cedar, alder, and douglas fir encourage us to examine the consumption of our old growth forests in our current industrial logging model. This exhibition serves as a reminder of the importance of the natural world, and our too-often tenuous connection to its vital nourishment.
Join us for a musical interlude at GPAG with local band, Pulling Strings. Free and open to all.
Jennifer Love is a Gibsons artist and teacher who creates abstract paintings using collaged hand-painted and printed papers. While she uses a myriad of different techniques to create them, she has become more and more enthralled with the possibilities inherent in monoprinting with a gel plate. Jennifer will demonstrate some basic techniques for printing the luscious layers that are so unique to the gel plate, using stencils and masks, stamps and a plethora of found and homemade tools. Be prepared to be surprised and inspired. Free and open to all.
Enjoy hot dogs with Semir in the GPAG lot all weekend!
Join us for a musical interlude at GPAG with local musician, Jim Taylor. Free and open to all.
Please join us to celebrate our 20th Anniversary with a toast to artists, members, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters. With bubbles (sparkling wine or non-alcoholic options) and cake! Free and open to all, no RSVP required.
