2023 IN THE GALLERY

Transitions by Vivian Smith January 11th- February 25th, 2023
Vivian Smith is a 4th year AUArts student living in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). She is a multi-media artist majoring in drawing and minoring in ceramics with a background in engineering. Her current practice and research are focused on aging with an emphasis on the slow passage of time and accumulation of wisdom through major life events. She explores these concepts starting with the body and utilizing traditional materials such as paint, fibre, and ceramics.
With Transitions, she invites the viewer to contemplate the massive changes that are experienced over a lifetime, the sense of aging, and the accumulation of knowledge and insight.Vivian is the recipient of the 2022 Emerging Artist ASA scholarship and serves a dual role as Treasurer and Secretary on the Board of Directors at the artist-run centre The Bows. She has recently completed an artist residency with the AUArts Student Association Hear/d Residency program.
Even So, Karen Tamminga-Paton
March 3rd - April 22nd 2023

About the Artist
Born in Smithers, British Columbia, Karen and her 5 brothers grew up in a lively household with noisy mealtimes and parents who dared to travel with them across the country in an oversized, seatbelt-free station wagon. Cultural experiences were a-plenty. She and her family lived in various places in Canada and the U.S. Karen graduated from the University of Waterloo with a major in environmental studies and a minor in fine arts. Her interests led her to work outdoors with various environmental organizations. She learned how to walk game trails, identify bird calls and once got within 20 feet of a herd of wild elk by singing to them. Making the natural world more comprehensible to people gives her great delight, especially if moments of magic spark the willingness to invest in conserving our wild places.
While working for Alberta Parks, Karen fell in love with a ranger named Dale. He drove a pickup truck, listened to Waylon Jennings and knew where wild orchids grew. They married and settled in the Crowsnest Pass where they raised three daughters. She taught junior and senior high school art for many years. Teaching was some of the hardest and most rewarding work she has ever engaged in. She and Dale still live in the 'Pass where they are active members of this beautiful community. Besides painting in her studio, Karen wanders the back trails with her dog Bailey, and enjoys a good conversation over craft beer.
Plein Air Pure Water by Neil Kathol
May - June 2023

Artist Statement
I have been making oil paintings seriously, since the mid-eighties. At art school (AUArts, formerly ACAD) I took a lot of painting electives, my “major” being sculpture. Chris Cran introduced me to a lot of historical painting, and was (and is) a big influence. I learned and was influenced by many other teachers at then- ACAD, like Richard Halliday and Don Kottman, and by other students like Ryan Sluggett.
In 2002 our family purchased our cabin in the Porcupine Hills. I started to learn about the geography as I am an outdoors person, and to learn about the local environment through my involvement with the Livingstone Landowners Group (LLG) as a founding Director and past President. Meanwhile I have been able to visit major museums around the World and particularly in Europe to supplement my frequent reading and looking at the work of the great artists of the past, from books.

Place In Perspective by Hélène Blanchet, Alison Dean Cowitz and Kristi Farrier
July 5th - August 26th 2023
There is a story to every place and every place can tell many stories. Places are imbued with meaning, be it through personal memories, defining events, or the landscape itself.
For this exhibition three artists explore their connections to three provinces they have in common: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. Each artist considers the fundamental meaning of “place” and expresses her unique vision of that place at a particular moment in time — one that is deeply personal and reflects her understanding of that location.These textile works represent how a sense of place is impacted by personal histories and personal ways of seeing.
Viewers are invited to examine their own sense of place and perhaps look with renewed understanding at places held dear.
13 Moons by Laurel Birk
September 2nd - October 28th 2023
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Artist Statement
I create as a way to express my deep love for all that is wild in nature. This love for creating from nature has evolved into creating for personal as well as collective healing. I am immensely interested in how nature heals the human spirit. From spending long periods of time alone in nature, I have found that nature is constantly gifting us messages and has allowed me to better trust and connect with my inner wisdom and intuition. From these communions, I quiet my rational brain in order to connect with my intuitive self. I am currently creating artwork that explores the connections between women’s bodies and their
natural rhythms with the greater cycle of life and the influence of the moon.
Juried Members Exhibition
November 1st - December 23rd 2023

The Allied Arts Council of Pincher Creek is excited to present our second annual Juried Members Exhibition in the gallery during the months of November and December. Join us this year to view a collection of works by new and returning AAC members.
Join us for an opening reception after the Parade of Lights on Friday, November 17th, 2023 from 7:00 -8:30pm. Artists will be in attendance for a celebration of their work.
Thank you to the following artists for supporting the Allied Arts Council and sharing their work with us. Linda Anderson Stewart, Michelle Austen, Heidi Bengry, Eleanor Bowden, Hugo Brees, Janifer Calvez, Stephan Heimlich-Martin, Neil Kathol, Pat McInnis, Stacey McRae, Melanie Morstad, Esther Neufeld, Karen Spurrell, Stephanie Studzinski,
Karen Tamminga- Paton, Judy Trafford and Valerie Wynder.
CNP Public Art Gallery
The Allied Arts Council of Pincher Creek gratefully acknowledges our ongoing relationship with the Crowsnest Pass Public Art Gallery. You can visit the CNP Public Art Gallery at 14737-20th Avenue, Crowsnest Pass, or Highway 3, Frank, Alberta.
The Art Gallery is managed by Crowsnest Pass Allied Arts Association, a charitable, non-profit organization providing rotational monthly exhibitions of local, provincial and national art, art programs for adults and children, as well as many special events throughout the year. In the Gallery Gift Store you will find fine art and crafts from over 50 local and area artists.
Click on the link below to visit their website.