Opening night of the newest group exhibition at qathet Art Centre (qAC), titled Artivism: Art of Advocacy, drew crowds of patrons to the gallery above Powell River Public Library on Monday, April 22.
The term “committing art” used in the exhibition’s description of the artworks on display, "presupposes artworks that are decidedly socially charged, which is often expressed in more radical forms of immediate political action," according to discoveringart.eu.
The 50 works of art around the gallery ranged from oil paintings and sculptures to fabric designs, all of which explore the, "art of activism and all that motivates the expression of the artist as the change agent," according to a qAC statement.
The space was crowded with folks meandering, taking in the words and visual displays meant to provoke thought and, possibly, make them uncomfortable.
qathet Art Council member Karen Kamon suggested patrons take their time to view and absorb the works and their messages, even if the art provokes strong reactions. Politics often create division and knee-jerk reactions, but this exercise at qAC encouraged people to breathe, think and leave presumptions and judgments at the door.
"Art transcends language barriers and reaches audiences through its emotive resonance,” qAC's description of the exhibition stated. “Whether it is expressed in visual mediums such as paintings and sculptures, or auditory forms such as music and spoken word, art has the ability to provoke new thought, deep feeling, powerful dialogue and inspired action.”
Artists had a chance to describe their work and motivation for creating it to an eager audience. Many have exhibited before, including Ursula Medley, Luke Ramsey, Lisa Hua and Autumn Skye. However, many of the works were by first-time exhibitors, such as community planner and activist Lisa Moffatt.
Kamon introduced the exhibition and mentioned a few updates about qAC.
"Angie Davey has been elected as president of the qathet Arts Council," said Kamon, adding that qAC is planning to create an art supply exchange in order to address the increase in price for new art supplies.
The Artivism exhibition will be available for viewing until June 12, when the closing celebration will take place.
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