DISCLAIMER – the events and links herein are not maintained by the Nelson and District Arts Council, and we do not guarantee accuracy of the information they contain.
Residency Dates: August 19 – September 5
Opening Reception: Friday September 6 | 6:30pm (before Art Walk Gala)
Artist Talk: Saturday September 7 | 4:00pm
Closing Dinner: Friday September 27th | 5:30pm (Blue Night)
Exhibition Dates: September 6 – 28, Wednesday-Saturday 1-5pm
Oxygen Art Centre is pleased to host resident artists prOphecy sun and Darren Fleet for the creation of Nostalgic Geography: Mama and Papa have Trains, Orchards and Mountains in their Backyard, a multi-channel AV installation exploring the history and geography of Harrop-Procter. prOphecy sun and Darren Fleet have been working collaboratively since 2009 and currently live in Nelson BC with their two children. Their shared work includes writing, curation, visual art, music and sound compositions. In their latest project to be presented at Oxygen Art Centre, they will focus on a series of fictional aerial vignettes and sound environments created with drone and smartphone technologies. This exhibition is a meditation on the relational networks of technology, economy, landscape and memory that have shifted the geography of Harrop-Procter, prOphecy sun’s parental residence.
sun and Fleet will be in residence at Oxygen from August 19th through September 5th 2019. There will be a reception for the artists on Friday September 6 at 6:00pm, before the Nelson Art Walk Gala at Hall Street Plaza. An artist talk with both artists present will take place on Saturday September 7th at 4pm. The exhibition will run from September 6 through 28th, with a closing dinner open to the public on September 27th at 5:30pm at Oxygen Art Centre, where they will prepare a meal using food harvested from their family’s farm in Harrop-Procter. During the exhibition, Oxygen Art Centre will be open to the public Wednesday – Saturday 1pm-5pm. Admission is free or by donation, and Oxygen is located at 320 Vernon street (alley entrance behind Hipperson’s Hardware).
Harrop-Procter is a rural community surrounded by historical fruit orchards, mountainous meadows and a train rail line that hugs the lakeside and rides from west to east daily. Where once paddleboats used to navigate the lake, now cars, trucks and fibre optic cables connect us together. “Yet, these historical relations remain, shaping our imaginaries with deep grooves in the senses of the land,” says sun. On the hillsides in and around Sunshine Bay, neatly parceled residential lots now cut through what was once a thriving fruit producing region. The aged trees, many of them grey, gnarled, and half broken, are buried up to their branches in tall grass, yet continue to produce apples. In Nostalgic Geography: Mama and Papa have Trains, Orchards and Mountains in their Backyard artists prOphecy sun and Darren Fleet use AV technology to reveal the complex social and economic relations that have shaped the historical orchards and surrounding landscape. An ambient soundscore composed of field recordings taken in-situ will accompany the moving imagery, amplified throughout the gallery.
ABOUT prOphecy sun & Darren Fleet
prOphecy sun is an interdisciplinary performance artist, feminist, movement, video and sound maker, mother and PhD Candidate at the School of Interactive Arts + Technology at Simon Fraser University. She holds a BFA and MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Her practice celebrates both conscious and unconscious moments, and the vulnerable spaces of the in-between in which art and life overlap. She performs and exhibits regularly in local, national and international settings, festivals, conferences and galleries. She is also the recipient of the Governor Generals Award and the Lakehead Jurors Prize and has authored several peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and journal publications.
Darren Fleet is an ex-poet from Aldergrove, schooled in the Fukovian theory of aesthetics. He is also a writer, journalist, photographer and PhD candidate and instructor at the SFU School of Communication. His interests include consumer culture, environmental discourse and the cultural politics of fossil fuels. He holds an MA in Journalism from UBC and was part of the editorial team at Adbusters magazine that launched the #occupywallstreet meme into the world. His work has been featured in numerous publications and forums including: Vice, Public, Journalists for Human Rights, UTNE Reader, Al-Jazeera, The National Observer, The Tyee, The Globe & Mail, and at the Istanbul Biennial of Art.
ABOUT Oxygen Art Centre
Based in Nelson BC, Oxygen Art Centre is a rural artist-run centre that provides space and programming for artists and the public to engage in the creation, study, exhibition and performance of contemporary art in all disciplines. Oxygen Art Centre is particularly interested in work with regional relevance, interdisciplinary work and work that engages audiences in participatory processes. Oxygen’s Exhibition and Residency Program supports process-based projects that encourage experimentation and push conventional practice. Founded in 2002, Oxygen is an integral and long-standing cultural hub for artists of all disciplines and professional levels in the West Kootenays and beyond.
Opening Reception: https://www.facebook.com/events/1352046361609940/
Artist Talk: https://www.facebook.com/events/340392843560483/
Oxygen Community Open Studio – Drawn to Life
3 sessions: Sept. 30, Oct. 20, Nov. 17
Sundays 11 am – 4 pm
FREE
Course Description:
Oxygen is pleased to present an all-ages three-part series of collaborative drawing workshops in connection with the world-wide event known as The Big Draw, facilitated by artist and educator Anita Levesque. The Big Draw theme for 2019 is #DrawnToLife and explores the healing and unifying impact of mark making and drawing. These family friendly drop-in workshops will run from 11-4 on three Sundays through the fall: September 29th, October 20th and November 17th. Each event is free or by donation and open to all, whatever age or experience.
Moving into Abstraction with Natasha Smith
4 classes: October 1, 8, 15, 22
Tuesdays 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Course Description:
Through a series of projects, students will explore various techniques and alternative ways to develop ideas and image that will encourage a more abstract way of working. Using various media students will investigate mark-making, texture, line, shape, colour and composition and challenge their current methodology of image creation in this process focused course. Appropriate for students of all levels.
Course Fee: $150.00 Material Fee: $20.00
TOTAL FEE: $170.00
Idealand: Inspiring your imagination with perception games, facilitated by Kelly Shpeley
3 Classes: Oct. 2, 21, 28
Monday 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Course Description:
Idealand is a series of exercises and perception games to help generate new ideas and ways of approaching your artistic practice. These techniques may be applied to any art form. This is a space for you to jumpstart your imagination.
Course Fee: $110.00 Material Fee: $30.00
TOTAL FEE: $140.00
Liminal Life Writing with Rayya Liebich
5 classes: October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Wednesdays 6 – 8 pm
Course Description:
Fuel for creativity and healing can be found by revisiting the liminal periods in our lives such as birth, grief and separation. Discover how to transform your life stories into powerful prose using literary genres such as micro memoir, creative non-fiction, and letter writing. Classes include guided prompts, peer feedback, and take home tools.
Bring your courage and pen. All skill levels and life experience welcome.
Course Fee: $135.00 Material Fee: $5.00
TOTAL FEE: $140.00
The Artist’s Journey with Susan Andrews Grace
4 classes: Oct. 4, 11, Nov. 15, 29,
Fridays 1 – 3:30 pm
Course Description:
The Artist’s Journey is a cross-discipline seminar that invites artists and writers to examine their creative process. Every creative person carries a map in their heart but sometimes forgets how to read it. The Artist’s Journey by Steven Pressfield will be our text. This is for those who have just begun the journey as well as those who’ve been trudging for a while but especially for those who are ready to throw in the towel.
Course Fee: $124.00 Material Fee: $21.00
TOTAL FEE: $145.00
Structurally Porous and Perpetually in Progress – Naomi Potter, Director/Curator, Esker Foundation – Public Talk and Workshop
Friday October 4: 7:30pm
Structurally Porous and Perpetually in Progress – Public Talk – Free
Potter will speak on the development and progress of Esker Foundation as a generous, supportive, and caring contemporary art gallery. How does one build an institution without becoming too institutional, support the local while participating in a global conversation, and above all how to bring relevance and accessibility to the diverse and complex communities. Potter will speak about developing this model, and the curatorial and engagement focus that supports it.
Workshop: October 5 & 6
Group sessions: Saturday 9am – 12 pm Sunday 1 – 4 pm
Individual sessions: TBA Saturday 1-5 Sunday 9-12
Course Description:
This workshop for artists, curators, art writers and others will hinge on both group and individual discussions about the various structures and institutions that make up the contemporary art world. With a focus on the interconnected spheres of the curator, the exhibition, the institution, and the various ways commercial can exist in an art practice, how does one navigate and participate with and through these as a professional artist, curator, cultural worker, or maker. This workshop will push participants to think critically about the value of their work across a variety of settings in cultural institutions and commercial contexts. Asking, what does it mean to be in the creative sector today?, what are the responsibilities?, and how does one make informed decisions about the direction or impact their work will make.
Meet Naomi Potter one-on-one and tap into her knowledge and discuss your interests and practice. A One-on-one studio visit or time at Oxygen with Potter is available for Group Workshop participants for an additional fee of $50.
Group Workshop and Individual Session: Course Fee: $125 (7 spaces available)
Group Workshop Only: Course Fee: $75 (5 spaces available)
Structurally Porous and Perpetually in Progress – Naomi Potter, Director/Curator, Esker Foundation – Public Talk and Workshop
Friday October 4: 7:30pm
Structurally Porous and Perpetually in Progress – Public Talk – Free
Potter will speak on the development and progress of Esker Foundation as a generous, supportive, and caring contemporary art gallery. How does one build an institution without becoming too institutional, support the local while participating in a global conversation, and above all how to bring relevance and accessibility to the diverse and complex communities. Potter will speak about developing this model, and the curatorial and engagement focus that supports it.
Workshop: October 5 & 6
Group sessions: Saturday 9am – 12 pm Sunday 1 – 4 pm
Individual sessions: TBA Saturday 1-5 Sunday 9-12
Course Description:
This workshop for artists, curators, art writers and others will hinge on both group and individual discussions about the various structures and institutions that make up the contemporary art world. With a focus on the interconnected spheres of the curator, the exhibition, the institution, and the various ways commercial can exist in an art practice, how does one navigate and participate with and through these as a professional artist, curator, cultural worker, or maker. This workshop will push participants to think critically about the value of their work across a variety of settings in cultural institutions and commercial contexts. Asking, what does it mean to be in the creative sector today?, what are the responsibilities?, and how does one make informed decisions about the direction or impact their work will make.
Meet Naomi Potter one-on-one and tap into her knowledge and discuss your interests and practice. A One-on-one studio visit or time at Oxygen with Potter is available for Group Workshop participants for an additional fee of $50.
Group Workshop and Individual Session: Course Fee: $125 (7 spaces available)
Group Workshop Only: Course Fee: $75 (5 spaces available)
Ukulele 2 with Catherine McGrath
6 Classes: Oct. 6, 20, 27 Nov. 3, 17, 24
Sundays 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Course Description:
This course is designed for people who have taken the preceding beginner class, the summer ukulele intensive, or who are able to play three-chord songs in the keys of C and G with a steady rhythm. The class will explore new keys, new chords, and more complex strumming patterns as they relate to a bunch of fun songs from a variety of genres.
Course Fee: $150.00 Material Fee: $10.00
TOTAL FEE: $160.00
Moving into Abstraction with Natasha Smith
4 classes: October 1, 8, 15, 22
Tuesdays 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Course Description:
Through a series of projects, students will explore various techniques and alternative ways to develop ideas and image that will encourage a more abstract way of working. Using various media students will investigate mark-making, texture, line, shape, colour and composition and challenge their current methodology of image creation in this process focused course. Appropriate for students of all levels.
Course Fee: $150.00 Material Fee: $20.00
TOTAL FEE: $170.00