Mixed-style gallery opening
Photo: Casey Richardson
Lakeline Gallery is set to open May 1
A new Penticton art gallery will open at the end of the month, featuring work from artists across Canada.
Izaak Macphail is opening the Lakeline Gallery along Martin Street next month, set to be a showcase for high-class, modern work and street work, canvases and graffiti murals.
Currently, he has a waitlist of 25 artists wanting to showcase their work, with eight artists with signed contracts from Calgary, Toronto, Kelowna, Penticton and Osoyoos.
“I grew up in Vernon in an art community where all of my friends were professional graffiti artists, and I was an artist as I was growing up. I did lots of sketches and stuff, but I just like the vibe that the art brings,” Macphail said.
“There will be photographers here, and there will also be pottery, and there will be metal sculptures.”
The gallery will be split into two experiences, a downstairs featuring graffiti and street art, with art ranging from $50 up to $1,000 for local artists to sell their canvases and paintings in a “more urban setting.”
“Just a space where everyone can feel welcome, no matter what their art is they do.”
Then the upstairs aims to be a “clean, curated gallery designed to highlight premium artwork,” geared towards collectors, businesses, and buyers to connect.
Macphail said he’s hoping to create a gallery that is comfortable, open and similar to ones he has loved in Vancouver.
The gallery, which will be located at 516 Martin Street, was previously a tattoo shop.
“It’s right across the street from the soup kitchen, and I heard that they are closing down, so that’ll be good for business as well,” Macphail said.
“Nothing against them. I just think there’s always [people] out on the street right there. So, I mean, it could have scared off a lot of people coming in to view it.”
Penticton’s Soup Kitchen was served with an eviction notice earlier this year, facing a May deadline to move.
The Lakeline Gallery’s opening day is set for May 1, with an all-day event planned with food trucks. More details on the gallery’s hours and days will be released at a later time.