The Salmon Arm Art Gallery will be transitioning into fall with a focus on fungi.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, the gallery hosts an evening reception for its next exhibition, Fantastic Fungi, featuring 11 artists and a large-scale community collaboration that highlights the many species of mushrooms found in Secwépemc territory.
Featured artists are Leilani Ambrose, Twyla Exner, Lisa Figueroa, Sarah Hope, Susie Kathol, Manuela Koller, Mitch Milgram, Shay Paul, Patricia Purdaby, Valerie Rogers, Judy Sims, and a community collaborative project featuring 25 local artists who each selected one species of fungi to highlight.
“The complex and fascinating world of fungi has come into the light over the past few years as science has revealed more of the intricacies and amazing properties of these beings,” reads a media release from Salmon Arm Arts Centre and gallery curator Tracey Kutschker. “Having inspired a wave of inventive new uses, including textiles, decomposers, medicines and plant-based meat alternatives, fungi also represent a vast network of communication between non-humans.
“In this era of climate crisis, fungi inspire us to find more sustainable ecological systems that recognize and maintain this network. The humble mushroom is experiencing a renaissance, and the artists in this exhibition are exploring this incredible family.”
The Arts Centre is hosting a by-donation mushroom ID session with local fungi expert Mitch Milgram from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Milgram will have a wide variety of mushroom samples found in the region, giving attendees a hands-on opportunity to learn identification methods.
The Coffee Break and Artist Talk takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.
“Enjoy locally roasted coffee and fresh baked cookies while we hear from the exhibiting artists about their fungi adventures and artwork,” reads the media release.
Sponsored by Salmon Arm’s 4AG Robotics, the inventors of the world’s first mushroom-picking robot, the exhibition will feature a short video highlighting their work.
The evening reception runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the gallery, and the exhibition runs to Nov. 9, 2024. Admission is by donation and hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.