There’s a new exhibit at the Hope Arts Gallery this time featuring three local artists — Moira Stewart, Gisela Good, and Marion Baker — who’ve put together a show focusing on the journey that life brings.
Once again taking place in the gallery’s Backroom, the exhibition Life is A-May-zing! explores the many paths and journeys that life can offer. Available to view from May 1 to May 28, patrons will get to enjoy a variety of paper crafts and paintings that offer glimpses into the moments that have shaped the artists’ lives.
“Hope has become part of the canvas of each of our lives and we hope you enjoy the experience of our combined creative endeavours as we share this part of our journeys with you,” Good said. “There will always be a reason why you meet people. Either you need them to change your life, or you’re the one that will change theirs.”
All three artists arrived in Hope in the last eight years and eventually found their way into the town’s art community. Through exploring art, the women said they found each other — all feeling “a pull to move to a less chaotic, less expensive, and more inspiring locale,” — and connected as fellow artists and friends.
All three women bring something unique to the exhibition. Stewart is an artist whose portfolio consists of photography, doodling, pottery, and painting. Her love for the outdoors, and for wildlife, has inspired her artistically. It has also encouraged her to join outdoor and wildlife groups in Hope such as the Black Bear committee.
Meanwhile, Baker’s artistic journey began when she first discovered the Art Machine and started exploring all the classes that it offered. Baker eventually found herself connecting with the paper craft class and, since then, has found herself glued to the medium. She is particularly fond of making cards and likes to approach the craft with a “unique multi-media style” that makes use of buttons, feathers, sparkles, and whatever scrap material she has on hand. Like Stewart, Baker is also a fan of the outdoors and incorporates elements of it into her day to day life. When not making paper works, she works as a full-time therapist at Ravenstone Counselling.
Good is also an artist who enjoys doodling, pottery, painting, and photography. Since childhood, Good has been producing a number of original creations both from her imagination and nature. Her passion for photography also started at a young age when she was gifted a Kodak Box camera. She was later introduced to the basic principles of photography which led into a lifelong career involving studios, darkrooms, black and white film, film and hand developing, and digital photography. While Good has kept up with photography her entire life, she got back into painting and started pottery when she moved to Hope.
After opening day, the exhibition will be available to see Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is staffed by volunteers of the gallery. Admission is free and everyone is encouraged to visit.
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