I have been volunteering weekly with the Esplanade since this past October 2021, specifically at its offsite public gallery, TREX Space located on Third Street in downtown Medicine Hat.
One of the projects I have been working on is creating a database with a list of all the Alberta artists whose work has been featured in solo or group exhibitions with the program that funds TREX Space; the Alberta Foundation for the Arts’ Travelling Exhibition program (TREX).
It makes me excited that this list includes the names of many Medicine Hat-based artists such as Jenn Demke-Lange, Jessica Plattner, Elizabeth Burritt, Wendy Struck and Annette ten Cate to name a few! I love being able to sort through the brochures, exhibition catalogues and online archives while I investigate each of these artists and their work.
Another lovely perk of volunteering at TREX Space is getting to see and hear from a broad array of local artists who come in to organize their pieces for exhibitions. I love hearing them talk about their art, other artists they are interested in, or classes they have been taking.
The list of artists I am compiling now begins with exhibitions that launched in 2021 and goes all the way back to the TREX program’s inception in the 1980s. I feel lucky I’ll be working here for a good amount of time, learning more and more about the talented artists we have here in the Hat and further afield across Alberta.
The current exhibition on display at TREX Space is Life to Paper, Paper to Life by the local Strathcona Art Clubs. It features works by 23 of their member artists. It will be on display until March 30 so be sure to come by, say hi, and add a little art to your day.
TREX Space is located at 2-516 Third St. SE, and is open noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Karen Ginther is a TREX Space volunteer
