Submitted Photo
Gallery assistant Joanne Ellis places the final piece of art work by Poul Nielsen in his exhibition Light, Reconfigured.
One of my favourite exhibitions of the year is the annual School Art exhibition, which a hard-working crew is installing as I write. Open to the public for viewing on April 6, the School Art 2019 reception and awards ceremony will take place on April 21.
As always, School Art 2019 features brilliant, whimsical and playful works by more than 800 local children and youth, from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It’s an amazing outpouring of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photographs and digital animation that delights the senses. This annual explosion takes a lot of energy to create. It starts with the students of course, but includes the schools’ staff and dedicated teachers who gather artwork for selection by the eight jury teams, continuing with the volunteers who sign in the truckloads of work at the Esplanade, to the installation crew that sorts the myriad pieces, then mounts, hangs, plugs in and labels it all. I think most Hatters will agree it’s well worth the effort of these valiant folks!
The vibrancy of this year’s School Art celebration is matched by the spectacular hues of Poul Nielsen’s soft pastel drawings in Light, Reconfigured. A Medicine Hat artist and former Medicine Hat College faculty member, Poul is inspired by his experience of prairie light and landscape, and by the colours and energy of his second home, Peru. We’ll be celebrating Poul’s exhibition at the spring Downtown Art Walk, the first of 2019, on the evening of May 10.
Another way we are celebrating spring at the Esplanade is, also on April 6, we launch Pay What You Will at the galleries. Based on the Esplanade Theatre’s successful program for selected shows, we are now introducing the same idea for gallery visitors. What does this mean for our patrons? Visitors will still check in with our friendly Guest Services staff, but instead of paying an admission fee, visitors will receive a deposit envelope and asked to “pay what you will” as they leave the galleries. This means that patrons pay whatever amount they wish, based on their individual experience – you decide the price of your admission!
Why are we doing this? The aim of Pay What You Will is to increase everyone’s access to our programs, and to encourage our patrons to take a chance on new and exciting exhibitions.
The Pay What You Will pilot program runs from April 6-Sept. 28 so come celebrate spring at the Esplanade soon, and come back often – and let us know how you feel about it through your choice of payment and your comments.
Joanne Marion is director/curator of Art at the Esplanade.
