Local artist Theresa Eisenbarth looks on at one of her pieces that is now showing at the Esplanade. Due to COVID-19 there are limited hours during the week to the exhibit.--NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@mocranker
MO CRANKER
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com
Twitter: mocranker
It’s been a long time coming, but the wait has been worth it for Theresa Eisenbarth.
The local artist was able to unveil her first standalone gallery at the Esplanade on Monday and is excited to have it up and running.
“I got approved for this last year, but I didn’t know what was going to happen to it because of COVID,” she said. “I’m excited for this and it is an achievement for me.
“It’s not an easy feat to get one of these shows, so it means a lot to be able to show my work off in a space like this.”
The exhibit is named ‘Walking the Flats’ and takes viewers on a tour through Medicine Hat’s Flats. Walls display Eisenbarth’s paintings as well as labels for geographic areas and street names.
“I always say that I’m a visual storyteller,” she said. “This exhibit just happens to be my story of growing up in the Flats.
“This follows a geographical map of the River Flats. One part of this is walking Dominion Street where my first home base was. The other way is when we moved to Balmoral Street.”
Eisenbarth graduated from Medicine Hat College before pursuing a fine arts degree at University of Calgary.
One of the artist’s trademarks is gluing keys on her paintings. She also takes dictionary definitions of words and works them into pieces.
Due to COVID-19, there will be a limit on how many people can be in the exhibit at a time. Markers are set up on the floor to guide people around the show in a safe way.
Eisenbarth says she put the exhibit’s 34 paintings together in January.
The artist is going to do live painting sessions during open hours of the exhibit, which starts Monday.
“People can come down every few days and see where the progress is at,” she said. “I’m excited for that.”
There is also a digital tour being put together to let people view the gallery online. That will be available on the Esplanade website when it is complete.
The exhibit runs to Aug. 15.
