Five diverse and engaging thinkers, artists and cultural strategists from off the Coast talk about their perceptions and passions in The Art of Seeing, a series of informal afternoon lectures that opens this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 17, with a talk from architect-turned-sculptor Ian Johnston.
The Nelson-based sculptor who has spent five years working at the Bauhaus Academy will speak on The Process of Transformation. He has also pursued an interest in large-scale installations and plans to present images and accounts of his process to kick off the series at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt.
The lecture series is sponsored by the District of Sechelt following recommendations by the Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee. Organizer Claudia Cuesta's objective is to inspire people from the community, particularly artists, and to bring leaders in their fields to the Coast.
"My dream is that the Coast is a centre for the arts," Cuesta said. "These talks will bring an edge to the artists who are here already."
To this end she's selected artists of diverse backgrounds. One of the highlights of the series will be the return of curator Keith Wallace, who will be talking on Sept. 24 about his journey. In 1979 when the current Arts Centre opened, Wallace was on the board of directors, and he moved to a position of co-ordinator for the new gallery.
"It was my training ground," he said. "I didn't have any experience; I was just interested in art." When he left the Arts Centre in 1983 for a position in Vancouver, he volunteered at an artist-run gallery, and he will be talking about this concepton Sept. 24. After curating a show at the Vancouver Art Gallery, stints at the Contemporary Art Gallery and the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery at UBC, he is now an independent curator who also edits a journal of contemporary Chinese art.
"It's not just putting pictures on the wall; I consider the meaning of the show," he said. "My work has been influenced and changed as the curatorial process has changed over the last 30 years."
On Saturday, Oct. 8, Robin Mayor speaks on the intriguing topic of Understanding Lies in the Process - Not the Result. Mayor, a past president of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, has greatly influenced the development of many an artist's career, Cuesta says.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, artist Geoff Rees will talk on the topic of Paintings That Need Each Other, and there will be a concurrent exhibition of his work in the Seaside Centre.
"They're such vibrant colours, so West Coast," Cuesta explained. The series ends with Lori Phillips on Oct. 29 on the subject of Art in Public Places, always a hot topic.
Tickets are at the door at $8 regular price and $5 for seniors and students. Talks take place at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt on Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
