SUBMITTED BY SALT SPRING GALLERY
The newest member of the Salt Spring Gallery — Gillian McConnell — is undertaking a three-week residency in the gallery’s A-Space from June 16 through July 5.
A resident of Salt Spring Island since 2006, McConnell holds a BFA from Queen’s University at Kingston (1980) with a major in printmaking and a minor in art history.
An interdisciplinary artist, McConnell is fascinated by the illusion of dichotomy, the presence of multiplicity and the truth of paradox — in politics, society, nature and people. She employs visual metaphor to create beautiful work that is also intellectually stimulating, emotionally moving, playfully provocative and spiritually uplifting.
Live in Colour features an exhibition of work from McConnell’s True Colours series, an exploration of colour as an embodiment of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states of being. The series also examines colour as a symbol of cultural, political and spiritual ideologies.
Visitors are encouraged to engage in colour activities, enter a colour competition and interact with McConnell as she researches and creates new work in the gallery, which is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, as well as on Sunday, July 2. The residency opens with a reception on Friday, June 16 from 5 to 7 p.m.
For more insight into McConnell’s ideas and creative processes, people can meet the artist at an event on Saturday, June 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. and attend an artist talk on Thursday, June 29 from 7 to 9 p.m.
For those seeking a more immersive experience, two workshops are on offer. Paint Swatch Poetry explores the relationship between words and colours through writing and collage. This three-hour workshop is available in the afternoon, on Tuesday, June 20 from 1 to 4 p.m., or in the evening, on Tuesday, June 27 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Between the Lines: Draw Your Art Out is a full-day workshop exploring the relationship between the artist and their subject through writing and drawing. It runs Sunday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“By connecting deeply with our subject and our inner selves, we realize our capacity to produce meaningful work that embodies our ‘true colours,’” said McConnell.
Both workshops are perfect for visual, literary and performing artists as well as aspiring creatives.
All events and workshops will be held at the Salt Spring Gallery. For more information or to register for the workshops, call the gallery at 250-931-0011, visit the gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, or send an email to saltspringgallery.fine.art@gmail.com.