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…the offerings for art patrons were rich and diverse. The annual Art TREK studio discovery tour was in full swing, Paul Constable opened his studio “to check out the digs and art for sale”, as he called it and then there was the opening of “Sharing Riches of My Soul” – my solo exhibition at the Affinity Gallery at the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

I had been away during the hanging and was anxious to see how the work would display in the gallery. Colin, who was involved with the hanging process on May 29th had sent a text to me in Halifax that “the exhibition looks good, I think”… I had no doubts that Stephanie, Les, the summer students and Colin had done their best to showcase each piece. The day before the opening reception I received an email that new light bulbs had just been installed and the colors in the work had “popped”.

I arrived at 6:45 pm. As soon as I opened the door I met up with friends from the Prairie Wool Weavers who welcomed me with cheers and applause –  how is that for an entrance? After greeting Bev, Jo, Linda and Irene and capturing them with my camera in the gallery I took a moment to get the overall effect of the work in the space before other guests arrived. I was overwhelmed with gratitude – the SCC staff and Colin had not exaggerated when they said the exhibition “looks good”. In fact – it looks better than I ever expected! I had new eyes for my work and the dynamic way the pieces are showcased drew visitors and myself in. The new gallery lighting makes a big difference! The metallic and rayon threads add dimension and sparkle to draw in the onlooker and capture their attention. The colors of the hand dyed fabrics have more depth. They look rich and complex. Hanging the work in a staggered fashion, with some pieces suspended from the ceiling two feet out from the wall interspersed with work flush against the wall provides not only physical separation, it aids in featuring the uniqueness of each piece.

Reflecting on Friday night’s event I feel blessed! I want to thank each and every guest for taking time out from their busy schedule to honor me and my work, bringing friends and family and providing feedback. I was so happy and honored to see friends who had driven at least two hours to be part of the opening. I worked hard to make my way around to everyone attending but time  ran out and I was unable to thank each one personally.

I heard from many who attended that it was wonderful to mingle at the opening but that they will be back when the gallery is more quiet. The exhibition is open every day from noon to 5 pm until July 2nd. If you are visiting Saskatoon over the next three weeks try to stop by the Affinity Gallery at 813 Broadway Avenue. Then leave a comment in the guestbook or comment below!

10 Jun This entry was published on June 10, 2012 at 7:48 am. It’s filed under Art, Exhibition, Exhibition News, In the News and tagged Affinity Gallery, Exhibition, Opening Reception, Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, Sharing Riches of My Soul. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.