For years Tumbleweed Gallery has been known for displaying art in spaces other than at the gallery itself. In Penticton they show art at the Penticton Lakeside Resort, Hillside Winery and Bistro, Blenz and The Bench Market to name a few.
This time, Tumbleweed is partnering with Kevin Smith, owner of Kettle Valley Memorial, and will be mounting an exhibition of paintings by Kelowna artist Jolene Mackie at his funeral home.
But why show art at a funeral home?
sa国际传媒淚t is our hope that by presenting this art exhibit, we will help make death less of a taboo and that we might also bring more awareness to how we live,sa国际传媒� said Prema Harris, of Tumbleweed Gallery.
From Jan. 31 through March 28, Kettle Valley Memorial will present Seeds of Hope. This is the first solo exhibition of Mackiesa国际传媒檚 work since the COVID shutdown. It is especially meaningful to her and is dedicated to her mother who passed away in June 2022.
Her work is exhibited widely throughout the Okanagan Valley and B.C.
Aside from paintings on the usual canvas or board, Mackiesa国际传媒檚 murals can be seen on the walls of the administration offices at Naramata Centre, at the Vernon City parkade, on the ceiling of the Kelowna CMHA and at the BC Childrensa国际传媒檚 Hospital Teck Acute Care Centre in Vancouver.
What drew Mackie to the arts was the freedom it gave her to ponder her existence.
sa国际传媒淢y paintings have become a vessel for my feelings and how I process and understand the world. My creative practice is deeply rooted in my mortalitysa国际传媒 am this being, this lump of flesh that has consciousness! And yet this body is so temporary. Everything is so ephemeral.sa国际传媒�
The central figure often found in Mackiesa国际传媒檚 paintings is a backpack-toting robot bearing a heart on his bib. She admits this is her alter ego - this sa国际传媒渃urious little investigatorsa国际传媒� has somewhere to take me; hesa国际传媒檚 got something to show me.sa国际传媒�
It was one such painting that Smith, owner of Kettle Valley Memorial purchased from Tumbleweed Gallery a few years ago. He describes the piece entitled A Moment to Ponder as sa国际传媒渧ery cool - theresa国际传媒檚 this robot, roaming around in the universe - sort of like what it must be after we pass on.sa国际传媒�
The painting now hangs in the viewing room at Kettle Valley Memorial, where it gives solace to visitors grieving the loss of a loved one.
The publicsa国际传媒檚 response to Mackiesa国际传媒檚 painting gave Smith the idea of inviting her to have an art show in his premises. sa国际传媒淧erhaps there is a different thing that a funeral home can do or be in a community,sa国际传媒� he said.
Preparing for this exhibition has been very helpful in shepherding Mackie through the sadness of her mothersa国际传媒檚 death. Each painting in this body of work is embellished with beads from her mothersa国际传媒檚 collection, some with less detail and density than others.
sa国际传媒淭his exhibit is a culmination of a lot of thoughts about life and death. If my work can lend someone a moment of joy, if it be can be a reminder that beautiful things can come from dark places, that for me will be the measure of success.sa国际传媒�
In Penticton, more of Jolene Mackiesa国际传媒檚 paintings can be seen at the Tumbleweed Gallery, Blenz Coffee Shop and Honey Toast.
The public is invited to the opening reception at Kettle Valley Memorial, 461 Dawson Avenue, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 4 to 7 p.m.
For more information, visit www.tumbleweedgallery.ca.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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