2121 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2K6 www.gordonsmithgallery.ca Spring 2016 Newsletter Readymades Exhibition, May 6 - August 20, 2016 This Summer’s exhibition is titled Readymades. Curated by Bill Jeffries, with artists chosen by Gordon Smith, it includes works by Arabella Campbell, Douglas Coupland, Stan Douglas, Gathie Falk, Geoffrey Farmer, Rodney Graham, Brian Jungen, Damian Moppe, Mina Totino, Ian Wallace and David Weir. The Readymades exhibition was suggested by Gordon Smith. The impact that the 1962 Assemblage exhibition at MOMA had on Gordon Smith was revived when he saw the Duchamp show at Gagosian (New York) in 2014. Gordon transformed that experience into the notion that a group exhibition on the subject of the readymade would allow viewers a chance to reconsider the idea of the readymade in the context of local artistic practices. The concept of the readymade is contested territory, but the idea itself, Geoffrey Farmer: Journal with Norman Bates (fountain) Annual Spring Luncheon whatever we may think qualifies as readymade, has had a liberating effect on art ever since a bicycle wheel was mounted upside down on a stool in 1913. Whether it was a new genre, a new category or a new playing field, the readymade has been a foundational spice in the stew that has been twentieth-century art. As André Breton said, speaking of Surrealism generally, “The world seems like a cryptogram that is indecipherable only so long as one is not knowledgeable about the gymnastic contortions that allow one to move at will from one piece of apparatus to another.” (page 303, Manifestoes of Surrealism, by André Breton) The changing of the apparatus is key to readymadism, and the particular forms and formulations that the artists in this exhibition present to us will be yet another stage in, if not another final word on, the history, pre-history and future of the readymade. Please join us for the opening reception of Readymades in the Gordon Smith Gallery on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Judson Beaumont exhibition extended By popular demand, Judson Beaumont’s exhibition Serious Fun will be extended to Thursday, March 24. Beaumont’s multi-faceted practice is explored in this show through sketches and maquees, and includes full-size examples of his innovative approaches to liberating furniture from the historical confinement in which it existed, until he came along. Save the date: Sunday, June 5, 2016 for the annual Smith Foundation Luncheon at the Capilano Golf and Country Club. It raises essential funds for the work of Artists for Kids and art education. Tickets will be available through the website www.gordonsmithgallery.ca. Be sure to purchase your tickets early, as this event always sells out.
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2121 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2K6 www.gordonsmithgallery.ca
Spring 2016Newsletter
Readymades Exhibition, May 6 - August 20, 2016
This Summer’s exhibition is titled Readymades. Curated by Bill Jeffries, with artists chosen by Gordon Smith, it includes works by Arabella Campbell, Douglas Coupland, Stan Douglas, Gathie Falk, Geoffrey Farmer, Rodney Graham, Brian Jungen, Damian Moppett, Mina Totino, Ian Wallace and David Weir.
The Readymades exhibition was suggested by Gordon Smith. The impact that the 1962 Assemblage
exhibition at MOMA had on Gordon Smith was revived when he saw the Duchamp show at Gagosian (New York) in 2014. Gordon transformed that experience into the notion that a group exhibition on the subject of the readymade would allow viewers a chance to reconsider the idea of the readymade in the context of local artistic practices.
The concept of the readymade is contested territory, but the idea itself,
Geoffrey Farmer: Journal with Norman Bates (fountain)
Annual Spring Luncheon
whatever we may think qualifies as readymade, has had a liberating effect on art ever since a bicycle wheel was mounted upside down on a stool in 1913. Whether it was a new genre, a new category or a new playing field, the readymade has been a foundational spice in the stew that has been twentieth-century art.
As André Breton said, speaking of Surrealism generally, “The world seems like a cryptogram that is indecipherable only so long as one is not knowledgeable about the gymnastic contortions that allow one to move at will from one piece of apparatus to another.” (page 303, Manifestoes of Surrealism, by André Breton) The changing of the apparatus is key to readymadism, and the particular forms and formulations that the artists in this exhibition present to us will be yet another stage in, if not another final word on, the history, pre-history and future of the readymade.
Please join us for the opening reception of Readymades in the Gordon Smith Gallery on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
Judson Beaumont exhibition extendedBy popular demand, Judson Beaumont’s exhibition Serious Fun will be extended to Thursday, March 24. Beaumont’s multi-faceted practice is explored in this show through sketches and maquettes, and includes full-size examples of his innovative approaches to liberating furniture from the historical confinement in which it existed, until he came along.
Save the date: Sunday, June 5, 2016 for the annual Smith Foundation Luncheon at the Capilano Golf and Country Club. It raises essential funds for the work of Artists for Kids and art education. Tickets will be available through the website www.gordonsmithgallery.ca. Be sure to purchase your tickets early, as this event always sells out.
2121 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2K6 www.gordonsmithgallery.ca
AFK Editions
This summer marks the 23rd year of our Paradise Valley Summer School of Visual Arts.
From Sunday, July 10 – Friday, July 15, kids aged 8 – 18 can spend a week immersed in the beauty of Brackendale, BC, while learning skills and techniques directly from a professional artist.
The youngest campers, aged 8 – 12, will work with artist and teacher Lori Goldberg. Her paintings capture the beauty of our surroundings.
Our senior students, aged 13 – 18, will work with Damian Moppett, whose work will be part of the summer exhibition Readymades. This multi-media artist, represented by the Catriona Jeffries Gallery, is celebrated for his distinct vision and profound commitment to his work.
We thank our Artist-PatronsOur unique artist- and teacher-led training is possible, thanks to our generous artist-patrons. We thank them for their commitment to the next generation of Canadian artists. For a list of our limited-edition prints, please visit our website.
Kenojuak AshevakLoons Feeding, 1994
lithograph, 57.5 x 76.5cmedition of 50
$1,800
Etienne ZackDaytime Motion Picture, 2012ink-jet with acrylic, 28” x 26”
edition of 35$1,500
Ross Penhall, Reflected Corner, 20114 plate etching, 15” x 34”
edition of 145, $1,200
Paradise Valley Summer School of Visual Arts
AFK News
Print ReleaseJoin us Wednesday March 9, at 7 p.m. for the release of Loons Feeding, our latest print from renowned Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak. Created in 1994, this edition of 50 is signed by the artist and was printed at Kinngait Studios, Cape Dorset, Nunavet. It is one of the last editions of her work available. The issue price is $1,800.
Photography EnrichmentOur annual Photography Enrichment program, which has focused on fashion photography for the past 14 years, is being refined to offer subject matter in rotation. This year, we are proud to provide students with the chance to work with renowned nature and landscape photographer Jess Findlay as they explore the beauty of the world around them. The program will continue its valued and longstanding partnership wth the North Shore News, which gives students a professional review of their images and an opportunity to see their work in print.
Architecture EnrichmentOur architecture enrichment program, supported by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Architecture Foundation of BC, takes place in April. Selected students in Grade 4 and Grade 6/7 spend three full days with architects and teachers, developing their design and drawing skills, as well as their appreciation and understanding of the built environments they inhabit.
Register online for Summer Camp at www.gordonsmithgallery.ca
From the Interim Executive Director
2121 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2K6 www.gordonsmithgallery.ca
Bill Jeffries, Interim Executive Director of the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation
for Young Artists
Thank you to our Supporters
Spring 2016 Sponsors
Volunteer Support
A Gallery that is commited to remaining open to all who wish to view great contemporary Canadian art, regardless of ability to pay, is one that requires the support of a strong base of volunteers.
At the Smith Foundation, we are always looking for additional help. Consider becoming part of our team and assisting as a Gallery Attendant, a Docent or an event volunteer.
You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the acclaimed Artist for Kids Collection through onsite training. In addition, you’ll be joining our dedicated group of like-minded volunteers, who together offer our guests an opportunity to discover the depth and richness of the work created by our local and national artists. To learn more about our volunteer opportunities, please contact us at 604.998.8563.
The Smith Foundation relies on the support of granting agencies, foundations and sponsors for its financial well-being. Their generosity allows the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art and Artists for Kids program plans to proceed and create an impact in our community.
We are profoundly grateful to those, who in 2015, helped our organization inspire the next generation of Canadian artists.
Thank you to our individual donors, who are too numerous to mention.
Our supporters include:
The Audain Foundation BC Creative Spaces BlueShore FinancialCanada Council for the Arts Canadian Heritage Hamber FoundationHomeCare WestKoerner FoundationLululemon Metro Vancouver North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission parc retirement livingRBC Foundation SOCAN TELUSVancouver Foundation
Those of you who are reading this might be expecting a message from Astrid Heyerdahl, however Astrid is on maternity leave, taking care of her new daughter, Freya. She will return in September. In her absence, I have been the Interim Executive Director since early October.
In the second half of 2016, there will be changes to the programs that we offer. The Foundation has decided to strengthen its focus on its three core areas: supporting the Artists For Kids programs, our summer exhibitions and growing the endowment funds that in turn support Artists For Kids.
In conjunction with the Readymades exhibition, our Family program will be reconfigured to match the audience over the summer. Watch for an announcement in May regarding the Saturday afternoon programs. As always, attendance for children and youth is free of charge.
On behalf of the Board of Directors I’d like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the Smith Foundation or AFK over the last months. Several major gifts were generously sent in and even the Chairity chair (by Judson Beaumont!), which accepts your admission donations, has been the recipient of monthly donations that probably are far in excess of what we would receive if we charged an admission fee. This way, those who truly cannot afford a museum visit can still come to our shows.
I look forward to seeing many of you at our Readymades exhibition this summer. This show is a true exploration of the meaning of art, by some of our country’s most innovative artists.
— Bill Jeffries, Interim Executive Director, The Smith [email protected]
Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art
2121 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2K6 www.gordonsmithgallery.ca
Become a Friend of the GalleryAs a Friend of the Gallery, you enjoy exclusive benefits while providing vital support to the Gallery and our programs. Annual membership: $30 for individuals and $40 for a family. Being a Friend of the Gallery provides you with:
Events in the Gallery
• Free admission for adults to the Gordon Smith Gallery
• 50% off Music in the Gallery events• 15% off purchases at the gift shop• Invitation to Friends-only events
To become a Friend of the Gallery, please contact us at 604.998.8563 or send us an e-mail to [email protected].
Musical Mornings in the GalleryJoin us for the final two Musical Mornings of the season, sponsored by HomeCare West. Doors open at 10 a.m. The performance begins at 10:30 a.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $10, $7 for students. • NOVO Ensemble, Tuesday, March 29, 2016 • Orchid Ensemble, Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Ross Penhall Book LaunchWe’re delighted to host the launch of Ross Penhall’s Vancouver, a beautiful, hardcover book, published by Appetite, a Random House imprint. It features a selection of some of Ross’s most iconic works. The book launch will be on Thursday, April 7, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Gordon Smith Gallery. Ross Penhall will be in attendance.
Jazz in the GalleryJazz in the Gallery, sponsored by BlueShore Financial, concludes the season with an event in the Gallery, and the final event at BlueShore Financial atrium. Tickets, available at the door, are $10, or $7 for students. • Mazacote, Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 8 p.m. at the Gordon Smith Gallery• Hugh Fraser Trio, Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 8 p.m. at BlueShore Financial
Centre, 1250 Lonsdale, North Vancouver
Readymades ExhibitionThe opening reception for our Summer exhibition, Readymades, is on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Please join us.
Yoga in the GalleryBe part of the remaining Yoga in the Gallery session. Participation is by donation, no pre-registration is required. • Tuesday, May 17, 2016, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m.
Spring LuncheonThe Smith Foundation Annual Spring Luncheon is on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at the Capilano Golf and Country Club. Tickets will be available on our website.
AFK Donor Event with ReadymadesArtists for Kids is hosting an invitation-only event for our donors, to thank them for their continued generosity. If you’ve been a recent donor, watch for your invitation in the mail.
Spring ClosuresThe Gallery will be closed on March 25 and 26 for the Easter long weekend. It will also be closed from April 17 - May 5, 2016 for the installation of the Readymades exhibition.
Volunteer opportunitiesIf you are interested in the arts and have a little bit of time (or a lot) to give, we’d love to hear from you. To volunteer for the Smith Foundation and the Gordon Smith Gallery, contact 604.998.8563.To volunteer for Artists for Kids, contact 604.903.3798.
Docent-led toursWe offer free, docent-led tours by request. Reserve your tour by calling 604.998.8563 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
Gallery hoursWe are open Wednesdays through Saturdays, from noon – 5 p.m.We are closed on statutory holidays and the weekends on which they fall. Adult admission is by donation. Admission for children and youth is always free.
Gallery shopPlease visit our Gallery Shop. Open during Gallery hours, it has a range of distinctive items for purchase. Proceeds support our programs.
