Let me tell you about the rest of my West-Coast Journey!
In Victoria, I hooked up with my friend Julia, who is from there and happened to be home for a visit, to go “gallery hunting”. It is super important to me who represents my work, and thus I am very careful choosing galleries. I like to do some preliminary research, and then go on-site, ask and look around, and personally check out each gallery I think might work. The selection of work is important: its quality and variety. How is each artist represented? How are the cases, the personell, what is the knowledge of the staff and the vibe of the owner. Down to the factual realities: are the bathrooms clean, et cetera? Then obviously the space and location have to be right, too. Call me fussy, but my galleries are the extension of me, so it is important to me that they represent the same values.
So in Victoria, Julia had noticed a gallery (one of many we checked out) in the area where she grew up, Oak Bay Village. I hadn’t found this one on my preliminary online searches, but it proved to be just a perfect match: The Avenue Gallery. I am happy to report that my work will be available there in the near future!
Moving right along, I left the next morning for Seattle: more gallery business, and also a visit with family. Since I had gone by air before, I went by boat this time: I took the fast passenger ferry The Clipper to get off Vancouver Island.
It was a convenient and pleasant way to travel.
In Seattle, I had picked my favourite gallery when I was there for the Society of North American Goldsmiths annual conference two years ago (the same conference will take place next year in Toronto, which I am completely thrilled about – for us, there really is nothing like being in the room with a thousand goldsmiths). So I had set up an appointment ahead of time in this case. I am very happy to tell you that my work will be a available at the wonderful and fabulous Facèré gallery in Seattle, starting in October! Much like Galerie Noel Guyomarc’H in Montreal (nice article about Noel, here), Facèré carries some of the best contemporary jewellery available this side of the pond.
I also got to visit with some family while in Seattle.
I was showing my Seattle family my work, when Mike says just because he is missing a few digits, is no reason not to wear rings!
And back to Vancouver, this time by Bolt Bus. Thirteen bucks, can’t beat that!
Vancouver downtown is very different from what I’ve shown thus far, of course.
There, I visited several possible suspects for representing galleries: I particularly liked OhBrothers! In Kitsilano, and the lovely Vancouver Art Gallery shop. I also paid visit to the Crafthouse on Granville island …we’ll see where I’ll end up being represented. I didn’t have enough time to finalize anything quite yet, as I had to get back to my booth in West Vancouver.
Having said all that: if anybody has any further recommendations for galleries that would represent my work well and be a good fit: by all means please let me know!
And then it was back to another weekend of the Harmony Arts Festival! After setting up the booth again, I finally ventured out onto the beach which is just a stone’s throw from my booth. Look!
Amazing, isn’t it?
And then I found out, I have a relative in Vancouver!
Check out this cool work by Douglas Walker.moving_music_fountains
The interest in my work was strong again over the second weekend. So nice to have such positive feedback! And then, to my complete delight, a surprise visit by my dear friend and amazing artist Eve Llyndorah!
And then, finally, exhaustedly: I packed up and headed back home to Halifax :)
