County’s JNAAG is opening two new exhibitions on Friday

In recognition of the Sarnia Quilters’ Guild’s 40th anniversary, the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery (JNAAG) will be opening the exhibition Kaleidoscope and in celebration of the everyday, the gallery will also be presenting Flying School by Quebec artist Diane Landry.

Both exhibitions open to the public First Friday, February 1 at 6 p.m. with a special member’s reception at 7 p.m.

Kaleidoscope features a selection of quilts inspired by art, colour and history. Working closely with members of the guild over the past three years, the JNAAG curatorial team selected approximately 30 quilts out of the 65 submitted for the exhibition.

“During our initial meeting we were immediately caught up in the enthusiasm, creativity and organizational prowess that has driven the guild for the past 40 years,” said Lisa Daniels, curator/manager, Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery. “With a few works from the JNAAG’s permanent collection peppered throughout the exhibition, Kaleidoscope showcases the creativity, joy, and warmth with which a quilt is designed, made and shared.”

During the exhibition, the public is invited to get creative and participate in the design of a collaborative quilt that will be sewn together on-site and once completed, donated to a local charity and auctioned to raise funds. There is a full roster of workshops, lectures and opportunities to try your hand at quilting, or to discover the handmade movement with members of Sarnia’s Made Collective.

In Diane Landry’s Flying School, umbrellas come to life as living, breathing entities in a garden of colour and sound. Umbrellas unfold and fold intermittently—slowly—like a person inhaling and exhaling, while chanting a meditative, plaintive melody. After viewing for a while, the visitor notices the silhouettes that the halogen lamps cast on the ceiling. These dancing shadows, projected upwards, resemble a flower opening and then closing. Landry will give a community talk about her installation and artistic practice for gallery members on Thursday, January 31 and she will be present at the opening on First Friday to meet the community.

Owned and operated by the County of Lambton and located in the centre of Sarnia’s downtown cultural district, a block from the waterfront, the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery offers a wide range of exhibitions, tours, lectures and programs. Housed in the Thom building (also known as the Saks building), the gallery’s permanent collection comprises over 1,200 Canadian historical and contemporary works. Revolving exhibitions from the gallery’s permanent collection along with temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists and works from other galleries open a window on the past and help preserve and present our visual culture heritage locally and nationally.

Lambton Shield
Thursday, January 31, 2019

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