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Artists find showcase at Coast Collective gallery

Art from the Attic showcases forgotten treasures
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Art from the Attic will come to Coast Collective from Jan. 31 to Feb. 11. (Photo by Linda Gordon)

Since opening their doors in 2008, Coast Collective has welcomed thousands of visitors each year to the custom built gallery, gift shop and artisan gallery in Colwood’s town centre.

Operated by the Society for Arts on the South Island (SASI), the collective has more than 100 members and a strong base of volunteers who work to enhance the quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

And, according to gallery general manager, Jessica Stein, the upcoming show in the main gallery space will continue to enhance Coast Collective’s reputation for supporting and promoting the work of local artists.

The show, entitled “Beginnings,” runs from Jan. 17 to 28, and features emerging artists who are showing their work for the first time.

“This is actually an annual show where we invite artists from throughout the region to showcase their work,” Stein said. “The show is made up of artists who have never shown in a gallery before or, in other cases, artists who are established in one medium but have decided to try their hand at a completely new medium.”

Stein went on to explain that some painters may wish to find new expression in sculpture, for example, or someone who has been involved in portraiture may wish to try their hand at abstract work.

“Artists are always searching for new ways to express themselves, and we give them the venue to explore those creative explorations,” she said.

Anastasia Baydina, one of the artists whose work will be on display in the show, has been painting regularly since 2012 and said she has always been inspired by the richness of nature but is contemplating an exploration of the abstract genre.

“I got an engineering degree in Russia and when I first came here (to Canada) I worked in web design, but my first love ha always been art. Coast Collective is full of friendly and open people who are giving me a chance to show my work,” she said.

Another of the emerging artists, Cindy Davidson, has a distinctly esoteric approach to her work.

“I have no training as an artist but, in 2009, I started experimenting with a mixed medium approach to create textures and images that allow me to connect with a universal energy and pass that energy along to others,” she said.

The second upcoming show at the Coast Collective show is entitled “Art from the Attic” and is designed to rescue long forgotten work from obscurity and give it a second chance at life. The show runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. and is a show in which artists are invited to bring in old, original works that have languished too long in some closet or attic.

“These shows are designed to showcase the incredible range of talented artists in our community and give them a chance to sell their work. Our support is critical for the artistic life of our community,” said Stein.

There is no cost to attend the show. For more information visit coastcollective.ca.


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editor@goldstreamgazette.com