The highly anticipated return of Art Victoria Now has come!
Location: The Bay Centre (Downtown Victoria)
1150 Douglas St, lower level
Open daily 11am – 6pm
Community Celebration + Public Reception: Saturday, 11 May, 2-5PM
Awards Ceremony: Saturday, 25 May, 5PM
Participating artists in Art Victoria Now 2024 include:
Alison Bigg
Andrea Simmonds
Anne McCarthy
Anthony Carr
Austin Stanley
Barbara McCaffrey
Carrie Walker
Cim MacDonald
Cory Scott
Danielle Tyre
Dave Skilling
David Martinello
David Ladmore
Diana Durrand
Dot Murray
Edward Peck
Elena Stepanenko
elizabeth carefoot
Everett Wong
Fernando Garcia
Flo-Elle Watson
Françoise Dunstan
Ilka Bauer
Jake Pruim
Janet Moore
Jenn Lecour
Jesse Ladret
Jill Frith Harrington
Joan Cahill
Kaitlyn Adderley
Karen Hibbard
Kevin Harney
Kris Friesen
Lesley Turner
Marianne Goodrich
Matt Stephenson
Maxwell Lucas
melanie golder
Narges Raee
Natasha Lavdovsky
Nikolay Mingaleev
Regan Rasmussen
Richard Kung
Roberta Pyx Sutherland
Rose Cowles
Sam L. Boehner
Sophie Tarrant
Suzanne Bean
Tracy McMenemy
Vikki Drummond
The assessors for Art Victoria Now are:
Joe Bembridge, Sue Donaldson, and Rick Leong
Joe Bembridge Owner/Director of Gallery Merrick
Co-owner/Curator Ashdale Gallery
Joe Bembridge has worked and thrived in the commercial art industry for over 10 years, starting his career as a sales associate at the iconic Canada House Gallery in Banff, AB. From this experience and his long history of working in the arts, he realized his unique ability to recognize exceptional art and communicate that to prestigious clientele, leading to recognizing a calling to be a Gallerist. Quickly actualizing his dream, Joe opened his first gallery in Nanaimo, BC in 2018 (Gallery Merrick) and by 2022 ambitiously relocated to Victoria, BC. Not one to slow down he recognized a need to expand his brand to reach more varied markets and in 2023 Joe opened his second gallery in North Vancouver (Ashdale Gallery). This solidified his presence as an integral figure not only on the west coast but as a reputable and celebrated Gallerist within Canada.
What I am looking for from artists as part of Art Victoria Now is an exciting and unique creation that excels within the medium being utilized to create something distinct and skillfully executed.
Sue Donaldson, Independent Curator
Sue Donaldson is a visual arts professional from Esquimalt on lək̓ʷəŋən territory where she has worked and lived for 35 years. She resumed her independent curatorial practice after retiring from the BC Arts Council during COVID.
What I am looking for from artists as part of Art Victoria Now is evidence that their work fully considers where they live and demonstrates insight.
Rick Leong, Artist
Rick Leong is a west-coast artist that uses the language of the landscape to reflect on the ways that we move through and inhabit the landscapes we dwell within, and to explore how we connect to urban and wild ecologies. Drawn from observation and influenced by traditional Chinese art forms and methodologies, Leong’s work investigates the interconnectedness of the land with the subjectivity of human experience. Leong obtained his MFA from Concordia University (Montréal, 2007), and his work was acquired by the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts. He has exhibited his work at the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), the Power Plant (Toronto) and the Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver). In addition to having participated in many group exhibitions at various Canadian and international spaces, Leong has exhibited solo at Two Rivers Gallery (Prince George), Anna Leonowens Gallery (Halifax), and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Recent exhibitions include Arsenal
Contemporary (New York), Bradley Ertaskiran (Montréal), Phi Foundation (Montréal), and the Esker Foundation (Calgary).
What I am looking for from artists as part of Art Victoria Now is… How they relate to the natural and social ecosystems in which they inhabit, create, work, and exchange within.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
The Bay Centre; Opus Art Supplies; Downtown Victoria Business Association
and our funders:
BC Arts Council, Province of BC, and CRD Arts & Culture Support Service