Western Canada’s art magazine since 2002
24 June 2025 Vol 10 No 13 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2025
Shelley Boettcher
From the Editor
Are you an art collector? The latest string of art auctions have wrapped up, and contributor Douglas Maclean takes a look at how sales went in his spring 2025 Auction Report.
We don't celebrate collectors enough, but what they do for artists, not just in Canada, is very special. With that in mind, Vancouver Art Gallery celebrates the life and collection of a beloved Vancouver collector this year, with the exhibition Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection, on view until Nov. 9. Amy Gogarty checks it out for us, noting that “it’s a stunning presentation of BC’s rich ceramic production.”
“Mesmeric.” That’s how Lissa Robinson describes Caroline Monnet’s new exhibition, Pizandawatc/The One who Listens/Celui qui écoute, on now through Aug. 24 at the Esker in Calgary.
If you're heading to Kelowna this summer, swing by the Kelowna Art Gallery to take in Ekow Nimako's Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2,000 Ships, on now through Aug. 24. The popular show, which has been in a few Canadian cities now, features a half-million black Lego bricks!
And there's still time to make plans to attend the annual Vancouver Art Book Fair, coming up in July; it's an impressive lineup of publishers and events this year.
Last but not least, a shout-out to reader and artist Ken Van Rees, who shared his favourite plein air painting experience with us this week.
“My absolute favorite place to plein paint in Canada is Lake O’Hara – I’ve been there a few times and most recently last fall with the Whyte Gallery to celebrate JEH MacDonald’s 100th anniversary of painting there,” he writes.
“It is truly an awe-inspiring place to paint with the emerald water, the orange, gray and purple rocks in the mountains and the various shades of greens in the mountain vegetation. It is heaven on earth for me!”
We agree, Ken. Thanks for sharing.
If you're in Assiniboia, Sask. this month, you can see Ken's latest work at Shurniak Gallery. The exhibition, Beauty from Ashes, is on now through July 23, 2025.
And as always, all of you, thanks for reading.
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Amy Gogarty, Lissa Robinson, Douglas Maclean
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
