Springtime Pop-Up Art Show by Braid St Studios

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Focus by Deb Chaney (24” x 24”)

As my current exhibit with Sarah Graeme is underway, it feels like a good time to mention an earlier exhibit from back in the spring. The Braid St Studios Pop Up Art Show took place in April at The Gallery at Queen’s Park in New Westminster. (For those not familiar with the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, “New West” is in the centre of the Greater Vancouver area).

A Resilient Co-Working Space for the Art Community

Before moving to Gabriola Island (and joining its incredible art community!) I was fortunate enough to be part of another wonderful art community. Braid St Studios was located in a 12,000-square-foot industrial heritage building in New Westminster. With a large gallery, event space, and over 70 artists working in 46 studios, it was the largest collaborative art studio outside of Vancouver. 

The founder, owner, and artist behind 100 Braid St Studios is a phenomenal woman named Susan Greig. Her vision for a supportive arts community where visitors could see (and be inspired by) working studio artists was realized in Braid St Studios, which she describes as “an incubator for artists in transition [and] established artists” focused on achieving major career goals.

However, as with almost everywhere, when the pandemic hit, everything shut down. Then on top of that, the developers who owned the warehouse decided to tear it down in order to pursue the Lower Mainland’s favourite pastime – condo development.

Fortunately, Susan didn’t let a global pandemic and the forces of gentrification stand in her way. She’s already established a small gallery in Port Coquitlam and has been creating an online platform to support artists while continuing to look for larger spaces where she can continue hosting art shows, open mic and poetry nights, and other events.

The studio hosts artists working in a wide range of diverse media, which has grown even more diverse since moving online. As Susan posted in June:

“In our original brick and mortar studio, we had resident artists who worked in: oil & acrylic painters, artists who worked in resin, all kinds of textiles, reclaimed wood, charcoal, mixed media, jewellery & metalsmithing, digital art and photography. There were puppet makers, sculptors, musicians, performance artists, writers, acapella singers, songwriters and more.”

In addition to providing studio space for artists, 100 Braid St Studios fosters creativity in numerous ways. These include mentorship, a lecture series on professional development, exposure for artists, social events, fine art classes, and more. For more info on all the ways in which they support artists and the local community at large, check out the studio’s About Us page.

The Braid St Studios Pop-Up Art Show

The Braid St Studios Pop Up Art Show was held April 22-24, 2022 at The Gallery at Queen’s Park, which is operated by The Arts Council of New Westminster. 

The show’s 3 featured artists were Susan, Michael King, and Iris Mes Low. Other artists included me, Melissa Burgher, Tony Durke, Steven Elford, Omanie Elias, Fran Friesen, Unky Kim, William Liao, Dizz McGruber, Monica Moscoso, and Judy Villett.

One of Susan’s Instagram posts from the event sums up not only the ethos behind Braid St Studios but also the importance of art and a sense of community:

“So many people have come in to visit and the support from the broader New West community has brought me to tears many times. There have been stories I’ve never heard before-about relationships and friendships that have developed because of our arts community and there have been stories of the many struggles we’ve all had thru COVID. I’ve been reminded time and again of the core purpose of Braid St since its inception-to help artists live lives of courage in harmony with their values…to chart their own unique path, to support them to grow, to provide a warm and nurturing space.”

My Artwork in the Pop-Up Art Show

Susan kindly featured one of my paintings at the show. The painting is called Focus and is conceptually about how important focus is to healing and mental wellness. 

It’s a 24” x 24” acrylic on canvas and the original is for sale through Van Dop Gallery. You can find this painting (and others) in the online gallery, then click the link at the bottom of the page to email the gallerist, Trudy Van Dop.

You can see Focus and many other pieces on display in photos from the exhibit in the slideshow below.

Prints and Other Original Artwork for Sale

Prints of Focus as well as a much larger collection of my artwork – both originals and prints – are for sale online at Saatchi Art.

Saatchi Art has a range of options to fit your individual preferences and needs. You can choose to have your prints on paper or canvas, and most are available in 4 sizes to fit any room. There is also an option to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image gives you an idea of its size and lets you see what it looks like on a wall.

My Art Exhibit With Sarah Graeme: “Moving; Through, Towards, Within.”

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Deb Chaney in Free Spirit Gallery

My art exhibit with Sarah Graeme, which I mentioned in this earlier post, is off to a wonderful start. We had our opening event at Gabriola Island’s Free Spirit Gallery on Friday evening.

The Power of Collaboration

It’s been really incredible to meet Sarah and collaborate with such a young artist – and yet she’s so accomplished. She’s so focused and has won grants and awards, and has come so far so quickly, so it’s been a truly incredible experience.

Sarah and I have taken quite different paths in our art careers. I didn’t go to art school (she did) and I’ve never won a grant (she has). While I’m still kind of figuring it out, her work is so cohesive and clear, and she knows what she’s creating and why.

To be honest, I’ve always felt kind of on the “outside” of the art world. So the feeling I get from collaborating and doing a show with Sarah has given me a sense of being “inside” the art world. And in addition to that feeling of inclusiveness, one of the greatest benefits of collaborations is that you get to up your game when you work with other artists, and I love that aspect of it.

A Special Appreciation for the Gallerist

My collaboration with Sarah was arranged by Catherine Hallam, the owner of Free Spirit Gallery, and I’d just like to say how grateful I am to her. She has gone above and beyond anyone that I’ve ever worked with in terms of collaboration. 

The opening was amazing. Everyone in attendance kept saying how beautiful it looked. One comment I heard repeatedly was that it felt like light — as though energy was emitting from the walls.

There was wine — and spritzers and cherries and cheese — and it was all so tastefully done. Every time someone arrived and I could catch a few words of Catherine talking about me, I just felt so appreciated and understood and supported. It was all done in such a professional, authentic, and grounded way. There was nothing pretentious about it or anyone in attendance, and it all felt just so genuine.

I also got to learn about Catherine’s journey as an artist and gallery owner, so it’s been wonderful getting to know her and having a deeper appreciation for who she is and what she’s doing.

Catherine’s assistant Lou was also there, and she was taking photos. She took an amazing shot of my parents and me (it was amazing having them there!), as well as a pic of me with my really good friend Denise, who I was thrilled to have there.

A lot of people stopped by that, up until that point, I’d only known over the internet and never met in person. One of the other great things about having an opening is that you get to meet people face-to-face and foster these real-life connections.

Selling That First Painting

Of course, one of the purposes of an exhibit is to find a home for the artist’s work. And selling that first painting is always really exciting, and a special feeling that makes me feel truly supported.

My painting The Gold Is Deep Within was my first piece to be sold at the show. It was purchased by a collector who’s been such a support to me and my career, and I’ll write up a full blog post about her and her selection in the near future.

A Guestbook of Affirmations

Catherine put out a book for people to sign and write comments. It is full of so many kind comments about my artwork and what they felt when viewing it and what they saw in each painting. It’s fascinating to hear people’s interpretations and how deeply they understood my work — so much so, that I feel I’m on the right track. It’s such an affirmation to me as an artist and it encourages me to continue.

Exhibit Catalogue, Photos, and Video

To see all the pieces I’ve got on display in the digital catalogue. Just click the big button below to download the PDF.

For some photos from the exhibit, scroll through the slideshow below. And beneath that is a short walkthrough video of my section of the the exhibit.

Here is a short video moving; through, towards, within.

Original Artwork and Prints for Sale

Prints of some of the pieces in the show are available in my online gallery at Saatchi Art.

Saatchi Art has a range of options to fit your individual preferences and needs. You can choose to have your prints on paper or canvas, and most are available in 4 sizes to fit any room. There is also an option to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image gives you an idea of its size and lets you see what it looks like on a wall.

My Upcoming Art Exhibit with Sarah Graeme

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Post for Deb Chaney art exhibit

I am thrilled to announce my collaborative art exhibit with Sarah Graeme. Based across the way on Vancouver Island, Sarah is a ceramic artist who uses weaving and basketry techniques to combine plant fibers with ceramic forms. I’m a huge fan of her work and who she is as a person, so I’m very excited about our upcoming show.

The exhibit is being held at the Free Spirit Gallery here on Gabriola Island, and it runs from August 16 through to September 5. The official opening night event is Friday, August 19 from 6 to 8 PM.

An “Interview” with the Gallerist

Free Spirit Gallery Studio & Shop was established last fall by Catherine Hallam. It’s an incredible addition to the island’s art community, encouraging and enabling local artists and artisans to showcase their work. You can see its exhibition schedule for the year on the gallery’s website.

A full year of exhibits is certainly a testament to Catherine’s passion for and commitment to the arts — not to mention her organizational skills! Here are some of the insightful questions that Catherine asked me about the artwork I’m exhibiting in this show.

What ideas, concepts, and experiences does the body of work communicate?

This body of work communicates a visual footprint of my spiritual and healing journey over the past 10 years. The journey of creating each painting here on display taught me something important that has helped me to re-connect and align with my authentic self. Often the painting’s title reveals the message I received and what I learned in its creation. The work imbues a healing frequency, each painting emanating the energetic stamp of the learnings and healing I received from its creation.

What inspirations or traditions guided or influence this body of work?

Before I begin painting, my inspiration and tradition are in my healing practice to go within via meditation, silent time in nature, and journal writing. When I begin to work, I am guided by my intuition and let the painting guide and lead me as I add and take away layers. Knowing that the process and journey of creation is the greatest gift of being an artist. Trusting the finished piece will reveal herself.

How are the methods or techniques you use important to this body of work? Tell us how, or what, the choice of medium or process contributes to this work.

There are a lot of layers in these paintings and also the unique aspect of sand added as texture. I think I use a lot of thick mediums and mixed media because it's just simply so darn fun playing around with the colours and textures. When I look back on this work I also think these paintings are a lot like each of us in the world, that is, we come in as a baby pure innocent naturally happy, and excited about life. 

Then things happen, beliefs are formed, and occurrences and incidences happen and shape us. We grow, evolve, and learn while trying to figure out this thing called Life. For those of us on a conscious healing journey, I feel part of that process and journey of re-claiming our authenticity is taking off some of the layers we never really wanted, and getting back to our real selves. This is what I’ve been up to for the past couple of decades and that is what I see when I look at my work. As for the sand elements, well, I’m always going back to nature to re-calibrate and nourish myself… I just can’t help myself but to add it into these pieces!

Exhibit Statement for Moving; Through, Towards, Within

The title of Sarah’s and my collaborative art exhibit is Moving; Through, Towards, Within. Our exhibit statement encapsulates our individual approaches to – and what we aim to achieve with – our artwork. It follows below:

When faced with uncertainty we can either become fixed, paralyzed by the unknown, or move; through, towards, within.

Through Deb Chaney’s abstract, ethereal paintings, she explores the narratives of her own personal healing journey. Through the process and ongoing practice of painting, Deb Chaney explores themes of authenticity, truth, and connection.

Gathered on plinths, Sarah Graeme’s woven ceramic vessels emanate a sense of delicate balance. In her work, Sarah combines daylily fibers from her garden and smoke-fired ceramic vessels to create work that navigates the uncertainty and precarity she feels in our current environmental and social climate.

Both artists’ work use the process of creating to work through and into the unknown, uncertain, and ambiguous expanse in an attempt to navigate questions without definitive answers.

How do we be in a better relationship with ourselves, each other, and the world around us?

Moving into the expanse of discomfort, through, towards, within.

Original Artwork and Prints for Sale

Original paintings on display at the show can be purchased through Free Spirit Gallery. Contact the gallery owner Catherine Hallam via email or phone at (250) 247-0197. Or, if you’re fortunate enough to be on Gabriola Island, stop by the gallery at 590 North Road.

Prints of some of the pieces in the show are available in my online gallery at Saatchi Art.

Saatchi Art has a range of options to fit your individual preferences and needs. You can choose to have your prints on paper or canvas, and most are available in 4 sizes to fit any room. There is also an option to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image gives you an idea of its size and lets you see what it looks like on a wall.