The upcoming May-June exhibition at the Smithers Art Gallery is Logging by Annerose Georgeson from Vanderhoof.
The opening reception with the artist is this Friday at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
“The forest is where I live and feel at home. I’ve done artwork about the forest for many years, observing and documenting the changes that have happened over time to my local forest landscape. I was inspired by the pine beetle epidemic that killed almost all of the pines in B.C. and in my own yard,” said Georgeson.
“Most recently I have been exploring the large impact that logging has had on the local forest. Every single person in my family has worked in the forest industry in some way; logging puts food on all our tables. My brother, a logging contractor, invited me to go along to work with him and for two years I’ve been painting the work of logging operations and logged scenery.
“It may seem strange, but I find beauty in the chaos of a cutblock. I know the trees will grow again. I don’t think logging is perfect, but it doesn’t make me sad. There is a tension between industry and love for the environment; I think it’s possible for them to co-exist. It’s an interesting area of tension to explore with art.”
Annerose Georgeson lives near Vanderhoof, on the same farmland where she grew up. She was born in Switzerland and as a child immigrated with her family to Canada. She has shown her artwork in many solo exhibitions in public galleries in B.C. and Alberta. Georgeson has a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria and is part-time faculty at CNC’s Fine Arts program in Prince George. She was the artist in residence at CNC-Nechako for five years and was also the curator of Red and Blue Beetle Art, a regional touring exhibition about the impact of the mountain pine beetle. She is currently working on a series of drawings and paintings about hay, nests and script.
The show runs from May 16 to June 10. Smithers Art Gallery summer hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Georgeson will also be hosting a sketching and painting workshop on June 10 from 1-4 p.m. Materials are supplied and cost is $40 for members and $45 for non-members.
For more details visit smithersart.org.