Geometry can be felt in the balance of a canoe prow and measured in each loop of a cedar bark basket. More prominently, it can be seen in the distinctive ornamentation painted upon sculptures and weavings alike. – India Young, guest writer for the exhibition Beyond the Edges The AGGV’s exhibition Beyond the Edges: Art […]
Following on “The Gallery As Authority: Place“, Part 3 of the Communities + Collections series, entitled “Re-search” explored the complexity of how knowledge is shared, collected, and used to empower and/or disenfranchise. The event in early February drew a crowd from all walks of life and was graced by our two Indigenous keynote speakers, Eli Hirtle […]
The exhibition Point of Contact: On Place and the Westcoast Imaginary centers on a pertinent part of Vancouver Island’s modern history, the story of Captain James Cook’s arrival in 1778 and his role in opening up trade at a place the colonists named Nootka. On a more personal level, the exhibition was put together by the AGGV’s […]
The first exhibition tour of Form As Meaning: First Nations Prints from the Pacific Northwest was led by AGGV’s Michelle Jacques, Chief Curator and Nicole Stanbridge, Curator of Engagement. While Michelle and Nicole facilitated the tour and the organization of the exhibition, the works on display were selected by a panel of Indigenous guest co-curators: Marcia […]
Each year, the AGGV rotates through about 14 exhibitions in its seven galleries. This keeps our Collections team very busy throughout the year. As each exhibition is staged and others are removed, the team goes through the artworks, checking for condition and helping to arrange them for display. The Gallery spaces are modified for the specific […]
The language, history and current state of First Nations prints make up the theme of the AGGV’s newest exhibition Form As Meaning: First Nations Prints from the Pacific Northwest. For centuries, First Nations artists from the Pacific Northwest have developed a visual language made up of shapes, lines and colours that can be seen in […]
After a 3-month hiatus over the summer, Family Sunday at the AGGV resumed with much gusto in October! The event was well attended by families who immersed themselves in the art and environmental activities inspired by Water Work Space, the interactive, research-and-development exhibition that combines art, activism and community engagement. We were fortunate to have […]
Join us as we explore issues related to the vast and mighty topic that is WATER. Water as a resource; water as a conduit of trade, exchange, and colonization; water and climate change. The AGGV’s upcoming Water Work Space exhibition functions much like a Research and Development Department – part workshop, part exhibition space.
I hope the viewer will leave the exhibition with an understanding of how the idea of place is subjective and culturally constructed; and to consider the role that artists have played in shaping and informing these attitudes. The exhibition looks at Nootka as a case study and traces an arc of more than 200 years. […]
The exhibition Close To Home showcases works by local artists from Victoria and the region. Indigenous artists are well represented among them, and in particular, Coast Salish artists feature prominently. Butch Dick is from the Lkwungen community, also known as the Songhees First Nations. His family roots extend into the Xw’chalth’lap community, today known as […]
The AGGV’s latest exhibition Close To Home evokes many reactions, as the viewer moves from one room to another. The exhibition is hung, more or less, in chronology. However, the works have been purposefully positioned such that the viewer sees connections between works. Some of these links are obvious, and others less so. This is where […]
The strong verticals of Tim Paul’s cedar totem carving resonate next to Sybil Andrew’s print of Western Red Cedar. This was the reason behind Curator Michelle Jacques’s placement of the two artworks side-by-side in the exhibition, Close To Home. The visual impact and the difference in colour tonality draw the eye from one to the other. […]
The early history of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the formation of the permanent collection has been the subject of many past exhibitions at the Gallery. At the center of these stories is Colin Graham, the AGGV’s first Curator and Director, whose enthusiasm and vision was critical in establishing the Gallery as a […]
