Hovercraft: Navigating the shorelines of art and craft
Group Exhibition, January 19 - March 3, Opening Reception January 19

Young Manitoba artists offer fresh perspectives on craft at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.

Brandon MB; Hovercraft is an exhibition of work by Manitoba’s new wave of craft-utilizing artists, co-curated by Jenny Western and Kerri-Lynn Reeves, and produced in collaboration with the Manitoba Crafts Council. Following its exhibition at aceartinc in Winnipeg and Glesby Art Centre in Portage La Prairie, Hovercraft is arriving at its largest and final venue at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. Opening with a reception and a performance by Chantel Mierau on Thursday, January 19th at 7:30pm, the exhibition will continue with an extensive program of events, talks, and workshops until March 31st 2012.

Hovercraft challenges traditional notions of craft and art by hovering just above their presumed boundaries. While by no means an exhaustive display of Manitoba’s young crafters, Hovercraft showcases some of the most exciting new work being made by emerging and early career artists: Takashi Iwasaki, Jeanette Johns, Heather Komus, Chantel Mierau, Kristin Nelson, Jennie O’Keefe, and Suzie Smith. Bringing together elements of embroidery, woodworking, paper-making, weaving, doll making, performance, video, and multi-media, these dynamic artists demonstrate fresh perspectives on the relationship of art and craft.

A workshop space will be set up in the gallery with resources and craft materials for visitors to explore. Everybody is welcome to attend workshops, or come during regular gallery hours to work on their own projects. Some of the themes covered in the workshops will be: embroidery, bookmaking, and weaving, led by artists from the exhibition, Takashi Iwasaki and Suzie Smith, as well as local crafting groups. The exact dates and times will be published in the first week of the exhibition.

Hovercraft runs until March 30th, 2012. The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is located at 710 Rosser Avenue. It can be accessed either from the Town Centre parkade, or from the first floor of the Town Centre Mall through the elevators near the library.

Please note the gallery’s new winter hours: Tuesday to Friday 11:30 AM -5:30 PM, Thursday evenings 6:30-9 PM, and Saturday 12 – 5 PM. We are closed Mondays.
After hours workshops and tours by appointment.

For more information call Natalia Lebedinskaia at 204 .727.1036.
The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba
710 Rosser Avenue
Brandon, MB R7A 0K9
(204) 727-1036
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 11:30 – 5:30, Thursday 6:30-9 PM, Saturday 12-5 PM, Closed Mondays
Admission is free.