The Altars, Shrines and Curiosities exhibition has been an idea brewing in the mind of local artist Krista Stovel for over 20 years. Her travels have taken her to places where shrines were often found at the side of a road, placed outside buildings and hidden in small openings in alleys in cities and villages. The shrines seemed to hold entire worlds in one organic assemblage of worship.
The inspiration to use this concept in her own art came from the owner and chef at Metropolitan Diner, in Victoria, B.C. in 1989. He had placed miniature altars made of old toys and found objects in the restaurant’s kitchen. They were mesmerizing and fanciful and reminiscent of the spontaneous altars/shrines in faraway countries, where you could stop, for a moment and reflect, before continuing on the journey. Exploring other artists’ ideas on that concept led to studying and being inspired by the work of Joseph Cornell who built boxes displaying ordinary objects that when placed together create a miniature world of metaphor and possibilities.
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This new exhibition highlights the unique interpretations of 15 Revelstoke artists, including metal artist Andrew Stacey, who has created a large shrine made mostly out of “railway scrap” and describes this work as “my attempt at a non-denominational multicultural edifice for making an offering, making a wish, saying a prayer to the Railway Gods, to connect myself and my co-workers in an intangible way.”
Altars, Shrines and Curiosities opens on November 6, 2015 in the main gallery of Revelstoke Art Gallery, along with the Glacier Adventure Stewardship Program (GASP), which features photography by high school students who have participated in a Parks Canada program that gives local youth an opportunity to connect with their natural and cultural heritage. Join the artists at the opening reception on November 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Revelstoke Art Gallery at 320 Wilson Street. The exhibitions works are on view from November 6 to November 27, 2015.
The artists in the exhibit are Artists: Peter Blackmore, Mieke Blommestein, Sandra Flood, Tina Lindegaard, Mas Matsushita Cherie Van Overbeke, Jacqueline Pendergast, Jennefer Rogers, Andrew Stacey, Joanne Stacey, Krista Stovel, Estee Sylvester, Coreen Tucker, Memory Uglene, and David Walker.
For more information contact Krista Stovel at 250-814-7827 or krista@kristastovel.com
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