WHEN
APR 21 — MAY 24, 2023
Open Daily 10 AM ― 4 PM
San Juan Artists
WHERE
ArtSpring
100 Jackson Avenue
WHAT
Opening Reception
APR 21 | 5:00 ― 7:00 PM
Artist Panel 1
APR 22 | 10:30 AM
SALT SPRING ARTS
APR 14 – APR 30, 2023
Open Daily 10 AM – 5PM
Mahon Hall
Southern Gulf Island Artists
Artist Panel 2
APR 22 | 2:00 PM
Archipelago — Contemporary Art of the Salish Sea
12 Artists | 6 Mediums | 3 Exhibitions | 2 Countries | 1 Sea
ArtSpring is proud to present a unique and important cultural exchange between two of North America’s most feted arts communities – the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada, and the San Juan Islands of Washington State, USA. In collaboration with the San Juan Islands Museum of Art and Salt Spring Arts.
Curators ― Richard Steel + Patrick McCallum
How does a distinct island environment shape the artists who live there? Or is it rather the artists who shape their insular environment? How does an international border alter two groups of islands that are less than 30 kilometres (19 miles) apart? These questions inform the foundation of “Archipelago: Contemporary Art of the Salish Sea” a unique and compelling art exhibition on display at Salt Spring’s Mahon Hall and ArtSpring, and later this year at The San Juan Islands Museum of Art. Both the Canadian Southern Gulf Islands and the American San Juan Islands enjoy the same temperate climate, relatively sparse populations, and a spiritual connection to the Salish Sea in which they reside.
Both groups of islands are home to hundreds of artists who have been coming for decades looking for their space to create. Archipelago offers an opportunity to see not only some of the finest artists working in this region but artists who take their place on an international level. Six artists have been chosen to represent the Southern Gulf Islands, and six to represent the San Juan Islands. All 12 artists differ widely in age, medium, background, ancestry, and the scale of their work, yet all have a forged a voice that makes them both individually unique, while still responding to their distinct geographical areas.
The exhibition includes massive, tempestuous paintings by Canadian John Macdonald, and American RaVae Luckhart; bold, spiritual landscapes by American painter Joe Miller and alternative landscapes of the mind captured by Canadian photographer Sam Montalbetti; haunting images from Canadian fabric artist Joanna Rogers and American printmaker Glenn Hendricks. Many artists have chosen to make bold and beautifully crafted statements on the vulnerability of our environment like Canadian artists Jane Kidd and Anna Gustafson along with American photographer Danielle Dean. The voices of Indigenous artists are present in the incredible sculptures and carvings of American Raven Skyriver and Coast Salish Temoseng Chazz Elliot. The list is rounded out by celebrated American stone sculptor Tom Small, renowned for his skill and sensitive use of materials.
“Archipelago: Contemporary Art of the Salish Sea” is a rare and timely series of exhibitions that question the impact of environment and national identity on an artist’s process, and presents a rare opportunity to see new work from some of the finest artists of the Salish Sea.
For this celebration of artistic life in the Salish Sea, which will see artists and their works moving between the islands, we present six of the finest visual artists working in the San Juan Islands:
Richard Steel
Richard Steel grew up in London England, loving all that the city offered, well, most of it anyway, and was very fortunate and took advantage of being surrounded by art galleries, theatres, live music, and fashion. He worked in retail and exhibition design and display for many years and was lucky enough to attend Heatherly’s School of Fine Art in Chelsea, London, which made him see everything in a very different way.
He moved to Salt Spring Island in 2001, with his wife and young children, where he was able to fulfill a long-held wish to design and make furniture. In 2012 Richard joined the Salt Spring Arts Council, taking on the role of Artcraft manager, where he utilised his experience in retail and display and his love of art. There he was responsible for all aspects of the annual exhibition and sale of the work of 100 local artists and craftspeople, including the curation of 4 showcase exhibitions of individual or group work each year. He enjoyed and was consumed by this role until 2019.
Since then, Steel has continued to curate and install exhibitions on a freelance basis, including the Easter Art Show in 2018 and the Salt Spring National Art Prize in 2019 along with many other exhibitions in ArtSpring, Mahon Hall, and other galleries on Salt Spring Island.
Throughout his life, he has done a lot of voluntary work, both in London and on Salt Spring, including being a buddy to people dying from AIDS in the early 1990s, coaching youth soccer, helping in the schools, and working to get the indoor pool to be built on the island. In the late 1980s, he was one of three people who organized and drove a London double-decker bus around the world raising money for two charities.
Patrick McCallum
Born in Penticton BC, but living most of his life on the West Coast, Patrick McCallum has spent the majority of his career in the creative sector. Essentially self-taught, McCallum has worked in a wide range of roles including commercial illustrator, art director, graphic designer, copywriter, comic book creator, storyboard artist, and art instructor until committing to Fine Art full time in 2015.
Since entering juried shows in 2015 he has won The Award of Excellence at the Sooke Fine Art Show 2015; The Juror’s Prize at the Sidney Fine Art Show in 2016; The Juror’s Prize at the Sooke Fine Art Show in 2018, and “Best in Show” at the 2020 Au Natural International Exhibition of Figurative Art in Astoria, OR. His first solo show was mounted in July of 2018 at ArtSpring on Salt Spring Island BC. Since 2015 he has been featured in 18 group exhibitions.
In addition to creating art McCallum is also active as a curator and exhibition installer. He began working at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria when he was 15 as a preparator’s assistant and was the youngest British Columbian to have earned his Museum and Archivist Certificate. He has mounted a wide selection of shows over the years including “Paused Life: A Collection of Figurative Art Masterpieces”; “WPA and Beyond, The Power of the Poster”; “Thrust: A Visual Celebration of Human Sexuality”; “ ‘Homage’ A Spring Art Show Group Exhibition” and the last three exhibitions of the Salt Spring National Art Prize, one of Canada’s largest national art competitions.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, he holds a Master’s degree in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University, Victoria BC.