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Sketchbook Journaling in Challenging Times

One of the things that art does well – and has done for hundreds of years – is to investigate challenging human experiences. This opens up the potential for reflecting on and understanding our own and others’ mental states and feelings of distress and anxiety. Jill BennettNational Institute for Experimental ArtsUniversity of New South Wales In times of crisis, there is a special role for arts and culture in helping people make sense of uncertainty Read more…

The Value of Culture and the Arts in Times of Crisis

Over the last few weeks we at the CRAG have watched how many artists and institutions have responded to the onset of these uncertain days of pandemic. The provision of activities and access to online galleries and artistic endeavours has provided a platform for artists to speak from and virtual places for people isolating at home to engage and connect. Similar to such initiatives at other galleries, the CRAG team will also galvanize to create Read more…

Collage at the CRAG: Past, Present and Future

Collage is a medium all its own within visual art, referring to art made from combining a variety of forms, materials, and sources to create a new whole. By layering different information and materials, new meaning develops from the meaning of the original sources. The beginning of collage is often attributed to George Braque and Pablo Picasso during the Synthetic Cubist period (1912-1914). The term “collage” comes from the French word coller, or “to glue.” Read more…

Collage Caravan: Art on the Move this Fall

In conjunction with this extended exploration of the medium of collage, the CRAG team is embarking on a travelling community collage project known as the Collage Caravan. Local artist Rachel Henry has converted a 1975 Winnebago van into a mobile art gallery complete with a blonde wood interior and overhead track lighting, not unlike the Crummy Gallery by the Bomfords which is currently residing in Spirit Square as part of the CRAG’s main gallery exhibition Read more…

Upcoming at the CRAG: Art Runs in the Family

The CRAG is excited to present two new interactive sculptures, Rest Stop and Crummy Gallery this fall by Victoria-based artists Cedric, Nathan and Jim Bomford. The Bomfords, a father-and-son trio, have worked collaboratively on several artistic projects like this one in the past.  A family business or profession being passed down through generations is not uncommon, whether by means of nature or nurture. Learning a trade by observing someone you live in close proximity to Read more…

Upcoming Exhibition at the CRAG: The Bomfords & Public Space in BC

The Bomfords’ upcoming exhibition, Rest Stop & Crummy Gallery, is being custom-built to be shown at the Campbell River Art Gallery. Cedric, Nathan and their father Jim, who have all lived and worked in the Island for many years, are no strangers to working together on projects of this large scale.  In the summer of 2014, they presented another site-specific, interactive public sculpture in and around Vancouver’s waterways, called Deadhead. made from found and recycled Read more…

Fiona Annis: Room of Knowledge

Summer is sadly drawing to a close once again as we anticipate a new beginning in September. Even if you aren’t going back to school this year, it is easy to feel the nostalgic yearn to curl up with a good book once the weather turns cool. If your summer reading list is still woefully incomplete, look no further than our current exhibition. Get back into the studious mode by exploring all that our current Read more…

Art, Music & Astronomy: Special Event at the CRAG This Week

In the spirit of artist Fiona Annis’s multidisciplinary interests in photography and astronomy, the CRAG is hosting a special event of classical music in the gallery this Thursday, August 22nd from 2 to 4 pm. An immersive acoustic performance will be a natural extension of our current contemplative, mysterious and enthralling exhibition, Fiona Annis: a portion of that which was once everything.  The CRAG is pleased to present an afternoon of music in the gallery Read more…

Super Saturday: Cyanotype Sun Prints

On Saturday, August 17th, the CRAG is hosting a very special Super Saturday. Drop by the studio any time from 1 to 3 pm to make your own cyanotype sun print. This all-ages activity is open to the public and cost is by donation. All materials and instruction will be provided. Transport yourself back in time to the 1840s as cameras and photographs we just being invented. Join us for an afternoon of art-making so Read more…

Fiona Annis: Micro & Macro

Much of Fiona Annis’s artistic practice is centred around the principle of experimentation. The act of viewing these works, or visiting an exhibit for that matter, is something of an experiment in and of itself. You may have expectations, big or small; you may be an expert on the subject or wander in by chance. Either way, you are hoping to gain something – entertainment, knowledge, fulfillment. When you take the leap to experience something Read more…