Alberta Light, A Retrospective :: Paintings by Neel de Wit-Wibaut :: May 4 -28, 2012

Neel de Wit-Wibaut pictured here with one of the winter scenes she is so fond of painting. Neel maintains a simple lifestyle in the country to support her connection to nature.

Neel de Wit-Wibaut is a painter who splits her time between Calgary and a remote location in the Alberta foothills. Devoted to her work, she has been painting faithfully for decades. Her paintings express her deep appreciation of nature and invite the viewer to join her in a reflection on light. Working primarily in oils on wood, her subjects are inspired moments of illumination—sunlight, moonlight and the colors in shadows. This retrospective is a tribute to Neel’s remarkable career and an homage to the Alberta foothills where she has lived for more than half her life.

Still painting at the age of 97, she is deeply inspiring. Here is a short video introduction to Neel and her work in her own words.

Video created by Shelley Whitehead for Bluerock Gallery.  Special thanks to Mady Thiel-Kopstein, Marika d’Ailly, Sandra Wiebe, and Anna Carnell. The still photos of Neel’s paintings are courtesy of Edith Vanderkloot.

Want to know more about Neel? We invite you to read Hope in the Color of Orange: Dutch Civilian Memories of War and Liberation. In the chapter titled “Sonja Mathilde,” Neel tells her story about being a wife and mother during WWII in Holland. This locally produced, independently published book (published by MMWG) is available for purchase in the Bluerock Gallery online store available here.

Thanks to everyone who joined us on Saturday, May 5th for Neel’s opening. In case you weren’t able to make it, you can catch some of the highlights in the short video below.

Global TV also interviewed Neel in her studio. There is a short commercial before the video begins.

Jaki Daniels and Karen Gimbel :: Art and Spirit :: Spiritual Connection and the Art of Monoprinting—A Workshop in Four Seasons

Are you interested in visual art making and experimentation?

Would you like to deepen your experience of nature?

Art & Spirit :: Spiritual Connection and the Art of Monoprinting—A Workshop in Four Seasons combining time in nature exploring the nuances of Spiritual Connection with an introduction to the art of monoprinting.

Dates:

SPRING:  May 18-20

SUMMER:  July 27-29

FALL:  September 28-30

WINTER:  November 9-11

Register here or call 403-933-5047 if you have more questions.

MAKING HEY :: Connie Geerts, Eleanor Lowden Pidgeon, and Pam Weber

Group Show  June 29 – July  30, 2012
Artist reception 5 – 8 pm, Saturday, June 30, 2012

“Walking with Radcliffe,” by Eleanor Lowden Pidgeon

“Aviator,” by Connie Geerts

“Little Town on The Prairie,” by Pam Weber

Big Man II, by CONNIE GEERTS

Figures, landscapes, and the structures of  prairie towns – exuberant paintings by three Alberta artists who are often inspired by these elements.  Come and enjoy this spirited show during the season of stampedes and rodeos!

Small Works 2011: Palimpsests

Show runs from Friday, December 2, 2011 through January 2012

Artist’s Reception ALL DAY 11 am – 9 pm Saturday, December 3, 2011

(Black Diamond celebrates “Light UP”  starting at 5 pm on Saturday, December 3, 2011, with many fun street events – so come to town for Small Works and stay for a party!)

As usual, our fabulous local artists have been inspired and excited by the challenge, and their new works are beginning to pour into the gallery’s backstock room!  We’ve invited some guest artists to join the fun – so we’ll have not only NEW ART, but some NEW ARTISTS in the show as well!  We’re very excited to see the beautiful and interesting works coming in. And, the show is “under wraps” until December 2!

SMALL WORKS Arriving every day!

pal·imp·sest 

n.

1. A manuscript, typically of papyrus or parchment, that has been written on more than once, with the earlier writing incompletely erased and often legible.

2. An object, place, or area that reflects its history.

Evonne Smulders is back at Bluerock Gallery

11 am – 5 pm, Saturday, December 9, 2011

We’re thrilled to welcome back Evonne Smulder’s clay art – the art that launched Terra Cotta Gallery!  Evonne and Rob have been very busy!  All new works, in functional and art clay are now filling a corner of the main gallery.  They’ll be in the gallery all day Saturday to visit with friends and anyone who stops in!

Stop in to say hello, add another chili pepper piece to your collection, and check out the fun and fanciful birdhouses that have emerged from the kiln recently!

Still Big Sky :: new works by Steve Coffey

Show will run from November 4 – 28, 2011

Artist’s Reception 2 – 5 pm Saturday November 5, 2011

Cows in Moonlight :: Oil :: 24 x 36 inches

We are very excited to present all new works in oil by Steve Coffey. These paintings continue in the prairie vein – exploring long trains of boxcars, laundry blowing on the lines, and always the big, big prairie skies above familiar harvest and pastoral scenes.

In Steve’s other career as a musician he’s been working on a new CD this past year.  The new recording entitled “Bovine World Rail” will be available at this art opening, prior to it being released to the general public at concerts in 2012.

This recording features all new songs & great performances from this band of 10 years: Lance Loree, Dave Bauer, Russ Baker, Ray McAndrew, Steve Coffey and Toby Malloy are The Lokels.

Produced by Russ Baker ‘Bovine World Rail’ delves into the world of organic grooves and poetic meanderings richly grown and harvested from the prairies of rural Alberta.