September 2021

CARNIVALIA: Art by Connie Wawruck-Hemmett

From Friday, September 3 to 29, 2021

Due to the Corona Virus there will be no artist reception.

About the Show:

In the period leading up to Lent, people in many countries around the world prepare for the coming restrictive period by immersing themselves in joyfully musical celebrations of decadence and excess. In America it is called Mardi Gras and features the raucous jazz bands of New Orleans; in Trinidad and --Tobago, steel bands and calypso fill Port of Spain’s Savannah during Carnival. In Venice, meanwhile, traditional costumes accessorized with fans and masks hark back to the history of the unique city of canals. 

Other countries have similar celebrations, but during other times of the year, such as Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) held at the end of October. Japan, meanwhile, has two seasonal events, celebrating winter and spring with lights and flowers. Our own Canadian province also has two major annual festivals: in August Winnipeg is home to Folklorama, one of the country’s primary multicultural festivals, and in mid-winter the Festival du Voyageur takes place in St Boniface,” celebrating Manitoba’s fur-trading past and unique French heritage. 

Connie Wawruck-Hemmett’s fifth solo show, “Carnivalia,” was originally inspired by Wayne Arthur Gallery’s group exhibition, “Celebration,” in which her assemblage art piece “Queen Carnivale” made its first appearance. Working on that three-dimensional piece encouraged the artist to pay homage to a number of those carnivals and festivals that bring so much joy to so many people, with all of their glitz and glory, musicality and memorabilia. The pieces she presents in this show—whatever their art genre—are as colourful and diverse as the events that they celebrate.

About the Artist:

Connie Wawruck-Hemmett is a mostly self-taught visual artist who credits local artistic legend Ted Korol for helping her to expand her artistic abilities during high school. Her plans at the time involved a future in costume design, but instead she ended up working in the new field of data processing. 

Since that time--even while becoming a mother, travelling the world with her offshore oilfield-working husband, receiving two degrees in History from the University of Winnipeg (BA 1987, MA 1989), and working towards a PhD at Dalhousie University—she has always been involved in one type of art or another. Even Connie’s doctoral work had to do with art, as she specialized in “reading” visual representation of women in graphic drawings to be found in a 1930s Soviet youth newspaper. Unfortunately, the discovery of two brain tumors in 1994, a very invasive surgery, and a lengthy period of recuperation brought her studies to an end, but she continued “making art,” often using it as a form of therapy after being diagnosed with PTSD.  

It is only during the past ten years, however, that Connie has devoted more and more of her time and energy to her artistic pursuits, from fine needlework and clothing design, to jewelry design, ceramic and assemblage art, and painting with various mediums on a variety of substrates. Building on her academic teaching abilities, she now teaches classes in different art styles and techniques and is a certified ceramics instructor. Her work has appeared in a number of multi-artist shows, as well as in four solo exhibitions, and often can be seen at Winnipeg’s Cre8ery Gallery, Wayne Arthur Gallery, and the Edge Gallery, as well as at Gwen Fox Gallery in Selkirk, MB; it is also held in both private and public collections in Canada, Australia and the United States. Connie is a member of the East of the Red Artists.

October 2021

URBANSCAPES: Paintings by Lisa Taylor

From October 1 to 27, 2021

Due to the Corona Virus there will be no artist reception.

About the Show:

This show based on photos I took while walking around Winnipeg during winter of 2020 to 2021. These paintings are the product of COVID isolation. All paintings are acrylic.

About the Artist:

I am a long time artist and short time business owner, lab instructor, substitute teacher, freelance writer, public employee and registered nurse. Wore many hats in my lifetime and painting fitted the best, unfortunately painting didn't deliver life's necessities had to turn to other endeavours. Art is the constant in my life.

November 2021

WANDERINGS: Photography by Erica de la Rosa

From November 2 to December 1, 2021

Due to the Corona Virus there will be no artist reception.

About the Show:

Wanderings is a collection of images I've gathered over several years, many of them during my travels through everyday life.
Downtown locations, old buildings with beautiful architectural detail make up a large body of my work. Older buildings inspire thoughts of times gone by, imagining who the first people were to grace these buildings with their presence. Living through Covid-19 in the present and realizing that many of these older structures were in their infancy during the Spanish flu 100 years ago.
Wanderings also consists of still life images. Each still life in this exhibit has a memory for me, where it was taken, what I was doing before and after, people I've met along the way.
The majority of these images are digital with some filter experimentation on a few. Each photo has a comfortable feel to me and I hope that feeling transfers to others who view my work.

About the Artist:

Erica has been a Winnipegger for life with the exception of eight years where life led her to the great state of Texas.
Photography was an enjoyment in earlier years but went by the wayside in early adulthood.
While in Texas, Erica met her husband who just happened to be a photographer. This rekindled her love of photography. Though mostly a hobby at first, Erica started participating in Flashfest in 2016. Her work also includes photography for stock agencies and custom prints for clients.