On Saturday afternoon, I headed over to the exhibition grounds to check out The Artist Project. I hadn’t ever heard of this event, yet it has been going on for 5 years. The Artist Project showcases original works from over 200 independent contemporary artists from a variety of geographic and creative backgrounds.
I bought a ticket to do an art walk which also included a glass of wine, cheese, and introduction to a few of the artists. It’s the first year that The Artist Project is utilizing an art walk to introduce different artists and mediums. The young woman conducting the tour gave a brief introduction before she started the walk.
There were some interesting art pieces. We were introduced to four to five artists who painted in different genres and used different mediums. Each artist that we stopped at gave us an introduction to who they were, what there art work represented, and the inspiration to their pieces. There was an opportunity to ask questions and look at the art up close. One artist allowed us to touch the art work she presented as it was mixed media using paper and prints with oils and sand.
As we were walking around, there were some great pieces. There were glass pieces with backlighting and 3-dimensional pieces. The installation artwork was interesting too. We were introduced to one artist who did private installations in forested areas using fabrics and threads intertwined with the trees.
The tour was approximately an hour. Once it was done, I roamed around for an additional half hour looking at the pieces I thought were interesting when I was doing the art walk. The pieces that stood out to me were those based on urban settings. As I walked by two displays caught my eye. One display showcase paintings that featured a matte black background with a glossy black city skyline. The other display, MaryAnn Camps, featured a series of painted maps.
Paris At Night, MaryAnn Camps
Both the art walk and the event were great way to spend an afternoon. There was a good mix of people walking around from the young to the old. The artists were mixed as well where there were experienced artists and new artists all within the same space. It was great to see art showcased outside of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
