Pemberton art fans will have something new to check out on Dec. 9 as five local artists drop by the Pemberton and District Museum for a new exhibition. “Warmth, Water and Wilderness: An Artistic Journey into Earth’s Endearing Elements” is a venture headed by Keita Selina, featuring work by Jill Gotto, Lucy Wyn-Griffiths, Emma Hall-Leah and Alissa Powell.
Selina comes from a theatre background and is used to designing sets based on a script. There was no script to go from this time, but the exhibit’s overarching theme coalesced naturally—pun intended.
“What we tried to do was look at the kind of work that we all like,” says Selina. “We looked at different influences and then pulled together the common themes that we could see running through our preferences. And the themes that came out were warmth, water, and wilderness.
“We live in one of the most beautiful places when it comes to nature, so it makes sense that a lot of us are impacted by it.”
The five ladies are part of an art club that Selina started in September, which includes a mix of emerging professionals and hobbyists united by their common interest. The group meets on Saturday mornings in Selina’s home studio to drink tea, socialize and paint together. They’ve got 19 pieces as a group, many of which have never been seen by anyone outside of their immediate families.
“I just really wanted to bring together some sense of community, as a reaction to COVID especially,” explains Selina. “It's very isolating being an artist and finding time to create when you're a hobbyist, yet it also brings a lot of comfort and self-expression to people. So, I wanted to create this club and have some accountability to see what we could come up with.”
Accessible art
Art has never been an easy way to provide for oneself, and unproven creators can face many obstacles in showcasing their work. That’s why Selina pursued an opportunity for her and her peers to display their art in an accessible manner—giving voice to the real people who live in Pemberton.
“I think that there's quite a lot of gatekeeping that goes on with being able to show your work in a gallery setting,” opines the British expatriate. “It [depends] a lot on who you know. This is just an opportunity for people that like art to come together in that mid-range. It’s not highly curated and there are no rules. It's a mixture of people who genuinely love making art that live in and around Pemberton.
“I really want everybody to have that experience and that confidence-building time. Art should be accessible. It shouldn't be this hierarchical thing, in my personal opinion.”
On Saturday, museum guests will have the opportunity to purchase any painting that catches their eye in a laid-back, alcohol-free environment. Each artist will be on hand to discuss their creative processes and the techniques behind their work.
“There's quite a confidence boost when somebody goes: ‘I really see something in your artwork, so much so that I would like to buy it and have that in my home,’ and I want to be able to provide that experience,” Selina says. “And even if they don't sell, that's also a lesson in itself. It’s okay to put yourself out there.”
Selina grew up in Leeds, England, and first moved to the Sea to Sky as a teenager with her parents. Unlike her dad, she isn’t an avid skier—nor an athlete of any kind. Even so, Pemberton left its impression on her, so much that she returned as an adult after studying theatre in London.
Over time, Selina has come to appreciate the wholesome and down-to-earth nature of life in the corridor, and it’s something she chooses for her own kids. She also chooses to continue pursuing art, not for the money but for what it brings into her life.
“I realized that making art made me really happy and I needed to find a way to do it, so I turned back towards smaller canvases and started working in ink and watercolor because that's easier when you've got littles,” Selina says. “And then slowly as they've gotten bigger, I guess my pieces have gotten bigger.”
More information about “Warmth, Water and Wilderness” is available at https://www.thecreativecupboard.com/events/art-show.
