Art
Victoria storefronts transform into 'squishy, pink' human insides art installation – Victoria News
While some window fronts house handbags and shoes, one on Douglas Street holds something a little more “squishy and pink.”
The Inside (we are all) storefront is one of six art installations from the city’s Storefront Victoria Exhibition Program, all of which are located in the 700-block of Douglas Street.
BOXCARSIX, a feminist artist collective made up of eight women from the ages of 30 to 60, are the masterminds behind the storefront.
“We started brainstorming about what inside means,” says Clare Thomas. “… and then thinking about how to have an inside you have to have an outside … we make barriers in society that keep people or social groups out of places.”’
READ ALSO: Driver charged after SUV smashes into Vancouver Island storefront
Something that connects us all, is the way our insides look, explained Thomas, adding that those insides usually tend to be pink.
“We wanted to create something, a physical embodiment of the thing all humans share,” she says.
Thomas describes the cluster of plush pink items housed in the window as soft and squishy, that people will either love or hate. The group deliberately used fabric that would be found in people’s home such as a fluffy robe or the bed “sheets your granny had.”
The storefront consists of hundreds of soft, hand-sewn, stuffed fabric sculptures of both anatomically correct and imagined bodily organs, cells and microbes.
READ ALSO: City of Victoria calls on artists to help fill empty storefronts
“We chose things which, at first glance, just look like a whole lot of body bits but then you look closely and they’re made from fabrics from your childhood,” she says. “On the one hand, you get this familiarity feeling, but also a slight feeling of ickiness.”
This is the second iteration of the project, which was originally unveiled at the Ministry of Casual Living, a non-profit society that exhibited works of art on Haultain Street until 2012 and now runs two studios in Esquimalt and on Millie’s Lane.
“People react in two ways,” says Thomas, explaining how there are those that love it and want to touch everything and hang out in the space. “Some people said I can’t bear it.”
The program saw a number of submissions and artists were assessed on concept, execution and how their exhibit appeals to a diverse audience.
Along with Thomas, Mary Babineau, Celine Berry, Joanne Hewko, Jessica Jean, Kuyper Fernlong all took part in the creation.
“This has been a huge validation of our work,” says Thomas. “We’re just really happy to do something that makes the neighbourhood a little more fun.”
kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
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BOXCARSIX, a feminist artist collective made up of eight women from the ages of 30 to 60, designed the “squishy, pink” storefront. (Provided by Clare Thomas)
Per Orosz, the main “gazebo-like” structure is meant to invoke the idea of an iceberg, with other art pieces attached above or suspended below the structure’s roof to symbolize thoughts and ideas that are either visible and talked about, or metaphorically “below the surface” when it comes to water security.
Six USask undergraduate students and two recent alumni contributed artwork to the exhibit. In addition, 20 USask students will be travelling to Prague to perform and engage with the public for the Canadian exhibition. Overall, around 150 students from across Canada will be participating in the exhibition at PQ.
Orosz spoke glowingly about the students’ dedication to creating something that reflected ideas of water security and access to clean water in Canada, as well as their eagerness to collaborate with like-minded students from across the country.
“I feel pure pride for what USask does,” she said. “It’s an international stage, we’re showing off the work to the rest of the world, but it’s also important to show off to the rest of Canada.”
In addition, Dr. Graham Strickert (PhD) with USask’s School of Environment and Sustainability, and the Global Institute for Water Security, spoke to the students involved with the project about being mindful and thoughtful about the topic their artwork is focusing on.
USask has identified water as one of its signature areas of research that garners the university recognition and distinction around the world. Orosz and the students taking part in the PQ exhibition are shining a light on that focus in a unique and interdisciplinary way.
“What’s important about these kinds of connections between art and science is that we’re collaborating and feeding off of each other,” Orosz said. “We’re showing that scientists are hearing from us and thinking about new ways to approach their work, and we think about new ways to approach ours.”
A Richmond-based visual art contest has received hundreds of submissions from across the world this year.
Canada Youth Visual Art Contest, an annual competition open to young people around the world is held by Youth Initiative Vancouver and Academy of Modern Art (AOMA) and was first launched in 2021.
This year, the contest received 660 pieces of artwork from 13 countries. The majority of the artwork will be on display at Lipont Place on No. 3 Road this weekend and can be viewed online after.
“Our competition was to connect young artists worldwide, especially during the global segregation because we started during the pandemic years,” said Yoshier Hu, a student from Hugh McRoberts secondary and co-president of Youth Initiative Vancouver.
“We believe art is basically a universal language for creativity, especially in youth.”
The contest is open to any type of art media, including traditional painting, mixed media, digital art, photography, 3-D models, sculptures and more.
A jury panel from different countries have selected 177 artworks as award recipients that will be announced at an award ceremony in Vancouver Saturday evening. More than 300 young artists are expected to attend the in-person event. The students also hope to raise funds for charities through the contest with the goal of raising $15,000 this year, Hu explained.
“In the past, we have raised money for UNICEF Canada, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, and this year we are doing VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation,” she said.
“One of our main fundraising methods is artwork donation and charity auctions. Contestants and award recipients can choose to donate their artwork, and then we will auction it and raise funds that way.”
The winning artwork will be available on AOMA’s website.
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Have you ever found gorgeous vintage art that doesn’t quite mesh with the more modern aspects of your home? According to a viral TikTok, the solution is simple: You can spruce up any piece by giving its art mat a fresh coat of paint.
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Content creator Christina Dennis (@thediymommy) shared this tip in a recent video, in which she recounts how she found a vintage floral painting at her local thrift store. After noting that the artwork comes with a dated-looking mat, she decided to freshen it up.
First, Dennis protected the original artwork by dividing it from its art mat with masking tape. Then, she covered the mat with black acrylic paint. After the acrylic paint, she returned the artwork to its frame, complete with a fresh new pop of color that contrasts with the cream background of the original piece.
“This makes this floral art really stand out and [adds] some drama to this piece,” she writes in the video.
“I love how this turned out, and I think it truly updated this piece!” Dennis captioned her TikTok.
Judging by the video’s popularity, plenty of DIY enthusiasts agree. At the time of writing, Dennis’ TikTok has received over 12,400 likes and 142,700 views.
“Looks amazing!” one TikToker commented. “Would’ve loved a sage or dark green too!”
Another added: “OMG! Didn’t see this coming!! Absolutely love it!!”
Other commenters chimed in with some tips for making the most out of Dennis’ art mat hack.
“Another way is to add some gold leaf to an existing painting,” a viewer wrote.
If you try this DIY for yourself, one commenter stresses the importance of keeping the artwork in a temperate room.
“I work in framing,” they said. “If you want to keep this art long-term, beware of humidity. The art will stick to the glass.”
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