Text by Joanna Tymkiw, visuals by Rachel Gray. In the Making is an interdisciplinary exhibition featuring the work of ten BEING Studio artists. The exhibition is the culmination of a workshop series presented by five local artists sharing skills in printmaking, sculpture, photography, storytelling and ceramics. Joanna is a member of BEING Studio’s Board of Directors and Rachel is the artistic coordinator at the studio.
It’s quite common for artists to create in isolation, but at BEING Studio this couldn’t be further from reality as the artists always work side by side. After successful collaborations with Ottawa-based artist Christopher Griffin, the most recent providing the content for the Tarnation exhibit, BEING Studio is exhibiting a selection of the works created by its artists through the In The Making workshop series. The exhibition’s opening night is Thursday May 16 from 5:30-8:30pm, and BEING Studio artists as well as collaborating artists will be in attendance.
In The Making curator Rose Ekins says “A lot of knowledge sharing goes on there, but this series of workshops was a collective moment of creation for the artists at BEING Studio together with the visiting artists.”
A total of five workshops were conducted at BEING Studio, each led by an accomplished Ottawa-area artist from a different medium: ceramicist Paula Murray, sculptor Marisa Gallemit, storyteller Kim Kilpatrick, photographer Rosalie Favell and print maker Melanie Yugo. Curated by the passionate Rose Ekins, the selected works will be exhibited at Galerie Annexe in the Ottawa Art Gallery from May 16-26.
Click the images below to learn more about each artist and their experiences with BEING Studio’s In The Making.
Kim Kilpatrick led the storytelling workshop by interviewing artists by working with them to construct and record their own remarkable stories.
Ceramics master Paula Murray created sculptures using relief carving and a multi-step glazing and firing processes.
Printmaker Melanie Yugo developed a series of screen prints with the artists, with selected paper prints being exhibited and a series of t-shirts available for sale during the exhibit.
Portuguese Man of War by artist Henry Hong
Artists created sculpture with Marisa Gallemit using found materials. “I truly believe everything I work with carries with it it’s own story.” Materials included inner tubes, yarn, fluorescent rope and odds and ends from the studio.
Photographer Rosalie Favell photographed the artists as superheroes. The artists then established their portraits by drawing directly on the photographs.
Although each In The Making visiting artist generously shared their practice and knowledge with the artists at BEING and in return, took away the remarkable warmth, support, humour and creativity present at the studio.
Speaking about her what she hoped for most in this exhibit, Rose says “Artists tend to go off on their own into studios, so I really want to make sure that the collective experience In The Making was created in is somehow replicated or reflected in the final curation of the work.”
Through a series of interviews with the collaborating artists and curator Rose Ekins, we learn about their personal evolution, practices and their In The Making workshop experience.
In The Making’s opening reception is Thursday May 16 from 5:30-8:30pm at the Galerie Annexe, Ottawa Art Gallery. The exhibition runs May 16-26. Ottawa Art Gallery’s drop-off/pick-up address is 10 Daly Avenue. The Daly entrance is between Waller and Nicholas on the south side. The Ottawa Art Gallery is a wheelchair accessible venue.
