Gallery 78 celebrates water, the city and emerging artists with three new exhibitions now on display.
Gallery 78 opened three new exhibitions this month featuring work by Monika Wright, a collection of work celebrating the city of Fredericton with paintings by Yvon Gallant, Stephen May, Sonya Mahnic and others, as well as an expansive exhibition of work featuring the 2020 NBCCD Advanced Studio Practice students.
A display of work by Nova Scotia artist Monika Wright leads this month’s showings. In her first solo exhibition, Wright takes a deep dive into the finite resource that is water, exploring tiny ripples and crashing waves.
“Water is the Life Force without which we cannot exist, and yet we take it for granted,” said Wright. “Only now do we see the harm we’ve inflicted and how it affects the quality of life at all levels. It goes beyond the plastic bits that unfurl in the ocean or wash up on the beach, the wildfires that blaze and cause death to coral reefs and sea life. We must recognize the connections between the scarcity of access to clean water and the impact on global health, energy and food shortages, economics, and of course climate change.
“Solutions are in the making, but they must be available to everyone, not only the wealthy, not only the privileged. Let us be as water itself in our determination for change, strong enough to carve great canyons out of rocks, strong enough to change the tide of ignorance and apathy. Let us take care and action for a world where we honour Water for the power it has to transform and sustain us. Together, we are powerful,” she said.
Ode to Fredericton is a stunning celebration of the city’s colour, its rivers, its parks and pathways, its iconic structures and more.
Rounding out this current exhibition is an enormous collection of work by NBCCD Advanced Studio Practice students featuring a range of fashion, sculpture, drawings and textiles.
Each exhibit is available to view online. The gallery is also open to the public once again. There is no better way to experience art than live, in-person. So grab your face mask, wash your hands and head down to 796 Queen Street and bask in these beautiful pieces.
