Red Deer Arts Council and Red Deer Public Library are hosting an exhibit entitled Alberta Skies: Acrylic Paintings by Judith Hall through to Aug. 25.
The portraits are being featured in the Kiwanis Gallery of the RDPL downtown.
The First Friday opening of the event is set for July 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to check out the works and visit with Hall during the event.
As is denoted through Hall’s art, Alberta is indeed the land of the big sky.
In this series of paintings, she examines the sky in all its many moods and manifestations; a Chinook arch bringing warm weather in winter, sunrise and sunset in all their majestic colours, a sky full of storm clouds brings a sense of forbidding, a nighttime sky reminds that reminds us we are on a planet and the mesmerizing northern lights dance in the sky.
Hall began painting with oil paints at an early age with the encouragement of her father.
She took art lessons as a child and has continued to paint while obtaining her PhD. in organic chemistry, working and raising a family. She regularly donates paintings to many fund-raising events, and her work is in private collections in Canada, the USA, England, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Australia.
Meanwhile, officially launched in May, a special exhibit at the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery continues to shed light on local artists over the years.
‘Reflections from a Century – Artists of Central Alberta’ runs through to Aug. 5.
“Reflections from a Century takes visitors into the depths of the Red Deer MAG collection and reveals some hidden treasures rarely viewed by the public,” said Dave More, curator of the exhibit.
“Dating back to the time of Red Deer’s incorporation as a City and bringing folks to the present day, the exhibition explores the visual realm of over 50 artists who have played a significant role in forming the artistic vision of Central Alberta.”
Red Deer has had artists among its citizenry from its beginnings.
In the early days of the City, the creative work of skilled musicians, actors, dancers, authors, playwrights, poets, painters, weavers, carvers and sculptors was often hidden from plain view.
Much of the early art created was of a practical or functional nature or kept within the realm of entertainment or hobbies.
As the community’s expressive needs shifted and grew over the decades so did artistic endeavours. Reflective of a multi-cultural and very contemporary society, all forms of working artists now call Red Deer and Central Alberta home.
The works selected in this exhibition come from the Red Deer MAG Collection and from studios of local artists.
And as centennial celebrations in Red Deer continue, the MAG’s new permanent exhibit ‘Remarkable Red Deer: Stories from the Heart of the Parkland’ continues to educate folks about the history of the City.
Having officially opened this past April, the exhibit offers a look at several of the City’s landmarks and iconic buildings, including the train station on Ross. St., the Club Café, complete with the original jukebox from the restaurant that will play tunes from the last 100 years, and the Michener Centre, among others.
As organizers have pointed out, visitors of all ages will enjoy a rich, multi-media experience.
The other gallery spaces have become staging areas also with items from the MAG and the Red Deer & District Archives on display as well.
For more information on Hall’s exhibit, contact Diana Anderson at the Red Deer Arts Council at 403-348-2787. For more about exhibits currently on display at the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery, or all the events held at the facility each week, check out http://www.reddeermuseum.com.
-Weber
