Three new exhibitions open at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford on Saturday, July 6, including one that celebrates 10 years of the Emerge Program.
The Emerge 10th Anniversary Exhibition showcases recent and new works by more than 30 program alumni, along with documentation of more than 45 projects over the previous decade.
Kelley Tialiou, curator of art and visual culture, said the program is unique in its focus on supporting emerging talent in the Fraser Valley.
"For many of our participants, it is their first experience working with a professional-run public art gallery," she said.
Reach executive director Laura Schneider has seen the project evolve since its inception.
“It has been a privilege to witness how the program has positively impacted so many artists in our community, and how it has built capacity in the creative ecosystem of our city. There are a lot of incredibly talented artists in our area, and we need to support and celebrate them every chance we get," she said.
In addition to the 10th anniversary exhibition, Art on Demand 10.3 introduces the two newest Emerge alumni – artist Kaitlyn Roberts and Daylynn Onucki, making her curatorial debut.
Opening alongside the anniversary exhibition is the solo project I am my mother’s daughter by artist Farheen Haq.
The exhibition is a survey of multimedia works by Haq from the mid-2000s to the present that incorporates elements of text, performance, photography, video, sculpture, and installation that honour the resilience of her mother and cultural traditions of her ancestral homeland.
The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Campbell River Art Gallery and curated by Haema Sivanesan and Jenelle Pasiechnik.
The exhibitions premiere at a reception at The Reach (32388 Veterans Way) on Saturday, July 6 at 1 p.m., with a performance of Hamara Badan. Everyone is welcome, and there will be light refreshments. Admission is by donation.