Submitted by Pamela Stewart
The West End Studio Tour (WEST) artists are thrilled to announce their 26th annual fall tour. Similar to last year, it will be an open-air event. Artists will display their work outdoors on their properties and strict guidelines for physical distancing and COVID-19 safety will be adhered to as recommended by Ottawa Public Health.
The tour will take place over the last two weekends of September (Sept. 18-19 and Sept. 25-26) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. A downloadable and printable map of the studio locations is now available on the WEST website (westendstudiotour.ca), or you can tear out the map printed in this issue of Kitchissippi Times (page 3).
Connection and Community
This past year was many things to many people. To artists, it certainly was a period of introspection and an opportunity to try to make sense of the world. Current events and the pandemic influenced their work and artistic practices; connecting with the community once again to share the results will be truly celebratory and a win-win for all.
“When life forces us to slow down, it gives us time to focus on our immediate surroundings and the details that we ordinarily overlook,” said tour artist Lenka Cutler.
New tour multimedia artist Katherine Zarull echoes a similar sentiment.
“The pandemic has allowed a creative freedom from other obligations to explore my personal interests and aesthetics in my work,” she said.
The local artists also found that emotions were high during the creation process and their art and art practices tended to reflect this or bring this out.
“The pandemic pushed my emotions and resulted in many large pieces influenced by the pandemic with titles like ‘Social Distancing’ and ‘Howling at the Covid Moon,’” artist Maciek Peter Kozlowski said.
And mixed media abstract artist (and mom of 10-year-old twins) Pam Stewart said the pandemic has been challenging but it also brought out her sense of gratitude.
“With kids and my husband underfoot 24/7, it was hard to get dedicated studio time, but when I did get the time, I not only appreciated it, but some very emotion-driven work was a result.”
In its 26th year, this collective of artists continues to change and evolve. This fall, they look forward to engaging with the community again and to discuss ideas and what is currently sparking their creative energy or, as the case may be, to simply allow people to quietly and safely visit their outdoor studios and absorb their artistic visions and dreams.
Four new artists on the tour this fall
Heather Lovat-Fraser works in acrylic. The layering and glazing techniques and bright, saturated colours allow her to create strong, bold and dramatic work. Heather has travelled extensively in Canada, and her love of country is reflected in her paintings.
Joanne Pasieka is a fine art landscape photographer. A trained graphic artist, she shoots on days when skies are ragged and dramatic. Passionate about outdoor spaces, the past 15 months were ones of reflection, new appreciation, and gratitude.
Jennifer Raby has a deep passion for batik, which she nurtures by developing unique elements in her works. The medium itself has a petulant requirement for innovative thinking and action. Jennifer teaches classes to adults through City of Ottawa programs.
Katherine Zarull has been involved in the arts for over 30 years as an artist, teacher and fine arts manager. She explores her visual voice in diverse ways, from abstraction to realism, while using playfully bright or subtly soft colours.
The WEST Spring 2022 tour is free to attend and organized by the following local fine artists:
Tracy Armstrong, Richard Bond, Lynette Chubb, Lenka Cutler, Margaret Chwialkowska, Wendy Feldberg, Deidre Hierlihy, David W. Jones, Maciek Peter Kozlowski, Heather Lovat-Fraser, Janie Park, Joanne Pasieka, Jennifer Raby, Manju Sah, Pamela Stewart, Venz Vesselinov, Katherine Zarull and Paula Mitas Zoubek.
For more information, please contact:
Pamela Stewart: paminottawa@gmail.com
Manju Sah: 613-722-0202