THE TERRACE Art Gallery celebrates its 30th year with a resurgence in popularity.
While the number of members hovers around 200 all the time, families are moving back to town and wanting to get involved and that includes moms, dads and the children, says art gallery coordinator Laura McGregor.
Children are becoming more engaged in art and the gallery encourages that, she said.
If children have artwork that they want to put in a frame and put it up, the gallery has frames they can borrow, she added.
“This month, we have ships in bottles, birchbark bracelets. If they’re calling it arts and crafts, we’ll put it on display,” she said, adding that many years ago, people wanted their artwork of that type on display and they were turned down.
“As long as it’s exhibitable,” said McGregor, adding that means as long as an exhibit can enter the space and be safely exhibited.
Members are getting more involved with coming in to help sell exhibits and artwork is being displayed with a biography and history of the artist more now than it used to.
More interest in the gallery has come from reaching out to the community, she said.
Artists’ work is exhibited in half a dozen places around town, the gallery website is quite active, and McGregor has more hours to go to schools and city council to let people know about the gallery.
So people are being invited to the gallery and the new elevator at the library has brought the curious downstairs too.
The gallery gift shop has been extended so its reception area has been changed, too.
The 30th year of the art gallery kicks off Sept. 6 with the opening reception of that month’s exhibition.
Mayors past and present and a Tsimshian elder make up the planned speakers’ list.
The theme is Share the Past, Inform the Future and present and past gallery members are invited to bring in a piece of art that means something about Terrace to them with an accompanying bio or story about it, said McGregor.
A subcommittee is working on historical information and an auction of 100 6”x 6” art pieces painted by locals will take place.
Silent bidding is taking place right now and goes until Sept. 27.
Several pieces will be auctioned off at the opening reception and all the money goes to the art association, said McGregor.