A work by local wildlife artist and gallery member, Jean Dunn. (submitted photo/Jean Dunn)

By Martin Martinson

Seasonal celebration

Allen Sapp Gallery to spread festive cheer with local Art Market

Nov 30, 2020 | 2:16 PM

Residents of the Battlefords and area are invited to take in a special visual display next month, at the Allen Sapp Gallery.

The gallery will host its inaugural Christmas Art Market in the lower level, which will open this Saturday (Dec. 5) and run throughout the month of December, featuring the works of more than a handful of local area artists.

Curator and manager of galleries for the city of North Battleford, Leah Garven, said the inspiration to host the special gallery came from wanting to give back to the community and provide an outlet for local artists during this unprecedented time.

“I was wondering how we could engage with people in the community during this COVID time,” she said. “I wanted to do something special for our membership, and one thing the artists like is having the opportunity to show their own work. So I thought in the spirit of Christmas, it might be nice to approach it from a Christmas point of view.”

Garven said the gallery is a great place for families to come and soak in a little bit of that holiday wonder, in a safe place.

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“Museums and art galleries are actually quite ideal for visiting in a sanitized type environment,” she said. “We’re already a no-touch zone, we’re already a keep-your-distance space, and this is just giving a secondary area for residents to come and spend some time and wander.”

“It’s a little bit of a different celebration, in this very different year.” – Leah Garven on this year’s Christmas Market.

The Art Market will be supervised by gallery staff and will adhere to provincial health guidelines. The main gallery will be limited to a maximum of 15 people at a time, and the lower level will be limited to six people at a time.

Garven said she hopes the event can become an annual occurrence, with a positive turnout to build off of this year.

“I’m hoping it will be the beginning of something bigger next year, when we can plan a little bit more and hopefully get more people out” she said. “I’m using this year as a building block for future art markets.”

The Art Market will run for the month of December. It will be available for viewing during the Allen Sapp Gallery’s regular hours of operation, Wednesday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.

The gallery will connect those wishing to purchase a piece from the market to the artist directly.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1