Art at Council
Each Port Moody Regular Council meeting begins with a featured art presentation. Local performers and artists can request to showcase their art through the Art at Council program. This gives artists an opportunity to share their work with the public and educates Council on the cultural projects taking place throughout our city. Previous presentations have included paintings, sculptures, photography, film, music, sketches, artifacts, dance, and a variety of other forms of artistic expression.
Schedule
January 9, 2024Jack Prasad | Changing Colours Collection
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Tonight’s Art at Council is an acrylic painting by Jack Prasad. The painting is part of his Changing Colours Collection and has been part of the City’s Private Art Collection since 2010. Jack, a self-taught artist, discovered his love of art as a young child growing up in the Fiji Islands. Early on he created very intricate pen and ink drawings of classic boats, motorcycles, and cars. After living in Canada for many years and appreciating the beautiful and scenic backdrops of the BC West Coast, his focus changed to forests and the ocean. Jack’s medium of choice is currently watercolour and acrylics. He adds brilliant dimension to his artwork by layering paint, sometimes even using fluorescent paints. Jack has been part of Port Moody’s arts community for many years. He’s a member of the Port Moody Art Association and has exhibited at the Port Moody Arts Centre numerous times. Unfortunately, Jack is not here with us this evening, but we are delighted to have this painting on display in City Hall. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 9 minute 37 second mark. |
January 23, 2024Melanie Olson | Targeted |
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Melanie Olson is the focus of tonight’s Art at Council, and she is joining us via Zoom. Melanie is a perpetually inquisitive individual, who possesses an unwavering determination to transform her imaginative concepts into tangible realities. Having spent two decades immersed in scientific laboratories throughout Canada, Melanie's insatiable curiosity also led her to explore the boundaries of various art materials. Consequently, she has now evolved into a mixed media artist. Melanie is sharing a piece titled Targeted, which happens to be the first piece she created for the exhibition of the same name currently on at POMOArts. Targeted is a body of work that delves into the depths of human emotions, capturing the essence of the devastating aftermath of enduring relentless emotional abuse. She created the series to look back and identify all the little signs so many people in abusive relationships miss. And to share those signs, and remove the shame of it in a big, loud, and overt way. At this time, I’d like to invite Melanie to say a few words. Welcome Melanie. Thank you for being with us this evening! The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 34 minute 30 second mark. |
February 13, 2024Sade Alexis | Rosemary Brown |
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In celebration of Black History Month, POMO Museum is presenting Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum. The exhibition is written, told and designed by Black voices and reclaims and retells the complicated history of stolen people on stolen land, and how the contributions of Black leaders echo across the centuries into the present. We are fortunate to have an ink and watercolour painting by Sade Alexis , a Black Woman artist and illustrator. Sade’s work focuses on the ways in which Blackness can be understood and celebrated through art, in all its complexities and intricacies. The subject of her painting is Rosemary Brown, adorned with flowers from her homeland of Jamaica. Rosemary Brown was born on June 17, 1930 in Kingston, Jamaica and emigrated to Canada in 1951. Rosemary attended Gill University and the University of British Columbia, receiving her BA and Master of Social Work. During this time, she encountered pervasive discrimination which led to her fight for justice for both Black people and minorities across Canada. In 1972 Rosemary was elected and served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia as a member of the New Democratic Party. She was the first Black Canadian woman to be elected to a Canadian provincial legislature. While an MLA she advocated on behalf of the elderly, the disadvantaged, immigrants, people with disabilities, and discrimination based on race or sex. Rosemary served the people of B.C. until 1979 when she retired and became a professor of Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University. She passed away in Vancouver in 2003. Throughout her life Rosemary received many awards including the Order of British Columbia in 1995 and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996. The exhibition’s Opening Reception is taking place right now, so no one from POMO Museum was able to join us this evening. The show will be on display until April 22, and we invite and encourage everyone to learn more about Rosemary Brown and other Black leaders. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 10 minute 7 second mark. |
February 27, 2024Gwynne Halliwell | A Quiet Corner |
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A Quiet Corner, painted by Gwynne Halliwell, is a scene from an English Garden in a London suburb. It is painted in oil and the City purchased it as part of its art collection in 1999. Gwynne emigrated with her family from England to Ontario in 1966 and moved to B.C. in 1984. Gwynne had a great love of nature and was a talented artist who began painting in 1980 at nearly 60 years of age. She painted mostly landscapes and generally in oils. Her many beautiful paintings grace private homes and areas throughout the Lower Mainland. She was a resident of Port Moody and a member of the Port Moody Art Association for over 30 years, leaving the group only a few years before she passed away in 2016 at age 95. A number of her paintings were sold at the annual Port Moody Art Association Show depicting B.C. landscapes and English gardens. We are delighted to share Gwynne’s painting with everyone this evening. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 44 minute 37 second mark. |
March 12, 2024Denise Jeffrey | Large Wavy Rim Tafoni Bowl |
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Tonight’s Art at Council comes to use from Denise Jeffrey, a Burnaby based ceramic artist. The piece, a large wavy rim tafoni bowl, is part of the Tafoni: Weathering exhibition opening this Thursday at POMOArts. Denise is not here with us this evening, but we like to take a moment to share some information about the show. Since Denise’s childhood on an East Coast Island, she has always been a little obsessed with patterns – particularly the seemingly random patterns found in nature. Grooves and depressions created in the vulnerable red sandstone of the Maritime Provinces were - to her - tidal treasure traps holding bits and pieces from places unseeable. This interest has only deepened since Denise’s move to B.C. and her introduction to the deeply textured rock formations known as tafoni found along the West Coast and its islands. With every visit to the shore, Denise’s curiosity and fascination invariably prompts her to carry home some sticks, stones, and shells that would make great study subjects and reminders. Ceramics offers her an opportunity to capture and communicate what she is seeing and feeling in a more expansive way - a challenge Denise felt worth pursuing in this time of environmental uncertainty and tumultuous change. We are pleased to share Denise’s artwork this evening and encourage everyone to check out more of her work at POMOArts starting March 14 through May 6. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 24 minute 35 second mark. |
March 26, 2024
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For tonight’s Art at Council, I am pleased to highlight an artist and an artwork from the Polish Canadian Art Fusion Exhibition currently on in the Galleria until March 27. The piece that we have this evening is an acrylic on canvas painting titled “Eva with Frankie”. The artist, Zbigniew Kupczynski (pronounced zbig-niev cup-CHIN-skee), is a Polish Canadian artist who was born in Wilno (Will-no), Poland, immigrated to Canada in 1971, and recently passed away at the age of 95. Zbigniew studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw (pronounced wrote-swaf) and later in Paris. He has exhibited in Europe & the US and was called “one of the wild boys of Polish Art” by the New York Times. After immigrating to Canada, Zbigniew opened a gallery on South Granville with his wife Eva, a renowned tapestry artist. A second gallery was later opened in Yaletown. Known for his unique and distinguished style, he left behind hundreds of paintings that are part of many collections worldwide including the estate of former US President Richard Nixon, the late Pope John II, former Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper & many others. I hope that you take the opportunity to view this artwork and the rest of the Polish Canadian Art Fusion Exhibition currently on in the Galleria until March 27. |
April 9, 2024Jason Young | Dex |
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For tonight’s art at council we are sharing a piece titled Dex, by artist Jason Young. Jason is currently having his first solo exhibition at POMOArts.Jason holds a Bachelors degree in Communications Design from Emily Carr University. After completing school in 2008 he worked as a freelance graphic designer, then in 2017 left the industry to focus on his art practice. Jason is a mixed-media artist, educator, and writer with life-long experiences of mental health challenges. Jason identifies as queer and neurodivergent. His artwork strives to investigate the space between queerness and abstraction through deconstructed portraiture, honoring members of Vancouver's Queer community. Jason hopes to find new ways of conveying identities, emotions, and narratives through his paintings. Here is a quote from the artist:"I create work out of a desire for connection and healing — to better understand myself, my place in the world, and others. My work explores the intersections between painting and drawing, art and psychology, self and other." This piece, Dex, is a prime example of Jason's intuitive, abstract, mixed-media paintings. These works are process-based, meaning the artist uses a consistent method (with all sitters) to capture the energy of the moment and the intimacy between himself and the sitter. These portraits attempt to interpret the subject's identity by transcribing the physical and psychic space between the artist and the subject through intuitive, bold mark-making and color. If you would like to see this original painting and hear more about his work, Jason will be providing a free artist talk and tour of his exhibit this Thursday, April 11th, from 7:00pm to 9:00 p.m. at POMOArts.Jason’s exhibition Relational / Reflexive is on display at POMOArts through May 6th. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 1 hour 2 minute 36 second mark. |
April 23, 2024
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Tonight, we are featuring a necklace made with a green heulandite [hyoo-luhn-dahyt] crystal, which was sourced from the Bay of Fundy. It is encased in hand-painted stone clay, with the inspirational message “I believe in miracles” on the back. The beads in this necklace include a vintage Tibetan silver bead, pyrite, amazonite, and dragon skin agate. The artist, Joanne Henderson, is a long-time resident of Port Moody and she creates "statement piece" jewelry for brave and stylish women. Each piece is a unique wearable artwork incorporating sparkling crystals, sculpted clays, precious and semi-precious gemstones, remarkable rocks, unique metals, and settings. This wearable art was created at her "Mossom Creek Studio" store in Port Moody, located in a beautiful, forested setting that backs onto the picturesque Mossom Creek. Joanne's creations have been on many runways during Vancouver's fashion events, featured at New York's Fashion Week 2021, and featured on a New York Times Square billboard. Joanne is a member of the Blackberry Artist's Society. Several of her pieces can be found in the Blackberry Gift Shop inside of POMOArts, and a few are displayed here at City Hall in the stairwell display case. She will also be participating in the Shuffle, Port Moody Artwalk event this June. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 8 minute 15 second mark. |
May 14, 2024Laurie Jones-Canta | Polar Opposites |
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Tonight, we are featuring a piece titled "Polar Opposites". The Arctic polar bear is hand carved from basswood on a live-cut log base representing a melting ice floe, with recycled wood assembled as stacks of polar ice. Acrylic paint is used to create small beads inserted for the eyes. She is shown here in her winter white coat with her one cub hunting for seals. The penguins of Antarctica are hand carved of cottonwood bark, partially acrylic painted to show the bark's wood. They are also mounted on a live-cut log base, symbolizing a melting ice floe. Both pieces were inspired by a current art submission application to Artists for Conservation, which holds their annual exhibition at Van Dusen Gardens in September. The artist, Laurie Jones-Canta, is an SFU Alumna of the Contemporary Arts Program and a member of the Miniature Club of BC and the Blackberry Artist Society. Long retired from Dance and Multi-media performing, she is currently working in her home studio and Dogwood Centre. Her creations are predominantly trees, nature, animals, and conservation scenes along with fantasy houses, castles, lighthouses, maritime scenes, heritage buildings, 3-D ornaments, and local scenery. Laurie creates using all-weathered cottonwood bark from non-living trees found mainly on the riverbanks in Northern BC. She also uses numerous other natural and found objects. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 2 minute 35 second mark. |
May 28, 2024Tracey Schaeffer | What is Family? |
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We are pleased to have Tracey Schaeffer with us this evening for Art at Council. Born in New York City but raised in Winnipeg, Tracey spent her childhood studying Ballet, Modern and Jazz dance. Tracey received her Bachelor of Fine Arts for Directing from the theatre program at York University before moving to Japan to teach English. In 2001, Tracey returned to Canada to seek her fortune in the television and film industry. She’s worked as a segment director, assistant director-on-set and a story producer. Ms. Schaeffer is an active member of the Port Moody community, having participated on the Arts and Culture Committee, produced The Frantic Breeze film contest in 2021 and won the Arts Award in 2022. Tracey is a current member of the IDEA Committee, a member of The Shuffle planning committee, and a Director at Large for PoMoArts. Tracey has always been a writer, but she only started to take it seriously in 2023. Tracey’s personal essays have appeared on the CBC News website and the Tri-City News. Tonight, Tracey will be reading a personal essay titled: What is Family? Which was published in The Globe and Mail on May 24th. This essay is a reaction to the death of her beloved cat: Neki (pronounced: Neh-ki). It examines what is the definition of family AND do animals count? Welcome Tracey. We look forward to hearing you read your essay. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 9 minute 30 second mark. |
June 11, 2024Pat Calihou | Metis Infinity Beaver Bench |
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As an active Métis Nation British Columbia citizen, Pat Calihou is committed to sharing Canadian Indigenous histories and revitalizing Métis culture through his creative outreach and education in schools, communities, and correctional institutions. Tonight, we are delighted to share his artwork. Self-taught carver and artisan Pat Calihou is renowned for his carvings of Métis style. The piece we are featuring tonight, the Metis Infinity Beaver Bench, is not just a carving; it's a story. It represents a place to sit, to connect, and to share in the rich narratives of Métis culture. It's a place where families gather, stories are shared, and questions are asked, fostering a deep sense of connection. He is passionate about connecting to his heritage and building the cultural footprints that were hard to find growing up. Calihou's work presents opportunities to educate the public and for a new generation to connect with Métis culture. If you would like to see more of his work, his exhibit Connecting with Our Culture Through the Places We Sit is on display at PoMoArts through July 8th. Pat will also be participating in the annual Art Shuffle, Port Moody Artwalk event this Friday, June 14th from 4pm to 9pm. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 7 minute and 32 second mark. |
June 25, 2024Golriz Rezvani | White Crash |
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Visual artist Golriz Rezvani has been working as an artist for over twenty years, participating in group and solo exhibitions across Canada and in Iran. She is interested in creating a surreal world that narrates day-to-day life, often featuring human beings as the main characters in her stories. She primarily uses mixed media for her pieces. Rezvani was born in Iran and holds a master’s degree in fine arts. She currently lives and works in Coquitlam, BC, where she teaches at Emily Carr University, Vancouver Film School, and Shadbolt Art Centre. Tonight, we are delighted to share "White Crash", a painting inspired by the tragedy when the Government of Iran shot down Flight 752, killing 176 innocent people. Knowing some of the victims and resonating with those who lost loved ones was the main inspiration for this piece, highlighting the resilience of families and friends who endured this tragedy. Rezvani’s artwork was recently displayed at CoDesign Studio for the annual Port Moody Art Shuffle and is still available for viewing until July 26. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 5 minute and 5 second mark. |
July 9, 2024
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Kris Kupskay (aka KUPS) is a Canadian painter based out of Whistler, BC with strong ties to the tri-cities area. In 2006, KUPS worked with local youth programs and the City to lead a series of outdoor murals in our community which are located on City facilities. One of his most recognized murals is The Future is Behind Us located at Rocky Point Park adjacent to the skate park. KUPS is very thankful for these opportunities as they were the catalyst that began his 18-year career as a professional artist, working both locally and abroad, in street art, murals, product design, and fine arts painting. Currently, he is spending most of his time in his studio exploring expressionistic mark-making and capturing the beauty found in nature. Whether his work is landscape or figurative, his interest lies in evoking an emotional response through the use of movement, layering colour and illuminating light. KUPS has been busy in the studio creating new work for his solo exhibition at Whistler’s Art Pop Gallery that opens on July 26 and runs until August 11. Rough Night is one of the vibrant oil paintings that will be included in his exhibition and captures the glow of moonlight within the crashing sea. He also has an upcoming exhibition in California this Fall and is very excited to be participating in a 6-week art study in Bordeaux, France in 2026. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art Council begins at the 13 minute and 50 second mark. |
Tuesday, July 23, 2024Samantha Wigglesworth | Perception |
| Samantha Wigglesworth is a queer femme artist from conservative rural Northern BC. Their work explores their own identity and vulnerably taking up aspects of mental health, sexuality, and gender through self-portraiture. Samantha is a recent BFA graduate from University of the Fraser Valley, and will be pursuing a MFA at University of British Columbia Okanagan in the fall.
Tonight, we are delighted to share Perception, one of their acrylic paintings from their current exhibition at PoMoArts. For Wigglesworth, the painted foil balloons serve as a visual exploration of how people navigate the delicate equilibrium between authenticity and societal pressures. In some of their paintings, the balloons include self-portraits, which are captured within the reflections to highlight this traitorous journey. The shiny idealized surfaces house a warped perspective of shadows and highlights, emphasizing the contrast between external appearances and inner realities. Wigglesworth’s solo exhibition Reflections of Societal Expectations opened at PoMoArts last Thursday and will continue until September 1, 2024. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art Council begins at the 36 minute and 59 second mark. |
Tuesday, September 11, 2024Hayley Lowe | The Pie Reports |
| Hayley Lowe is a British-Canadian illustrator and author living in Port Moody. She enjoys exploring a range of media but is particularly drawn to pencil, charcoal, gouache and digital painting. Lowe’s interest in storytelling began when she was a contemporary dancer and children’s yoga instructor. She discovered that storytelling was a valuable tool to not only teach but spark young imaginations. Tonight, we are delighted to share her first published book, The Pie Reports, which is inspired by her father and daughter’s long-distance relationship, since her parents reside in the UK. At the time of writing The Pie Reports, Lowe’s father had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. After his first scheduled check-up, the doctor advised her father to focus on the small things that make him smile. One of her father’s favourite things to do is to make pies and her daughter’s favourite thing is to eat them! During a recent family visit to the UK, the trip was filled doing small joyful things like making pie, flying kites, berry picking, making more pies, walking on the beach and spending time together. The Pie Reports is Haley’s way of bringing her daughter and father together and she hopes that the book will also speak to other children who are dealing with a loved one suffering from health decline. A copy of The Pie Reports can be found in the Port Moody Library. |
Tuesday, September 24, 2024Dana Mooney | Desert Horizons |
| Dana Mooney is an abstract painter, with a background in interior design and makeup artistry who turned her true love of painting into her full-time career ten years ago. A true west-coaster, Dana was raised in Abbotsford and has lived in Vancouver for the past 20 years, and recently moved to Port Moody at the beginning of 2024. Dana’s subject matter is influenced by nature, water and her surrounding environment. She combines fluid brush strokes to create depth and texture mimicking the ocean tides, wind, and mountainous horizons. Tonight, we are thrilled to share Desert Horizons, a contemporary landscape painted in acrylics. Desert Horizons is inspired by Dana’s love of the ocean and captures the calm ocean waves, rolling sand dunes and island mountains on the horizon. The soft colours remind us of sunsets and sandy beaches and invites us to find escape, into a quiet place for reflection and meditation. Currently, Dana has an exhibition at Black Sugar Coffee House, located at 2500 St. Johns St. This show comprises recent paintings in watercolours, acrylics and gouache and continues until December. Dana invites you to connect with her for a coffee while viewing her show. The Council video archive can be viewed here. Art at Council begins at the 9 minute 37 second mark. |
Past Schedule
In 2023, there were a total of 21 Art at Council presentations and can be viewed here.
In 2022, there were a total of 17 Art at Council presentations and can be viewed here.
In 2021, there were a total of 18 Art at Council presentations and can be viewed here.
In 2020, there were a total of 17 Art at Council presentations and can be viewed here.
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