March 2 - April 3
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Fantastic 5point0 is a northern BC collective from Prince Rupert, Smithers and Prince George. Lynn Cociani, Michelle Gazely, Mo Hamilton, Suzo Hickey and Sarah Northcott are connected by a life-giving passion and an arterial road - 718km from Prince George to Prince Rupert.
The collective grew from a self-directed painting retreat in 2018 in Wells, BC. It was equal parts admiration, inspiration and a commitment to art. Despite the distances the artists continued working together. The idea for ARTERIAL came from a second meeting in Smithers in the spring of 2019.
SHOW DESCRIPTION
ARTERIAL
1) the primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads
2) arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body
ARTERIAL constructs a 'through line' from Cociani's and Hickey's landscapes through Gazely's portraits, Hamilton's multi-layered narratives, to Northcott's acrylic abstracts. Every painting has a demarcation 4.5" from the bottom, that connects them and forms a subtle life-giving artery throughout the exhibit. Viewer's following the lines will will see a picture of the complexity of life in the north. All of the work in the show are 24" high, lending a cohesiveness to the diverse images and styles of each artist.
Ten hours of highway driving separates Prince George from Prince Rupert, but artists living in the north are familiar with long distances, isolation, and a road that brings you home or takes you away. Arterial speaks to the resilience of artists in the north, and of finding community and support.
ARTERIAL will travel to Island Mountain Arts in Wells, BC in May and to the Rustad Galleria in Prince George, BC in August.
