A New Westminster artist is among those featured in the 23rd annual Eastside Culture Crawl.
The annual event features more than 500 visual artists opening their studios, workspaces, garages and homes to invite in visitors, all across the Vancouver Eastside. A press release notes that the Eastside - the area bounded by Columbia Street, First Avenue, Victoria Drive and the waterfront – houses the highest concentration of visual artists, designers and craft makers in Canada.
The Crawl runs from Thursday, Nov. 14 to Sunday, Nov. 17, with venues open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
“Each year, we welcome visitors to discover the creativity and richness of the Eastside arts district, “ said Esther Rausenberg, executive director of the Eastside Culture Crawl, in a press release. “For our 23rd annual Crawl, we are also imparting an urgent message through our new Displacement exhibition that this vibrant community needs more support. As Vancouver’s artists continue to face immense hardships such as renovictions, rising rents and dwindling studio availability, it’s imperative we come together to protect creative spaces and celebrate the integrity of this incredible, industrious community and recognize the positive impact artists have on our society.”
The Crawl offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at life as an artist, allowing them to see a wide range of artistic offerings – including painting, sculpture, pottery, photography, jewelry, glass art, furniture and more.
Among the artists who’ll be showing work is New Westminster’s Annette Nieukerk, a mixed-media painter who has been involved in the Crawl for three years.
Her works portray the aging female form, exploring the beauty and grace of the aging body in a series of works called Allegory and Grace.
“Allegory and Grace is a continuation of the series In Praise of Older Women that poses the question as to whether or not our society has reached a moment in time where we can embrace the aging of a woman’s body and the experiences - stories of births, deaths, loves, losses, joys and sorrows - that are etched so gracefully into the folds of her skin,” says a write-up about Nieukerk’s work.
She’s showing her work at 1282 Franklin St.
The Displacement exhibition, featuring a juried exhibition of works by artists who have faced the challenge of eviction or who have found ways to survive displacement, is on at four venues: Arts Factory, the Firehall Arts Centre, the Cultch and Alternative Creations Gallery. That exhibition is already underway, in advance of the Crawl weekend.
Full listings for all Eastside Culture Crawl events, artists, talks and venues can be found at www.culturecrawl.ca/events.
