Abbotsford Arts Council

05/31/2024

Important gallery & The Big Tiny update! 📢‼️

⚠️ Kariton Gallery closed until further notice, The Big Tiny Postponed❕

The Kariton Art Gallery and Abbotsford Arts Council office are closed until further notice. This unplanned closure is due to a small fire, which damaged some of the exterior wall. The fire also caused some staining to the interior basement stairwell and a lingering smoke smell. The fire was quickly extinguished, and while no staff were hurt and there is no water damage to the building, the gallery is closed until it has been assessed and repaired. In the meantime, fans and air purifiers are running continuously in the gallery to help with aeration, and staff are temporarily working from home.

There is no obvious damage to any member materials or equipment stored in the basement storage areas, nor to any artwork or items in the main gallery, gift shop, staff offices, or the Downie Wenjack Legacy Space.

Due to the unforeseen closure, June’s exhibition, the third annual Big Tiny has been postponed. We do not yet have a new date for the exhibition and will notify artists and visitors once a new time has been confirmed.

The Abbotsford Arts Council and the City of Abbotsford are working quickly and as diligently as possible to make sure the gallery can safely reopen. We are grateful for the support Abbotsfordians have shown us and look forward to when we can once again share with you in person the visions, creativity, and energy of artists in Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley.

05/18/2024

The Kariton Gallery will be closed until further notice! We apologize for any inconvenience. Please stay tuned for updates.

04/26/2024

Coming soon to the Kariton!

Coming soon! 👀
Pedagogy
by Krystal Charlston
May 4 – 25, 2024

Artist Statement:
I am fascinated by education theory and history, and I am dedicated to using my work to challenge established concepts in Canadian education. Through sculpture, installation, photography, and video, I aim to reveal the damage that these concepts can cause to society. As both a former student and current educator in British Columbia, I bring a unique perspective to this exploration, drawing on my personal experiences to shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by many students today.

My latest series focuses specifically on the faults in pedagogy, using familiar classroom objects like desks, chairs, books, and technology to highlight the issues at hand. By adapting or modifying these objects, I can reveal the criticisms of the education system in Canada and invite viewers to engage with the problems in a tangible and relatable way.

Through my art practice, I hope to educate others on what’s been missing in the Canadian education system and inspire change. I believe that by challenging established concepts and revealing the damage they can cause, we can work towards building a better future for students and society as a whole.

For more information visit ➡️ abbotsfordartscouncil.com/pedagogy/

04/07/2024

Are you an artist in Abbotsford? 🖌️🎨Applications for the Abbotsford Artist in Residence have now opened. We are looking for someone who can commit for a term from May to November and whose work fits the theme of Social Connection and Wellbeing.

❕Applications close April 21, 2024 at midnight.

ℹ️ For more information on the
program, please visit abbotsford.ca/artist-
in-residence

04/07/2024

Now showing!✨

Into The Woods🐻🪵🌲
By Chris Johnston & Jake Muller
April 6 – 27, 2024

Welcome to “Into The Woods” – an enchanting art exhibition showcasing the captivating works of Chris Johnston and Jake Muller. Prepare to be transported into a world where bears and woodland creatures come to life on canvas, inviting you to explore the beauty and mystery of the forest. Delve deeper into the artists’ perspectives as they present an aerial view of a unique juxtaposition – the intricate intertwining of human development through roads and the imagined community of forests. Through their art, Johnston and Muller invite you to ponder the delicate balance between nature and civilization, offering a thought-provoking reflection on our impact on the world around us. Step into this immersive experience and let your imagination soar amidst the trees and creatures that inhabit this captivating realm.

02/03/2024

✨Now Showing✨
Life In Legends
by James Groening (Blue Sky)
February 3 – April 27, 2024

Artist Statement:
“My art is a journey of healing and growth where I attempt to regain a sense of cultural understanding that was lost. I was born in the 60s and raised in a farm community, far removed from any Native art, but interested in learning about my heritage. At age 24, I met my maternal mother and told her I knew my Indian name, Blue Sky. She was surprised but said that Blue Sky was only the first part of my name and the second was lost in time. This is fitting for my life. Lost in a time when things were hard for natives, and now, I am searching for my shadow, as the story goes.

I began learning about Native art and found that I liked the west coast style, and I bought a few prints. I loved the hummingbird I bought and started drawing it and other things I have seen. After purchasing an original painting set by Mark Anthony Jacobson, I found that the Woodland School of Art was a whole new area of art closer to my ancestors.

Today, I make Woodland-style native art where I paint legends and whimsical wildlife on things I make like drums and an eagle head staff. It is very important to convey what I learn about my culture through legends and teachings because generations have lost so much information and a sense of cultural identity. It is also easier to learn a complex truth through a cheerful medium like painting. For example, my work, Turtle Legend, teaches children where they live on Turtle Island in a way they can comprehend.

I seem to find a peaceful balance when doing art, which brings some relief in these hectic times. I hope to learn more and contribute to the art world by creating and teaching those who want to learn. I think this is the way forward for our cultural heritage to heal and grow.

Meegwetch”

02/03/2024

✨Now Showing✨
Nature Through The Lens
by Bob St. Cyr & Kirsty Paterson
February 3 – 24, 2024
In Person & Online

Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, February 3rd from 12-2pm. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

About the Artists:

Bob St. Cyr

As a photographic artist I’m interested in the entire process from image composition to interpreting the negative into a silver-gelatin print when possible and presenting it to the community. I also welcome opportunities to share my work in print and through public exhibitions here in Canada and internationally. I still find it exciting to learn new things and welcome new ways to visually present my work, so have begun to explore a visual expression through painting and through alternative processes, for example, cyanotype and lumen printing as I continue to follow the Light.

Kirsty Paterson

After taking a freighter from Vancouver to Alaska, Kirsty emigrated from Scotland to Canada. Ever curious, she travelled to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Arctic. These experiences instilled an appreciation for diversity in landscape, art and culture, as well as creative risk-taking.

11/24/2023

📢Annual General Meeting Notice‼️

We will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 7:00pm. This year's AGM will be hybrid, with an in person meeting at the Kariton Gallery as well as over Zoom.

The purpose of the AGM is to share highlights of 2022, share 2023's budget, appoint an auditor for the AAC's prepared financial statements, elect members to the board of directors, and pass a special resolution to update our bylaws in accordance with the recent changes to the Societies Act. Current AAC members received an email notice with the proposed bylaws; if you would like to join the AAC or renew your membership, please visit our website at www.abbotsfordartscouncil.com

08/04/2023

Join us for the opening reception of Wild Beauty tomorrow from 12-2pm! 🖼️🧀☕️🫖✨

Wild Beauty✨
August 5-26, 2023
In Person & Online

The Abbotsford Arts Council is pleased to announce Wild Beauty. Local artists Gail Steel and Mary Penman invite you to step into their interpretation of nature’s charm through a collection of acrylic paintings and pastel works.

Opening Reception:
Join us at the Kariton Art Gallery for the exhibition opening which will take place on Saturday August 5th from 12-2pm. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.🧀☕️🫖

08/04/2023

The Abbotsford Arts Council and Kariton Gallery are pleased to announce the return of Paint Mill Lake! on Saturday, August 5th at Mill Lake Park.

Artists and dabblers of all levels are welcome to participate. Simply pick up your canvas from the Kariton Art Gallery between 10am-10:30am, find your favourite spot around the lake and paint the day away.
Bring your finished piece back to the Kariton Gallery by 2pm to show your artwork in our outdoor gallery from 2-3pm and be entered into a draw to win one of two $25 gift cards to the House of Fine Art (HOFA) art supplies & framing.

Cost: By donation – payable when you pick up your canvas at Kariton Art Gallery.

07/29/2023

WE ARE CLOSED TODAY‼️🏳️‍🌈

07/23/2023

Volunteers Needed!🙋🏼📢✨

Are you looking for a fulfilling way to spend your Saturdays this summer? Join our vibrant community as a volunteer and immerse yourself in art, creativity and good vibes! 🎨🖼️💫

Volunteering at the Kariton Art Gallery is an easy way to give back to the arts community of Abbotsford. It’s as easy as manning our front desk and greeting visitors as they enter - you can even bring along a sketchbook or a novel to keep you company!

Interested? If you want to learn more, please email 📧
[email protected]

07/21/2023

Save the Date & Get Involved: We need your input, knowledge and ideas‼️💭💡

🖌️As part of the implementation of the Culture Connect Strategy the City of Abbotsford and the Abbotsford Arts Council are creating a pilot arts and culture grant program.

📢 We need your input and ideas to help us create a successful grant program to support a thriving arts and culture sector.

Join us for the launch of the grant program consultation.
🗓️ Date: Friday August 4th
⏰ Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
📍Location: Kariton Art Galley - 2387 Ware St, Abbotsford.

Let us know if you can attend;
📧RSVP to [email protected] or [email protected]

☕️Refreshments will be served; please let us know if you have any food allergies or restrictions.

🚗 Limited parking is available at 2387 Ware St; additional parking can be found at the Mill Lake Park John Mahoney Playground parking lot.

07/08/2023

Join us from 12-2pm TODAY for the opening reception of Stitched!🪡🧶✨

✨Now Showing✨
Stitched: a Fibre Arts Exhibition🪡🧶

This exhibition will be hosted both digitally on the Abbotsford Arts Council website and in-person at the Kariton Art Gallery from July 8 – 29, 2023.

Stitched features artwork by Denise Doerksen and Alison Chisholm, as well as a curated selection of textile artists creations of fibre work, including but not limited to embroidery, quilted works, knit work, crochet, macramé, and sewn pieces.

06/14/2023

Confirmed vendors for this Saturday! Join us from 11-3pm at the Kariton Art Gallery ✨🧡

06/06/2023

Let’s get ready to JAM!💥🎶

🎸Join us for Jam in Jubilee 2023, EVERY THURSDAY IN JULY.

This FREE FAMILY FRIENDLY Concert Series and Art Market, offers live local music, art, entertainment, food, vendors, and much more! 🌲🎨

Dates | Thursday in July 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2023
Time | 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Location | Jubilee Park, 2552 McCallum Rd, Abbotsford, BC

More details on our website jaminjubilee.com (LINK IN BIO ⬆️)

Hosted by:
Artwork by: Danielle Mijo-Burch
IG/Twitter:
FB: facebook.com/dmijoburch

06/02/2023

Join the Abbotsford Arts Council on June 17th, outside the Kariton Art Gallery in Mill Lake Park as we celebrate Indigenous culture and commemorate the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

We'll have onsite performances by musicians Brander Raven and Becca Hess, Drum Making Workshops with Darren Charlie, an outdoor vendor market with a variety of Indigenous artists and specialty bannocks from The Bannock Stand. You can also enter to win a one of a kind painting (worth $500) by Adele Fussi, an Indigenous artist currently featured in the Kariton gallery's Downie Wenjack Legacy Space.

We are deeply grateful to live, work and play on the Stó:lō territory of the Semá:th and Mathxwi First Nations who have continued to inhabit and steward these lands every day since time immemorial. We are also grateful for the contributions of Urban Indigenous community members, past, present and future, in shaping our city.

11am-3pm, Saturday, June 17th, 2023
Kariton Art Gallery, Mill Lake Park
2387 Ware Street, Abbotsford, BC

✨REGISTER for a drum making workshop here ➡️ https://shorturl.at/lnvI4 ✨

05/31/2023

The Abbotsford Arts Council is pleased to announce the open call for art for the Stitched exhibition, in July 2023. The exhibition will be hosted both digitally on the Abbotsford Arts Council website and in-person at the Kariton Art Gallery.

Stitched will feature fibre artworks of any kind, including but not limited to embroidery, quilted works, knit work, crochet, macramé, and sewn pieces . We encourage both 2D and 3D pieces of all different styles for this exhibition.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: JUNE 3, 2023

Artists may submit UP TO THREE pieces for consideration.

All artworks must have been made within the last TWO years and must not have been exhibited in Kariton Gallery previously.

All submitted work must be ready to hang. There is no size limit for submissions, but do keep in mind we have 8 foot ceilings. If you have any questions on how to hang your piece, please contact us.

All artists chosen for exhibition must have a current Abbotsford Arts Council membership. Memberships can be purchased online at https://abbotsfordartscouncil.com/membership-sign-up/

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at [email protected].