October 27 marks closing day for two significant local art exhibitions.
There are still two weekends left to catch some art that doesn’t come from Berlin. And that is actually available for purchase.
The two venues are fixtures on the local arts scene but perhaps not always top of mind for the general public. Cre8ery is upstairs in an Adelaide Street warehouse in the Exchange. The Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery is off Shaftesbury next to the deer haunts of Charleswood.
Artist Jordan Miller at cre8ery
UP THE STAIRS: Jordan Miller’s It All Starts With A Line at cre8ery
This show really did start with a line.
“This one was just all about what came out,” says artist Jordan Miller. “It was all intuitive. It literally started with a line. And then I flipped the canvas and whatever started to appear for me is what…came.”
Miller’s current exhibition ranges through large-scale acrylics to mono prints and mixed media pieces. Dozens of works fill the central gallery and spill across the hall at cre8ery. This is a large exhibition, although Miller would be hard-pressed to match the sheer volume of her 364-piece (literally a painting a day) show several years ago.
“I would call myself an abstract expressionist-with a story. An emotional story. I would say my work is quite contemporary.”
“It’s always hard to sum it up”, she says, “because I do so many different styles.”
Multi-tasking Winnipeg artist Miller is Executive Director of cre8ery as well as a working artist. She earned her Fine Arts degree at University of Manitoba and holds a diploma in Arts & Cultural Management from University of Winnipeg.
Heartfelt Intuition by Jordan Miller
A theme would be hard to pin down. “You can’t really see a theme,” she says, “but I see a link from one piece to the next. You can see what I made at around the same time…because whatever was in my head or the back of my mind…that’s what came out on canvas.”
“So I can look at every piece in here and know exactly what was going on in my life at the time.” Thus we see examples of both “chaos” and “calmness”.
And She Danced, by Jordan Miller.
Cre8ery occupies an entire floor of a large warehouse, with artist’s studios clustered around a large central gallery space and workshops offered on site. Members can show in the auxiliary gallery but the central gallery is rental space.
“I think of it (cre8ery) as an opportunity space for all artists,” says Miller. “So if someone has a concept or an idea, they come to see me. And I never turn any artist down if they want to take on the responsibility of the rental and the work they have to do behind it. Then by all means they can have a show here.”
The work is normally “quite commercial” as opposed to the more conceptual art offered at some galleries, she says. Artists have to sell to make money. This gallery does not receive government funding.
The building cre8ery calls home.
The cre8ery is located on the second floor of 125 Adelaide with its entry just off William. Hours: Tue.-Fri. Noon-6 p.m., Sat. Noon-5 p.m.
IN THE WOODS: Miriam Rudolph/Terry Hildebrand’s Tandem: Going Places Together at Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery
Miriam Rudolph linocut: My Winnipeg IV
At the opening of Tandem: Going Places Together, Miriam Rudolph assured the audience that Winnipeg was still “home” despite recent wanderings.
This is a two-person show with printmaker Miriam Rudolph upstairs and ceramic artist (and life partner) Terry Hildebrand on the main floor.
The prints on display revolve around recent living places, the Chaco region of Paraguay and the tragic loss of her father.
Rudolph is well known for her birds-eye views of Winnipeg featuring iconic landmarks and does not disappoint. The show includes large-scale views of both Winnipeg and Minneapolis.
Rudolph grew up in Paraguay but moved to Winnipeg to attend University of Manitoba. She and Hildebrand recently spent several years in Minneapolis where Hildebrand completed his Masters in Fine Arts in ceramics.
Currently they live in Edmonton where Miriam is completing her MFA in printmaking.
The artists as participants: print detail from “Dinner with Bouquet”
As is usual at a Miriam Rudolph exhibition, the artist makes a few guest appearances in her prints.
Terry Hildebrand ceramics: far from your ordinary set of mugs.
Terry Hildebrand grew up in small town Manitoba before attending University of Manitoba’s School of Fine Arts. His ceramic work focuses on teapots and cups. This work is presented in groupings, often with wooden trays. The integration of the wooden settings with these functional ceramics is impressive.
Per Terry: “The main purpose of my utilitarian ceramic work is undeniably its function. The ritual of its use becomes a central experience. I create playful sets that entice the users to interact with each other and the tray.”
If the settings are intimidating, individual pieces are also available. On opening night Hildebrand directed attendees to the “cash and carry” table where visitors can purchase mugs, teapots and other pieces one by one.
The Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery is located next to the Assiniboine Forest, at the Canadian Mennonite University campus. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sat. Noon-5 p.m.
