Message from Director/Curator
Hello and welcome to the RAG E-Newsletter, Issue #12

The RAG is operated by the Richmond Art Gallery Association and is the City of Richmond's Public Contemporary Art Gallery under the auspices of the Office for Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services. The Gallery receives generous and ongoing financial support from the City of Richmond, the BC Arts Council, the BC Gaming Commission and the Canada Council for the Arts. On behalf of everyone involved with the RAG I wish to thank our funders, amazing volunteers and dedicated staff.

Our second annual Members Exhibition & Silent Auction, Mirror, Mirror 2007: Little Landscapes & Miniature Worlds, begins Saturday, November 10. Over one hundred and fifteen works will be up for auction over the course of this excitingly eclectic three week show in support of Gallery programmes and services.

 
You and your friends are invited to the Closing Gala Party on Saturday Night, November 24th, from 7pm - 1am. There is no dress code, tickets or fee and everyone is welcome! Great door prizes are to be had throughout the evening, as well as a 50/50 cash draw. The Gala is fully catered by local sponsors and features a fruit and dessert wine tasting. Final bidding on works will close during the course of the evening, followed by a fantastic late-night dance party. Join us for Richmond's contemporary art social event of the year! Mingle with an amazing array of artists and art lovers while bidding on original works, enjoying great food & drink — and dancing the night away! For more information about Exhibiting Members and Closing Gala Party Details please visit www.richmondartgallery.org

The RAG 2008 Programming Catalogue will be available at the Closing Gala Party. This free publication presents all of our upcoming 2008 contemporary art exhibitions, off-site exhibitions at Richmond City Hall and the Gateway Theatre, artist talks, curator tours, educational programmes, new initiatives and activities! Get your copy soon!

During the Closing Gala Party the Hope-Smith Art Lounge will be inaugurated (at 8pm). This new facility is named after our founding Director, Page Hope-Smith, and will feature (beginning with our Dec.-Jan. Exhibitions) a hard copy archive of Gallery programmes and activities going back to 1980, an in-house library of RAG exhibition publications (as well as publications from other organizations across Canada through the publications exchange programme), comfortable chairs, a sofa, magazine table and media facilities for internet research, dvd projection and audio, as well as wall space for work coming out of our school programs and Arts Centre classes from upstairs in the Richmond Cultural Centre. Please join us in toasting Page Hope-Smith, her history of arts advocacy and action in our community, and this wonderful new facility named in her honour.

The RAG 2008 Wine Label Contest Exhibition is being held concurrently with Mirror Mirror 2007: Little Landscapes and Miniature Worlds inside the Hope-Smith Art Lounge. Voting for the winning entry will be done through ongoing cash donations (November 10-24). The winning entry will be featured on all wine bottles at RAG functions throughout 2008 and the winning artist will be featured on the Gallery website. All cash voting proceeds will directly support daily Gallery operations.

Sara Angelucci's exhibition, Of Landscape and Light

I want to thank Lower Mainland artists Janet Wang and Gwenessa Lam for their challenging paintings from the outgoing RAG exhibition Inside Out. Their work ensured an engaging experience for Gallery visitors this Fall. I'd also like to thank guest curator Karen Henry and artist Sara Angelucci for the well-received exhibition of Angelucci's unique photographic practices, Of Landscape and Light. It's been a privilege to work with women so important to the growth of contemporary art communities across Canada.

RAG's new Junior Graphic Designer, Mary Castellanes

We are thrilled to welcome Mary Castellanes to our Gallery Staff! After two years of exceptional volunteering Mary is now employed two days a week as the RAG's Junior Graphic Designer while completing her BDES in Communication Design at the Emily Carr Institute. Her recent work in this new position has included the Mirror Mirror 2007: Little Landscapes & Miniature Worlds invitations, posters and newspaper ads.

Debra Zhou

I'd also like to acknowledge the fine work of Debra Zhou, artist and Centre A Gallery Coordinator (Centre for Contemporary Asian Art - www.centrea.org). Debra provided a seemingly effortless translation of the RAG 2008 Programming Catalogue (from English to Chinese text). We hope we have the opportunity to work with her again soon!

Visit the RAG this November for exciting new explorations in contemporary art and ideas!

Jeremy Todd, Interim Director/Curator

Community Members Feature 
In this issue: Lynda Nelson

RAG volunteer, Lynda Nelson

Lynda is an invaluable RAG Volunteer. Since 2003 she has been able to do extensive detail oriented administrative work for the Gallery -- the kind of stuff that is not highly visible to Gallery visitors but integral to daily operations and the maintenance of the Gallery Community's legacy. Her dedication and focus have been huge assets in researching the Gallery's exhibition history and the development of a computerized database to catalogue the resulting information (as well as the organization of Gallery publicity binders dating back to 1981). With her retired Richmond Firefighter husband Roger, she has travelled extensively but continues to make Richmond her home (30 years and counting). Lynda worked as a Richmond School District noon hour Supervisor and received an Associate of Arts Degree from Trinity Western College. Linda recently processed the submission forms from exhibiting Artist-Members in our upcoming Mirror Mirror 2007: Little Landscapes & Miniature Worlds exhibition and silent auction, developing a data-base for the incoming work to be included and the bidding forms needed for the installation.

Looking Back

Teacher Workshops – Professional Development at the RAG

This past October the RAG facilitated two Professional Development Workshops for Teachers.  On the October 19 Provincial Pro-D Day the RAG’s School Art Program Coordinator, Kathy Tycholis, led a full day of art workshops designed for use in the Elementary classroom.  A group of 18 Elementary School teachers received a tour of the current exhibition and spent the day working on exhibition-related art activities.  The “Painting Landscapes: Inside/Outside” workshops introduced basic perspective and painting techniques in a variety of painting and drawing media. 

The following day Kathy went to North Vancouver for the BC Art Teachers Conference to deliver a presentation on “Teaching With Contemporary Art”.   Approximately 50 Secondary and Elementary teachers from across the province attended, curious to see what is happening at the RAG. After Kathy presented highlights of the 2008 exhibition schedule and discussed possible lesson plans for every exhibition, participants each created a bookwork in response to one of the artworks they saw in the presentation.  While learning some techniques in responding to contemporary art, this brief introduction to our programming prompted many to want to visit the Gallery in the upcoming year to check out all the exciting exhibitions and programs we have coming up in 2008!

Do you want to join in on a fun and educational Pro-D Day Workshop  Contact Kathy Tycholis, our School Art Program Coordinator, any time of year to book a full-day or half-day of workshops for your staff.  Available throughout September-June, these workshops are designed with your classroom in mind.  See our website for more details or contact ktycholis@richmond.ca.

Studio Satellites – Secondary Students in the Gallery

Janet Wang talks to students from Richmond Secondary

This past September and October the RAG’s School Art Program hosted three Studio Satellites with each of the exhibiting artists from our previous exhibition: Sara Angelucci, Gwenessa Lam, and Janet Wang.  Sara Angelucci spoke to a group of photography students from McNair Secondary, providing them with an in-depth tour of her works and discussing her photographic techniques.  Gwenessa Lam presented her older artworks and gave a tour of her current works to a group from Cambie Secondary, providing insight to her painting process and development.  Janet Wang presented her portfolio and recent works in the Gallery to a group of senior students from Richmond Secondary, while providing helpful advice on how to market your work and present yourself as a professional artist.  We thank all three artists for giving such informative talks while providing students with an unique opportunity to learn from a professional artist.

We gratefully acknowledge TD Canada Trust for supporting this program, which allows us to bus students in to the Gallery for the Studio Satellite talks.

Coming Up:

School Art Workshops : 2007-2008 Schedule Now Available

Join us at the RAG for a fun and educational field trip for ages Pre-School – Grade 7.  Our hands-on art workshops include a tour of the current exhibition, related art workshop, Teachers’ Guide, and all art supplies.  Designed to inspire curiousity and appreciation for the Visual Arts, the RAG’s School Art Workshops are adapted to the age and comprehension levels of your students.  View our website for a downloadable brochure of our current offerings or contact our School Art Program Coordinator at ktycholis@richmond.ca to book.
 

Art Badge Workshops for Guides or Scouts

The new schedule is out for Art Badge Workshops!  Earn an art appreciation badge with a hands-on art workshop in the Gallery.  After school or evening workshops are available from Mondays– Fridays, and are adapted for any age group.  Your 1 ½ hour workshop includes a tour of the current exhibition, related art workshop, and all art supplies.  Contact our School Art ProgramCoordinator at ktycholis@richmond.ca for the new workshop schedule and further details.