I have not blogged since the beginning of summer, and a lot has happened since then!!! I’ve had the opportunity to share my new solo art installation “Wink!” (the 365-day art challenge I set for myself in 2018) on two occasions. The first show was part of the summer program at The Old School House Art Gallery. I had the pleasure of opening the gallery for the season! Attendance was great and I made 5 sales… It also coincided with summer solstice and I celebrated the occasion with an artist talk. The art gallery season was filled with an abundance of fantastic local artists showcasing many unique techniques and a variety of mediums. The show drew a great turnout of both locals and visitors, and we are very fortunate to have a beautiful space to gather in the summer, to socialize and view art.
I also started a new job at the Cortes Island Museum and Archives as their new Program Coordinator. Before then, I was a contractor who assisted as a curator and visionary on various projects. I am glad to be working with this great team and honoured to share the history of our beautiful island and create history. One of my many projects this summer was working on an installation that celebrated the past 20 years, called “That Was Then/ This Is Now” with Brittany Baxter. I also helped create and put on our Art in the Garden event that took place every Wednesday whereby a featured artist came and worked on their projects in the heritage garden. This wonderful art series was very well received, and also featured two evening performances: one improv in the evening, and another one featuring local musician. Stay tuned in the new year for announcements as this project grows. I’m really excited with the work I’m doing and can’t wait to share a new version of the successful trials of this past summer. Below is a photo of the opening of the exhibition which is open Fridays and Saturdays during the winter months, please stop by and check it out. The Museum also serves as our tourism outlet where you can find maps, books, local artists’ work, and all kinds of information.
Of course summer would not be summer for me without lots of work happening on the farm. Which was basically a full-time job in itself from starting all the seedlings, planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, and preserving. It was a pretty successful season with lots of bumper crops and a few that were not the best – but that’s just life on the farm. Every season is different and not every season produces the same results but at the end of the day my pantry and freezer are full, I have a variety of loose tea creations, and we ate fresh from our garden daily and are still doing so at the beginning of November. Absolutely worth every stitch of time put in. I love farming! It is so rewarding to eat what you grow, every bit is fresh and in season and with no packaging. We are now on our fall and winter crops and the rest of the farm has been put to sleep. At this time of year, I layer my garden beds with seaweed, chicken manure and rabbit compost. I then add a thin layer of soil and top it off with straw and let it all sit until springtime. Of course my summer also included cutting hair at the farmers’ markets, creating yarn… and lots of beach walks. Below is a collage of some of the food I produced and a few of the beautiful flowers that blessed my garden.
My second opportunity to share my art installation Wink! was at The Coop Cafe (also on Cortes Island) from October 1st to 31st. It was very rewarding as I received so many kind words and many people voiced that my work inspired them. When I hear such kind thoughts it makes me feel like I have done my job as an artist. I believe as artists we’re here on earth to share our vision and our work. It’s not always about creating the next great masterpiece but also sharing our process. The idea of putting a smile on someone’s face means a lot to me, as well as lighting up a room, make someone think or straight up inspire them… now this is my passion and I believe it’s my job as an artist. I was so happy to get the opportunity to curate my work in two totally different spaces and in completely different ways. My intention was to display “Wink!” in the form of a mosaic and I am very happy with the way it turned out. Here is a photo of my art installation at The Coop Cafe:
We have two months left until the year is up and we move forward into a new decade. And in 2020, I will turn 50 and for the last decade I have been exploring new mediums, I have had many solo art shows and have shown in many group shows. I feel fortunate to have completed so many of my art goals. I am now focusing on finishing my biggest knitting project yet, called “The BedSpread”, which consists of creating yarn from my stash of fibre and making a bedspread one piece at a time. Besides that project, I will not be putting much pressure on myself in the coming year other than having fun working with fibre, giving my position at the Museum my all, and of course growing my food as I do and spending lots of quality time with my family and friends. Stay tuned for more because I am making a comeback to blogging!
Thank you for continuing to support my blog and my art, and please contact me for more information or if you have any questions at laurabalducciart@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Laura Balducci
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