workbench

Artists: Jordan Beggs, Caleb Beyers, Marlene Bouchard, Charlotte Campbell, Rachel Evans and Emily Goodden (all Victoria)

Curators: Zoe Kreye and Ross Macaulay 

Date: July 13 to August 11, 2007

workbench presented the work and lifestyles of six emerging Victoria artists, Jordan Beggs, Caleb Beyers, Marlene Bouchard, Charlotte Campbell, Rachel Evans and Emily Goodden.  Curators Zoë Kreye and Ross Macaulay assembled this exhibition to consider the diverse artistic practices currently taking shape in the city. Looking at accessible art venues and communities that support artists on the cusps of their careers and the strategies they adapted to make a living, workbench surveyed these trends and acted as a laboratory for public exchange.

workbench additionally included an opening Art Crawl that travelled throughout the city and “Summer Camp” activities sprinkled throughout the month long exhibition.

workbench housed a diverse selection of works. Evan’s project embodied and replicated the habitats of the local black-tailed deer, investigating people’s awkwardness in understanding the complexities of natural systems.  Beyers recreated his live/work environment in the gallery to carryout his daily tasks while documenting his activities with a self-conscious intensity. Goodden’s work challenged the viewer to engage in a large scale paint-by-numbers using erasable markers on glass to activate an image from her family life. Beggs constructed a huge Rococo garden pavilion in the gallery space using materials like cardboard and Styrofoam to recreate the pomp and decadence of this design style.  Campbell built an interactive space -tent, pods, costumes, food, water - that converged the human and animal environments into one.  Bouchard documented her purposeful and aimless movements through the city, drawing walking maps that focused on social systems, urban society and how we relate to our environment.

Opening Art Crawl
Friday July 13
6:00 The Ministry of Casual Living - 1442 Haultain St.
7:30 the fifty fifty arts collective - 2516 Douglas St.
9:00 Open Space - 510 Fort St.

The July 13th opening of workbench involved a gallery crawl between The Ministry of Casual Living, the fifty fifty and Open Space. In conjunction with one another, these alternative spaces presented B Sides, featuring work by an array of young local artists also included in the workbench project.  B Sides included work by Marlaina Buch, Leela Ford, Neah Kelly, Chantal Musgrove, Azin Seraj and Cathleen Thom. B Sides exhibitions ran for a one week (MOCL) and 10 day (50/50) period.
 

Summer Camp
Monday evening activities
The workbench social calendar is jam-packed for summer.  Join us on a hot night to congregate for creative discussion, social experiments and all out warfare.

Monday July 23, 5pm
Walking & Birding
Beacon Hill Park Petting Zoo
Rachel Evans’ Bird Walk & Draw
Marlene Bouchard leads a walking expedition through Victoria’s nooks & crannies.
*bring sketchbook, pencils & binoculars

Monday July 30, 9pm
Capture the Flag
Mile “0” sign, Dallas Rd. & Douglas St.
*bring camo, flags & night vision goggles

Monday August 6, 9pm
Video Screening by Caleb Beyers
The Ministry of Casual Living, 1442 Haultain St.
*bring chairs & snacks