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Fragments on display for next show at Art Gallery in Chilliwack

Fragments: Explorations in Mixed-Media Collage runs Aug. 10 to Sept. 9 at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre
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Fragments: Explorations in Mixed-Media Collage is an exhibition featuring the works of Chilliwack artists Christine Newsome and Betty Meiszner, plus Victoria Ray (work pictured here) from Hope and Dianne Hultgren of Vancouver Island.

Four artists will come together for the next art installation at the Art Gallery in the Chilliwack Cultural Centre.

Fragments: Explorations in Mixed-Media Collage is an exhibition featuring the works of Chilliwack artists Christine Newsome and Betty Meiszner, plus Victoria Ray from Hope and Dianne Hultgren of Vancouver Island. The show runs Aug. 10 until Sept. 9 with an opening reception this Saturday, Aug. 12.

The artists are dedicated to exploring the possibilities in mixed-media as an art form. Mixed-media collage lends itself to pushing the boundaries and each artist represented here has a very unique approach. The results are rich, diverse and exciting.

Christine Newsome is a mixed-media collage artist who lives in Chilliwack. She is a retired art teacher with a Masters Degree in Art Education. She was born in England and had lived in, or visited, thirteen countries by the time she was nine. This vagabond childhood gave her an avid interest in travel, history and world cultures… things that strongly inform her work today. She begins each piece by choosing two background colours and then intuitively begins to build and layer the collage using images and textures that resonate with her.

Betty Meiszner is a mixed-media Chilliwack artist with a Masters in Art Education. She enjoys learning new techniques and experiments with many types of media including paint, paper including photographs, assemblage and encaustic wax. Meiszner’s strong interest in travel and photography inspire her mixed-media work. She often uses photo-transfers and then builds up the layers and textures. Ongoing participation in retreats and workshops has taught her to trust the process and to have fun creating and teaching in her home based Studio B in Chilliwack.

Victoria Ray is a self-taught Hope artist. For her, art is a source of relaxation and a way to continue learning. Her fascination with collecting bits and pieces led her to collage. She enjoys the sense of play and experimentation inherent in gluing things to a flat surface. Each piece evolves as the layers of paint, paper, pastel, found objects and wax are laid down. Ray’s good eye, willingness to play, and sense of humour are all evident in her work.

Dianne Hultgren is a mixed-media artist based on Vancouver Island. Growing up in the Okanagan, she found inspiration in nature and worked in many media such as watercolour, coloured pencil, clay, quilting and fabric dying. Upon retirement from teaching, she attended several mixed-media collage classes presented in Chilliwack. Here she found renewed inspiration, and with it, the freedom to develop her own sense of colour and style, always propelled by intuition and wabi-sabi (embracing the accidental). Hultgren continues to expand her knowledge by attending gallery open ins and studio tours, as well as art workshops and retreats.

Fragments: Explorations in Mixed-Media Collage is on at the O’Connor Group Art Gallery in the Chilliwack Cultural Centre Aug. 10 to Sept. 9. Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

An artists’ meet-and-greet is scheduled from Saturday, Aug. 12 from noon to 3 p.m.

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Artwork by Dianne Hultgren.
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Artwork by Betty Meiszner.