Thank you to everyone who attended the exhibition on November 4th at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. For many it was the first time attending an event since the beginning of the pandemic, and I feel it is an honour to have provided that opportunity. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces (or at least the top half) and many new ones, and to see people enjoying the paintings in the same space we have held this exhibition in since 1994. To hear laughter and chatter and feel the electricity of being together was a gift.
Allow me to back up a step. For those who are new to my work, a brief explanation: Since 1994, I have held an annual solo exhibition at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton. It could be considered a vernissage, as it is the unveiling of most of my year’s work to invited guests before it is seen by the wider public. With the exception of 5 or 6 paintings that are previewed online in the months leading to the exhibition, the paintings have never been seen, and none are pre-sold.
It all adds up to an intense and busy event for all involved. We arrived at 8:30 a.m. at the hotel, unloaded 28 paintings along with a plethora of tools and supplies, and began unpacking and hanging the exhibition. With a team of five, we were finished in about 6 hours. Running mostly on caffeine and adrenaline at this point, we then had a short while to have a quick bite to eat and get dressed before guests start arriving.
To add yet another layer of work (because that’s just who I am) I also tried my hand at capturing the rooms for a virtual tour. It would have been way smarter to practice before, but I had zero extra time, so I winged it. The end result is barely passable but it does give some sense of the exhibition space. Feel free to giggle at my attempt by visiting the online exhibition.
Virtual Tour
I would also like to thank those who signed up as members on our website for private access to the exhibition to coincide with the in-person exhibition. Unfortunately there were some technical difficulties. I believe only 10 of 28 paintings displayed for the first half an hour until the correction could be made, and there were some broken links. Tech support (me) was busy talking to guests and was rather slow in fixing the issue. Thank you for your patience!
The online exhibition is open until November 14. If you would like to see any of the available work in person, please contact us to make a private appointment or join us at our open house November 13 and 14. (Masks and proof of vaccination are required.)
I have many more people to thank, including my volunteers who help set up and make the evening run smoothly, the fantastic staff at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald who are incredibly accommodating and efficient. Thank you to the admirers and collectors of my work, and to my friends and family who are a constant source of support and inspiration. Lastly, thank you for reading this post!
