By Cajsa Fredin
Executive director

There is a feeling we can all relate to living in the Valley, and that is the one of ‘home.’ It’s hard to even pinpoint what it is because it’s not just one thing. It’s all the ‘things,’ and it hits you just like one of those summer sunsets coming through the canyon. Often that’s when you know you literally are home, when you come through the tall red rock and into the smell of hot pine trees coming in through the open windows. Many grow up here, and many still were just passing through but just couldn’t find a good reason to leave.

This feeling of finding one’s sanctuary defines the work of six Kootenay artists who found their place next to the Purcells. On now in the gallery at Pynelogs SANCTUARY features; James Wyper, an artist who paints colourfully blocked landscapes with crisp lines, his bright modern shapes bringing back memories of hot summer nights, while Noel Nault ’s black and white photography captures the texture and mystery of rivers and forests of the Kootenays. The candy coloured work of Tod Emel explores the topography of sound through the visual language of winding paths mimicking the pine beetle routed into wood panels, a style in stark contrast to the sharp black lines that outline places like Secret Beach by Amanda Maglis Long. Mats Fredin’s boldly coloured ceramic work is each a physical vessel that holds a wild adventure, as the impressionistic and textured layers of bold color painted by Kate Atkinson suspend moments in time, bold yet quiet meditations on ’the places we go.’

Whether you were just passing through or intended to stay awhile, home is sometimes more than a place that a winding road found; it’s the love and colour that fills your Kootenay soul. It’s where you find your sanctuary.

Join us at Pynelogs Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m for SANCTUARY or at www.columbiavalleyarts.com for online viewing of the show. Follow @columbiavalleyarts on Instagram and Facebook for daily updates. We are excited to welcome Noel Nault to the gallery on Aug. 21 as he speaks about the process behind his traditional black and white photography technique.