THE AUDACITY OF TAKING UP SPACE: Guest Curated by Laurie M. Landry

Figurative art can be a form of claiming your space, whatever your space may be. Creating a presence - or even an absence of presence. The viewer is forced to acknowledge the presence of the figure, the person. Historically, artists like Alexandre Cabanel like to paint aesthetically pleasing things, and that is extended to the figures, hence the “the male gaze”. Think of the many historical paintings in which the youthful woman is the focal subject, often for the rich, male patron of the artist. Contemporary figurative art has broken away from the powerful, the rich, the white man, or the beautiful, flawless maiden as a subject, but incorporating the contemporary world we live in, full of diversity. Black, Indigenous, Asian, queer, body positive and/or disabled figures are spotlighted. Leading the dialogue with the public on contemporary figurative art is guest curator Laurie M. Landry, and featuring the works by A.J. Brown, Sára Molčan, Annette Nieukerk and Nicole Sleeth.

"From Darkness to Light" by Deborah Gorman.

No one decides to become homeless and addicted. These people are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and our children. This is a mental health issue, not a criminal one, and has nothing to do with morality.

Coming up this fall, a brand new exhibition called "A Journey Through Scoliosis by Saghi Eteshamzadeh, a student currently studying Arts and Entertainment at Capilano University.

Her multi-disciplinary art project is based on Scoliosis and its similarities with natural elements, embracing scoliosis bodies and raising awareness. Saghi completed a photo shoot for this project back in Iran, and has continued to develop this body of work since coming to Vancouver, expanding to include both video and dance.

Southern Cross: A Novel of the South Seas, is a stunning wordless novel told in 118 wood engravings by the Canadian artist Laurence Hyde in protest to the tests of the hydrogen bomb made by the United States at the Bikini Atoll in 1946.

Art and Activism: Contemporary printmaking from Oaxaca, Mexico. This exhibition is focused on the incredible work done by two of the leading artist collectives from Oaxaca, Mexico comprised of young art students and street artists.

Toni Onley Gallery - Lasting Impressions
Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669), and William Hogarth (1697-1764)