In July near disaster struck when the basement of the Eaton’s Centre flooded due to a break in a water main. An area of fifty thousand square feet was damaged, including the three gallery spaces and the office of the Definitely Superior Gallery, Thunder Bay’s alternative gallery on Park Ave., just up from the casino. Floors and walls were in need of repair. Shows were closed early, others disrupted. Amongst the debris of wrecked storage material, a computer was destroyed and a painting. Special heating equipment was brought in from Toronto and the heat reached over a hundred degrees in the basement. The working tenants above complained of having to work in a sweltering heat. And the mess took valuable time away from the gallery’s mission to serve local artists and the community. They were having a banner year until it ground to a halt.
Now back up and running, David K. and Renee T., are stoked for their current show (opening tonight with musical performances and refreshments at 9pm), and getting back to their regularly scheduled program of solid Fall activity. (Start making your Halloween costumes for The Hunger!) Details for events can be found on their new and clean website: www.definitelysuperior .com.
One day a full description of Renee T. and David K. and their commitment to the art scene will have to be better described. Their enthusiasm makes for a terrible interview. They talk over each other, complete each other’s sentences, qualify statements with addictions and withdrawals, and explode into tangents about the art, the gallery, and the future. However, their organizational abilities are extraordinary, and tonight is just the beginning of what will surely be a banner year, minus any floods.
They are celebrating their grand reopening with the Biindigaate Film Festival Exhibition, and launching Random Acts of Poetry. The film festival opens the same night at the Paramount Theatre. As always the diversity of the art show is striking with a solid show of paintings, some sculpture, uniquely painted guitars, and a series of video profiles on nine artists produced by Thunderstone Pictures.
The big and bold statement by Christian Chapman, “Don’t Believe in False Idols” takes centre stage, created in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It’s a humourous version of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. Instead of prophets we have Native Chiefs and other leaders. Usually his work is collectable, but this is gallery art requiring lots of wall space. His smaller work, “Don’t Let Your Kids Grow Up To Be Cowboys” also shows a sense of humour with a critical slant.
Candance Twance’s works are getting bigger and bolder as well. She is a multi-talented artist who also put out a music CD this year as well. She has an amazing voice! And her painting is progressing to the point where she will be collectable along with the other worthy artists in the show. Two of her featured works are Red Bird and Visitor Here. Which you will be pleased to be.
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