U of L BFA graduate April Matisz presents her first solo exhibition at the Trianon Gallery tonight, Feb. 13.

 Her exhibition blends her background  in biology with her love for ecology,  nature and Puerto Rico. She earned a BA in biology from the University of Victoria and worked as a field researcher.
“That also influenced me,” Matisz said.

“When I graduated with my BFA from the University of Lethbridge in 2009, I moved to Puerto Rico which is where I developed this body of work,” she said.

 Her exhibition includes 17 oil paintings and 11 drawings  which reflect  her appreciation for how nature works together.
“I was influenced a lot by local landscapes, vegetation and the diversity of the landscape and vegetation,” she said, noting in addition to being influenced by Puerto Rico, she also drew inspiration from  the temperate climate and vegetation of Canada.

“ I was influenced by temperate vegetation of Canada as well as Boreal landscapes,” she said noting  it wasn’t just the individual components of the landscape itself that inspired her.

“I wasn’t as much interested plants, trees and rocks, as I was the relationship between them and the ecological process,” she said.

“ It’s a balance between science and a need for creativity,” she said, adding it also examines the process of how scientific hypothesis are produced.
More information about April Matisz as well as her artist statement can be found at http://www.aprilmatisz.net
 The official opening of the exhibit is at 9 p.m. (after the official opening of the next exhibits at SAAG) and runs until March 31.

The Southern Alberta Art Gallery opens two new exhibits tonight as well with a reception at 8 p.m.

A group of old friends and classmates from the University of Lethbridge reunited for  the latest exhibit at Casa, Bridge: A Group Exhibition, which runs Jan. 9-Feb. 26.
Izmer Ahmad, George Ho, Yoko Takashima and Robert Bechtel were University of Lethbridge art students in the early ’90s and went their separate ways, until Hong Kong born, Victoria based artist George Ho contacted Lethbridge based painter Robert Bechtel about reuniting the old gang for an exhibit. The only artist unable to attend the opening is Malaysia based Izmer Ahmad who is teaching at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
“It’s something we’ve been working on for a while,” said Bechtel, noting they were looking for a venue even before Casa was built, and when it was, they found their venue.

“They all went to school together in at the U of L in the early ’90s, some moved to other locations and some stayed. This brings them back to where they started,” said Casa curator Darcy Logan.
“It brings people from diverse cultural backgrounds back to to our community,” he continued.
 The exhibit combines some of the works they did as students as well as more modern works which incorporate a range of styles and techniques includiing multi-media, painting and sculpture.

Japan born, Victoria based artist Yoko Takashima’s multi-media piece features mashups of  38 different people singing Simon and Garfunkel’s hit “ Bridge over Troubled Water,” in front of a background film of various images ranging from  serene oceanic scenes to atomic bomb explosions.
“It’s a self generating video of the 38 singers singing ‘Bridge over Troubled Water.’ It chooses eight of them randomly to make a choir. So the combination is different every time,” Takashima described.
 A friend of hers created the algorithm Max MSB used  to choose the different singers.

Lethbridge welcomes back several artists who studied together at the University of Lethbridge in the  early ’90s.

Bridge: A Group Exhibition features the work of Izmer Ahmad, George Ho, Yoko Takashima and Robert Bechtel. The opening reception is  7 p.m., Jan. 9. It runs until Feb. 26.
went their separate ways, until Hong Kong born, Victoria based artist George Ho contacted Lethbridge based painter Robert Bechtel about reuniting the old gang for an exhibit. The only artist unable to be here for the opening is Malaysia based Izmer Ahmad who is teaching at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

 It’s something we’ve been working on for a while,” said Bechtel, crediting George Ho for  getting the  ball rolling.
“ They all  went to school together in at the U of L in the ealy ’90s, some moved to other locations and some stayed. This brings them back to where they started,” said Casa curator Darcy Logan.

“It brings people from diverse cultural backgrounds back to to our community,” he continued.

Japan born, Victoria based artist Yoko Takashima’s multi-media piece features mashups of  38 different people singing Simon and Garfunkel’s hit “ Bridge over Troubled Water,” in front of a background film of various images ranging from  serene oceanic scenes to atomic bomb explosions.