Several TriCity Potters are members of Port Moody Arts Centre’s Blackberry Artists Society.

They run a small gift shop year-round in the Arts Centre but at this time of the year they are given the 3D Gallery to expand their display area.

So when I attended the latest opening there on Thursday I enjoyed their Christmas show as well as the work of the two invited artists showing in the main gallery and the Plum gallery.

Also at this time of year the Centre holds its annual fund-raising 6×6 event. Usually it has been a silent auction but this year 45 tickets will be sold at $30 each and all will be entered in a raffle for the 45 2D and 3D works that have been donated, with funds going to support Arts Centre activities.

I enjoyed meeting Maple Ridge artist Shari Pratt who has been working as an artist-in-residence for the last few months in the 3D gallery. (Manager Jane Matthews assures me that there were no applicants for that gallery for those months).

Shari invited local people to submit special photographs of themselves or family to be inspiration for her current series of portraits. This show is of the work she painted here, and I find them moving and most successful. I like the layered effect both physically and metaphorically. She spoke about her work at the opening and mentioned that she also has a studio at 1000 Parker street where she will show more of her work on the East Side Culture Crawl.

The other painter featured is Maxine Wolodko, a Vancouver artist who is from rural Alberta. Her striking paintings are in bold colours with black outlines. I really enjoyed the comfortable images she has chosen to paint.

The exhibitions currently showing at our Port Moody Arts Centre and the Blackberry Artists Christmas show make a visit there a must-do between now and mid-December!