Port Moody Arts Centre/PoMoArts is managing to keep its gallery open in spite of current restrictions on gatherings. Protocols are strictly observed so that when I stopped by one day last week I wore a mask, signed in and hand-sanitized. I was the only visitor to the Blackberry gift shop and the three galleries at that time, but was happy to find ever-enthusiastic gallery manager Janice Cotter there. She was delighted to tell me all about the three artists and their shows.
For the past year, instead of hosting an opening, Janice has arranged interviews with the artists. I was pleased to be able to ‘meet’ all three of them as they discussed their shows, perhaps learning more about their work than I would have done at a traditional reception.
The first interviewee was Sonya Iwasiuk whose show ‘A New Resilience’ fills the main gallery. Her grand-parents were part of the generation of Ukrainians who immigrated to the Canadian prairies at the beginning of the last century. I found the installations and paintings on canvas, resin and found metal roofing sheets to be nostalgic, evocative and moving. She plainly wants us to remember the hardships of those early immigrants and the harsh, demanding part of this country that they settled, as we continue to welcome immigrants to Canada. 
A week later the interviewee was Ghislain Brown-Kossi whose show ‘Are We Still Together?’ is displayed in the smaller Plum Gallery. He discussed the subtle combinations of colours in his emoji-like shapes. Go to his interview via the gallery link above to learn more.
The third artist featured in Janice’s series of talks was Mat Holmstrom. Of course I was drawn to his show ‘Timeless Pastimes’ in the Ann Kitching gallery because I spotted ceramic vessels! He makes them with flat sides so that there is an area to be painted with acrylics. These images often echo the floral and forest themes of the large, colourful, intricate paintings hanging alongside them. Mat clearly enjoys the beautiful outdoor spaces here in the Lower Mainland and depicts them in decorative, bold patterns. We see the Bloedel Conservatory and Golden Ears forest. He is also interested in portraying Canadian sports so we see some sculpted hockey figures.
You’ll see that my photos have concentrated on Mat’s paintings and vessels, but I recommend a gallery visit to appreciate the quiet prairie images by Sonya and enjoy Ghislain’s bold show of paintings. The three shows can be seen until Feb 15th.
