Struts Gallery space exclusively for students looking to grow their art platform
Behind the yellow door of the Struts Gallery at 7 Lorne St., is a world of art open to all kinds of creative performance and mediums from artists across Canada. Struts Gallery has been providing local, regional, and national artists a space in the heart of Sackville for 45 years, offering artists residencies that encourages experimentation and removes the pressure of having a completed work. One of their galleries, entitled the Start Gallery, is currently being coordinated by Theodore Harris, a third-year Mt.A Fine Arts student. The Start Gallery offers a space for Mt.A students who want to present their art to the public, with the first exhibition of the Fall, titled “Shadow Double, Double Shadow”, having its closing reception on the 20th of October.
“Shadow Double, Double Shadow” was a project created by students in Professor of Fine Arts, Adriana Kuiper’s first-year drawing course. In the course, students had to blind draw themselves, then recreate their drawing with wire, and then utilize that sculpture to draw it and the piece’s shadow. The event “was a great opportunity to introduce them to Struts,” said Harris, speaking on how it can be exciting for first-year student artists to see their work displayed in a gallery. This introduction can alleviate the stress of being involved with the art enthusiast in the community. As Harris says it is “less intimidating if you do it as a big group, versus one person stepping out of their comfort zone.” The Start Gallery can often be an artist’s first-time presenting their work in a formal setting to the public. “It can be a little daunting” says Harris, speaking to how artists may feel, as if they “don’t belong in the space.” The Start Gallery alleviates this feeling with an environment which Harris describes as “kind, non-judgemental, and welcoming to anyone,”. The Start Gallery helps ease artists into the world of exhibition by introducing the rules and how the submission process works.
The submission process involved Harris reaching out to fine arts students through social media encouraging them to apply. “It is a great opportunity to have the experience of having an exhibition and working professionally,” says Harris. Harris also said Starts Gallery is open to all Mt.A students to exhibit their works, not solely those studying in fine arts. The jury process to decide which works will be displayed is also open to all students, “it is a fair choosing,” says Harris. Harris hopes the student-exclusive exhibition space encourages Mt.A students to visit the gallery, and explore both their fellow classmates’ works, as well as the other exhibitions within the Struts Gallery.
The Start Gallery provides students a chance to showcase their work to the community. This opportunity to showcase their work to the greater Sackville community can be extremely beneficial to the artists, with Harris highlighting “it has been great seeing people coming in and talking about what is on display.” It is encouraging to young artists to see the public excited to view their works, and often asking further engaging questions about what they do on campus, and their process, for Harris.
The next Start exhibit, created by student Jacob Puffer, is called “What’s it before” was installed Saturday, Oct. 25, and information posters can be found around Mt.A campus. Start has been active since 1997 and highlights the works of fine arts, art history, and museum & curatorial studies students. Although the submission deadline for exhibitions closed at the end of September, you can stay updated by the Start Gallery’s Instagram page, @startgallerymta.