As you may recall, I’m on a quest for my first piece of original art. I’ve been to lots of galleries lately and today I found my favourite: it’s called the Terence Robert Gallery and it’s on Sussex.
Here are some of the things I like about it:
1) It’s three levels high and has lots of good art in it.
2) It’s clean and spacious and has lots of natural light.
3) It represents about thirty artists, and they’re all good contemporary Canadian artists.
4) The prices start around $400.
5) The owner is friendly and approachable.
6) They have a good website, with lots of art on it.
I looked at all the art on the website first, and then I went to the gallery. It made me realize that you can only get a sense of art online. I got the sense that I would like that gallery, and I did. But when I viewed the art in person, I realized that I liked some of it more in person and some of it more online.
Some of my favourite artists in the gallery were David Lidbetter, M. Catherine Peloquin, Sharon Ramsey, Dylan Noble (Merlot Dinner on Fourth Avenue), John Ovcacik, and Brian Atyeo. Most of these were better in person than on the website. I hadn’t even really noticed Peloquin or Atyeo on the website, but they were magnetic in the gallery.
I took some photos of the gallery before I noticed the sign requesting that visitors not take pictures, so I won’t post them. I just want you to know they’re FABULOUS.
I still haven’t bought my first work of art. But I did roll my change last week for the Art Acquisition Account, and I’ve got $750.
Other things that happened today while I was downtown: I visited the Karsh-Masson Gallery on St. Patrick Street. It’s a city-run gallery, and they have exhibitions but don’t sell art. The exhibit was Sharon Vanstarkenburg’s Girlhood Jag, which I enjoyed very much. I went to about six other galleries too. And the French Baker gave me a free baguette. I love baguettes.
Oh! I saw this last weekend down in the market and forgot to post it. Poor little things. I’d like to believe the man loves them and they love performing, but my gut feeling is they’re being exploited. I hope I’m wrong.
And finally, as a bit of a public service announcement: if someone sends you a link to something called Four Girls Fingerpaint, don’t click on it unless you feel like being shocked and horrified and disgusted and repulsed and you want the shocking, horrifying, disgusting, repulsive images to haunt you off and on all day. (I’m hoping it only lasts a day.)
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Hey Zoom, thanks for the warning. I’ll skip the revulsion experience.
I’ll leave it to others more knowledgeable about dogs to comment on the performing puppies.
On the art front, no less an authority than the Globe and Mail is saying that now is the time to invest in Canadian Art because it is way under-valued. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080111.wltrappings11/BNStory/lifeMain/home
Hey! I’m also on the hunt for art — we should compare notes or do a roadtrip one day. (You have $750 in change??)
I’ve seen those dogs by the market day after day after day and I’ve spoken to the owner once and he was a surly s.o.b. and is definitely exploiting those poor pups in my opinion. In the summer they were often out there alone in the heat with those stupid sunglasses tied to their poor heads while he was inside enjoying a refreshing beverage or two. Tourists stop and take photos and think they’re sooooo cute.
XUP, I get the same impression about the fellow with the dogs. I was walking behind him one day, and he was quite miserable towards those pups. I tried to keep an open mind, but the one time I spoke to him he was, as you described, a surly s.o.b. I worry that the only food those pups get are those wieners. I also sense that they fear him rather then respect him.
I am really upset with seeing your photograph of those two dogs in the market.
About ten years ago in San Francisco, I saw a dog being forced to perform by sitting up like the dogs in Ottawa but the poor creature had a cigarette stuck in its mouth. The dog remained still like a statue, but the fear in its eyes. It still upsets me. I suspect the dog must have been beaten to force it to perform in this manner. As a tourist, it is not a good memory.
Did the City give this man a permit to perform on the street? I thought the City of Ottawa even tried to ban circuses with performing animals.
This is animal abuse.
David, thanks for the link. I think those guys are into a different league of art than I am 😉 – but hopefully the trend holds true at the affordable end too.
XUP – a road trip sounds like fun. Let’s do it. (And yeah, $750 in change is nothing. Even if you just throw a loonie and a toonie into a jar each night, you’ll have a thousand bucks in a year.)
XUP, Minerva and Quill, I agree on the dogs. I was thinking afterwards about how my old dog Sam loved doing tricks – and you could tell he loved it. His eyes would light up and his tale would thump. These little dogs show no enthusiasm or joy when they’re performing.
However, I have it on good authority that a couple of animal-loving employees of the Ottawa Humane Society read this blog regularly. They might not be in a position to comment on any particular case, but I’m hoping the OHS has either investigated this situation in the past or will do so in the future.