A masterful approach to art

Masterworks East – a juried showcase of contemporary Eastern Ontario craft, launched in partnership with the Ontario Crafts Council – has found a temporary home at the Ottawa School of Art’s (OSA) Orléans campus gallery within the Shenkman Arts Centre, where it will remain until Oct. 8.

The council, explains Luis Trejo, campus co-ordinator for OSA’s Orléans site, is made up of artists who create functional-type fine arts, including pottery and furniture.

“The idea is functional art,” he continues. “The design is higher … but it’s always functional.”

Thirty-five artists are taking part in the exhibit, Trejo recounts, with each contributing a single piece, ranging from jewellery to sculpture using items like felt and repurposed tuna cans to recreate natural elements.

Already in Orléans there’s a major appetite for craft-type arts, he explains, which makes Masterworks East a perfect fit for area art-lovers.

“There’s a lot of interest in Orléans in crafts, more than what we call the fine arts,” Trejo suggests. “People have been getting more involved in the show … they feel they can relate more to these works.”

A long-time member of the Ontario Crafts Council and a contributor to Masterworks East, local ceramics artist Paula Murray points to Shenkman’s “state-of-the-art” ceramics facility, unlike anything else available across the city, as one reason why so many visitors seem to be connecting to those works. The Gloucester Pottery School, housed in Shenkman alongside the OSA campus, also has “a very active clientele,” she continues.

“People are very intrigued,” Murray suggests. “(Masterworks East includes) some very skilful craftsmen who are challenging our relationship to objects. It’s a very thought-provoking exhibit.”

Murray will also take part in the talks scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27 to mark the exhibit, explaining they will act as an opportunity for local art-lovers and gallery visitors to meet with contributors and discuss their work, as well as hear about how the artists approach their pieces.

“It’s always wonderful to see your own work with your peers,” she adds, highlighting the fact that without such exhibits, much of the work would remain in private spaces only. “I’m a strong advocate of having work out in the public sphere so people can really see what interesting ideas are being created. “(Hopefully Masterworks East) will spark people’s interest and curiousity.”

Masterworks East will present talks from 1 to 3 p.m. at OSA Orléans Campus Gallery on Sunday, Sept. 27. The exhibit will run until Oct. 8. For more information, please visit www.artottawa.ca