Love Art in Calgary: Herringer Kiss Gallery

At the Herringer Kiss Gallery, I enjoyed reminiscences of curling up in warm blankets.  Lauren Walker, in her collection titled Where We Sleep, melds the cultural context of her home province, Nova Scotia, with contemporary techniques, creating conceptual and patterned work under the polished sheen of epoxy.

I open to the contents of my own linen closet this morning and find the familiar patterns of my Grandmother’s quilts…my friend, Glo’s work…and think about the sense of nostalgia and memory that these conjure up for me.

P1140933 P1140935 P1140936 Lauren’s art brings to mind similar memories…for me, the white drips on subtle white background, brought to mind the nubby chenille bedspreads of the 50s.  As an adult, this becomes a reference to many childhood recollections, especially memories of recuperating from illness…being wrapped up in blankets…observing the surrounding pattern…being nurtured by my mother.

ChenilleArtist, Lauren Walker and Owner/Director, Deborah Herringer Kiss were both generously available to us and enlightened us about intent, process and history of Lauren’s work.  It was a tremendous pleasure to enjoy such insights.  A blog is available for perusal by my readers and future projects and events can be viewed on their current website.

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Lauren Walker sheds light on her process.

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Deborah Herringer Kiss describes evolution of style and approach in the young artist, Lauren Walker.

P1140791 P1140797 P1140802 P1140830Departing…after our third stop along the Love Art in Calgary tour…time for lunch and sharing of stories and ideas.

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Glory to God in Highest Heaven

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The Shepherds and Angels

8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

The Wise Men Followed a Star

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Matthew 2:1-12

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

P1080992 Art by Grade Two Students