Guelph: Deck the walls
Fashion Royalty by Heather Loney
The season of power shopping and parties has begun. For those who panic at the thought of entering a mall anytime after November 1, there is a chic new way to complete your holiday shopping and socializing—enter the local art gallery.
The Alma Gallery (133 Wyndham St. N., 519-763-6392, almagallery.com) recently hosted a reception for their first annual Deck the Walls group exhibition. Curated by Renann Isaacs, the show runs until December 24 and features a beautiful mix of local and national artists. You can pick up works from renowned Canadian artist Tony Urquhart and photographer Susan Dobson or a vivid Pollock-inspired painting by Mike Hammer. You’ll also find Yuriko Kubota’s double-layer photographs, cut meticulously to reveal the image under the surface, mixed media works by Max Wright and the haunting illustrations of Guelph artist Ryan Price. The prices range from $65 to $3,500, but most are under $600.
The Alma gallery opened its doors this past summer, transforming a downtown space, which formerly housed an H&R Block, into a sophisticated haunt in the artist-rich city.
Owners Tom Dowd and Corinne Maloney have added to Guelph’s cultural mélange, providing not only a place for esteemed and emerging artists to showcase their work, but also a community space, a unique place to shop for the holidays, and eventually even a yoga studio—something to keep in mind for any post-holiday stress.
Shown: Max Wright’s Dissolution (detail). Photography by Heather Loney
Fashion Royalty appears every other Friday. Read Heather’s bio here.
I graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in philosophy. I am currently enrolled in Sheridan College’s Journalism – New Media post-grad program. My childhood attempt at fashion consisted of pairing a faded 49ers T-shirt with, well, pretty much anything. Since then my closet has evolved into a sea of black and grey clothing, ballet flats and riding boots. If I had the confidence (and salary!) to wear whatever clothing I wanted, I would stock my closet with Dries Van Noten and Bottega Veneta.