Described as “a long time coming,” the Ladysmith and District Arts Council has opened its new downtown gallery.
The arts council had been using a vacant school as an interim gallery since 2019, but on Wednesday, June 7, the group opened the new gallery on High Street. An exhibit called Happiness showcases the work of dozens of local artists.
Delie Lawley, the council’s executive director, explained that the new gallery will open a lot of doors for the local art community.
“It’s going to give so much more accessibility to people to be able to come and experience artwork and see all different types of artwork,” she said. “The goal is to bring lots of diverse art to the community, and give local artists an opportunity to show as well.”
She said the arts council plans on holding a mix of exhibits, which will prioritize showing local artists and members of the arts council. The group also has plans to allow other artists to rent the space for shows.
In 2019, the arts council was relocated to the vacant École Davis Road school after a storm blew part of the roof off their first gallery on the waterfront.
The Happiness exhibit is available to view until July 2 with free admission, and the gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday, between 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with new hours in July.
More information on the show can be found at www.ladysmitharts.ca.
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bailey.seymour@nanaimobulletin.com
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