The Artym Gallery in Invermere is shrouded with mystery and intrigue this week, as a Top Secret Show adorns the walls with artists from far and wide.
“The premise of the show is that we brought in artists that we don’t normally represent that don’t show in the valley, and we put them on the walls to gauge the reaction and see what people think,” said gallery employee Deanna Berrington.
While Artym has a reliable stable of artists who are regularly shown on their walls, what this show does is bring an entirely new flavour and some entirely new styles from what regular gallery patrons might be used to. Featured artists include a former graffiti artist showing off some unusual techniques with pop-culture inspired pieces, an artist who specializes in mixed-media portraits, sculptures from a local artist and many more in a mix of the eclectic and unfamiliar, all contained within the walls of the Artym Gallery.
“We really try to come up with new and exciting ideas for shows,” Berrington said. “We’re really excited to gauge the reaction and see what people think.”
The show opened last Friday (August 31) and runs until this Friday (September 7), which means that time is drawing short to view the unusual collection of artists and pieces. For art connoisseurs who feel like they’ve seen all the Columbia Valley has to offer, this is a fantastic opportunity to check out a more country-wide flavour than the pieces normally shown.
“Because we represent artists from right across the country, this show also includes artists all the way from Montreal to Vancouver,” Berrington said. “(This is a chance to) see Canadian artists that are fresh, and new to this area, because we have such a rich art scene in Canada… it’s amazing the history that we have, the fact that we still have so many active artists, it’s a gift, it’s amazing and the opportunity to view more of them is wonderful for everybody.”
For more information on the Top Secret Show, or to see the featured pieces, visit www.artymgallery.com or call 250-342-7566.
“It’s always fun, having people come in and say ‘oh my god, I love that,’ that’s what I live for,” Berrington said. “Having someone in and fall in love with a piece, and to know that it’s going on their wall forever… that’s the goal.”