Ever imagine walking into an art gallery, throwing aside all your inhibitions, and dancing like a maniac? Then you should set aside some time Friday night and head on down to the Penticton Art Gallery.
The Gallery's billing the night as an "Opening Night Dance Party," and that's precisely what it is. It's the opening night of a very cool new exhibit courtesy of New York-based "light artist" Bentley Meeker. And it's a dance party because...well, because it's all about the party, baby.
Says curator Paul Crawford, "Our spring exhibit every year we use as a fundraiser for the Gallery. We typically try to do a dance party with it. We'll stay open a bit later and we try to get people in here who maybe normally wouldn't come in to a gallery."
"It'll be a different type of experience, not at all stuffy. Come down, have a couple drinks, spend time with friends, talk about the works, listen to some good music, dance, and have fun."
Crawford says the facility will open at 8 p.m. and close at midnight. DJ Shakes will spin the tunes, and wine, beer, cider, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available throughout the evening. There'll also be light snacks, and the Jeffer's Fryzz truck will be open for business just outside the front doors.
But no matter how hard you try, the clear star of the show won't be your throwback dance moves. It'll be Meeker's electrified, electrifying display.
Crawford talked Thursday morning about the time and the work involved in prepping the place.
"We've had to cut out channels in the walls to get the power cords in because the artist doesn't want visible power. He wants the boxes to float off the wall."
Indeed, Crawford and team had to cut no less than 42 one-inch strips into the walls throughout the big room - the Bench 1775 Gallery - then run the power cables.
"It was amazing actually when the drywall came off. About a quarter inch of it was paint layers from previous installations. If you sanded it down, you could see all the different colours over the years. We had an artist show up while we were doing it. He was so fascinated with it that he took a bunch of the strips away to make some art from it."
And if our early glimpse into the finished display is any indication, the preparation will absolutely be justified.
Meeker's art blends sculpture with light, and the results are dramatic, to say the least. It's unlike anything seen recently at the Gallery.
And Meeker's no newcomer either. He's been commissioned by the likes of Michelle Obama and Robert De Niro. He's a multi-year featured artist at Nevada's Burning Man. And he's the president of the renowned Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging, Inc.
The exhibit is called "Immaculate Refraction," and it goes beyond the Bench 1775 Gallery. Meeker will display more of his work in the Project Room - lasers refracted through various objects that disperse the light in some truly wild ways.
"What I love about this exhibit," said Crawford, "is that I like challenging people's view of what art is. I don't think people really look at light as art. But light is amazing. There's nothing like a single bulb hanging over a table - the way it draws people in. It gets people to engage in an intimate way."
Crawford first met the artist several year ago during the Gallery's "cannabis show."
"He created a piece for us and he was telling me about his passion for light and what it means to him. It was amazing to hear someone so passionate about a medium, who wanted to exploit it to its fullest extent."
"And now to have him here for a full exhibit is wonderful."
Meeker will attend the Friday evening dance party. And he'll be back again Saturday afternoon during the formal opening ceremonies that run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
There is no formal admission to the Friday night craziness, but a $10 donation is greatly appreciated. The Penticton Art Gallery is situated at 199 Marina Way.
