Coming this summer “The Art that Frames Us” is an exciting new exhibit on the History of Art in the Sooke Region. This will be the Sooke Region Museum’s first summer exhibit in the upstairs gallery since 2020! We look forward to opening our space again to the public. The exhibit aims to open at the end of June and continue throughout the fall.
Featured in the exhibit are local organizations and individuals who have all contributed to the arts scene in the past and present. You may recognize a few names such as the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra or the Sooke Writers Collective. Various types of art will be examined, such as visual arts, performing arts and literary arts. Although, there is much more to be discovered about the arts than just those three!
Pieces in the exhibit will range from paintings to musical instruments and poetry books. Many of the paintings we will highlight will be ones that have not been on display before. Most of the paintings were done by local artists and they are of local scenes. Some of the artist’s featured are Bea Barnet, an art teacher in Sooke in the 60s and 70s. As well as, P. W. Taylor, whose main medium was watercolour.
A piece that might be of interest to some is a diorama of two taxidermied grouse in front of a painted backdrop. The grouse were taxidermied by Sam Whittaker in either the late 1800s or early 1900s. The backdrop was painted by Gladys Sharpnel. This piece hung in the Bryant Family home in the 1950s. I think this piece is fitting for Sooke; at first glance it presents as “outdoors-y” and eccentric, but upon closer review, you see the fine detail and artistic endeavours behind it, much like you do when you get to know Sooke.
As well, I want to thank all the organizations that have contributed to this exhibit so far, it would not be what it is without your help! So, if you find yourself in Sooke this summer and want to learn about the history of art, stop by the Sooke Region Museum for the “Art that Frames Us”.
