Gallery 78 is doing something different.
The downtown gallery will exhibit drawings from 13 New Brunswick artists from March 12 until April 4.
Gallery assistant Kim Bent said the show will highlight all kinds of drawings, whether they are quick sketches or ready-to-frame works of art.
“Primarily it’s to show another side to art and to introduce the public to a form that they don’t get to see often, and to allow the artists to express themselves this way.”
Bent said the artists participating in the exhibit are excited to showcase works that would normally stay behind the scenes.
“The response from the artists was really great. They’re interested and keen,” she said.
One of those “keen” artists was Stephen May.
The Fredericton resident has been a full-time painter for more than 10 years. But May also draws and he is delighted that his drawings will take centre stage.
“A lot of people don’t think of [drawings] as final works of art and that’s unfortunate I find … I’m not quite sure why people don’t see how good a drawing can be.”
May said drawings aren’t exhibited as often as paintings because they don’t sell as well. But art-lovers might be missing out. May said drawings are a great way to capture the human form.
“I find that pencil and paper is a good medium for doing intimate portraits of people.”
Usually drawings are discarded as unfinished early versions of paintings. But many artists, including May, treat their drawings like ends in themselves.
“To me a drawing is just like a painting … whether it’s drawing or painting, it’s just an opportunity to do something good.”
May has showcased his drawings before but some of the other artists participating will be displaying their drawings for the first time, like Dawn McCracken, a local artists whose drawings are seldom seen. The staff at Gallery 78 was familiar with McCracken’s detailed oil paintings but, Bent said, they were amazed by her drawings.
“Our jaws dropped … her drawings are just as detailed, they look like they could be black and white photographs.”
