An art walk down memory lane

This month's First Friday Art Walk includes a couple of notable anniversaries. A photographic group that pulled together 30 years ago will show the amazing diversity of its work at the North Bank Artists gallery throughout April. And, a nonprofit gallery that's served as an important anchor for the whole downtown Vancouver arts scene will celebrate 10 years on Evergreen Boulevard through the end of May. That's Art on the Boulevard. Gallery director Kevin Weaver said that when he put out an invitation to the many artists who have been connected with the place over the past decade, he was fantasizing about getting 15 or so and figured they'd want to contribute older works that hadn't sold yet. Instead, he got 27 enthusiastic responses, and the vast majority said they'd be creating new works in honor of the anniversary, Weaver said. "It goes to show how much the artists love this gallery," he said. Painter Jennifer Williams agreed: Art on the Boulevard has "a collector base and, month after month, there are red 'sold' dots on the wall. This is not really something Vancouver has a reputation for," she said. "We should not overlook that we are fortunate to have galleries like Art on the Boulevard holding on and providing a foundation to grow an arts district." Weaver said he was part of a team running a small gallery in Portland's Pearl District when he was contacted by the nonprofit Friends of the Arts. Did he want to be the first paid director of this new nonprofit gallery that's been run so far by dedicated volunteers? Weaver said he loves a challenge. He liked the idea of being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. And he saw the great potential of downtown Vancouver, he said. When he took the job and moved across the river, he said, many of the artists he represented in the Pearl followed him here. That was a leap of faith, he said, because art is a really tough business -- but there's a reason for their loyalty. Weaver said he represents artists, not artworks. He knows there are gallery owners who tell artists what they should do based on what customers want -- what will sell and what won't. Weaver never does that, he said. When he's decided an artist is good enough for the gallery, he's the first to ask: "Which of your pieces do you want to show? It's your show. You tell me." Art on the Boulevard does represent some of Weaver's personal tastes and preferences. There's plenty of straightforward representational art and lots of pastoral Pacific Northwest painting. But there are many other approaches and styles, too. "I try to have an eclectic mix," he said. Among the artists who'll be featured in Art on the Boulevard's 10-Year Anniversary Show are some who have been showing here since the place opened -- like Elizabeth Ganji, Denise McFadden and Fay Kahn. But there will also be younger, newer artists -- like Faina Lorah, who calls herself a "faith-based surrealist" painter and whose works feature vivid colors and scenes from the Bible, Russian fairy tales and her own imagination. Lorah, who was born in Russia, attended the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. Art on the Boulevard's 10-Year Anniversary Show opens with an artists' reception from 5-9 p.m. today. Light refreshments will be served. The show continues through May 28. Born at workshop Also tonight, around the corner and down the block, the North Bank Artists Gallery hosts the Inner Light Photographic Society's 30th anniversary show. The works of 24 fine-art photographers will be on display. Inner Light was born in a Clark College workshop led by photographic master Shedrich Williames. "We had such a great time with it, we really enjoyed each other's company and we were so passionate about black-and-white photography," recalled Christine Eagon, who was in the class and helped found Inner Light. It's not exactly a club, she said -- it's an invitation-only group of dedicated artists. "We've been meeting in each other's homes monthly for 30 years," she said. "A number of people in the group are professional photographers. It's people who really want to express themselves as fine-art photographers." The character of the group has evolved over three decades, Eagon said, because the character of photography has evolved. "It's really changed with the digital revolution," she said. "We all started doing traditional black-and-white darkroom prints. It's really kind of a mystical experience to develop something in a darkroom tray and see your image come up." Eagon now works with colors and mixed media, too -- "I paint on my photos with acrylic paint," she said -- but believes there's still something special about black and white. "In my opinion, black and white is more of an art form," Eagon said. Why? "Because it's all about light and dark and nuances of light and shadow. Your composition needs to be really strong in black and white." So beware falling in love with special effects and fancy equipment, she said. Eagon said she's always fielding technical questions about her cameras and gear. The honest answer: "It's not about the camera you use," Eagon said. "Photographers have a lot of toys, but it's not about that. It's about the person's creative vision." The 30th anniversary Inner Light Photographic Society exhibition opens with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. today at North Bank, 1005 Main Street. A talk by some of the photographers is set for 4 to 6 p.m. April 16.