Dimensions of Play
A Solo Exhibition of Acrylic Paintings
Artist
Dawn Thrasher, BEd, BFA, ASA
Exhibition Dates
July 5, 2023-
August 26, 2023
Artist Talk
Saturday, July 15, 2023
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Opening Reception
Saturday, July 15, 2023
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Venue
The Alberrta Society of Artists
Upper Gallery
222 – 1235 26 SE,
Calgary, AB
T2G 2E7
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
During Covid, people were forced to find alternative ways to “work and play”. To retain life balance, individuals pursued different ways to experience joy and relieve loneliness. Various forms of play provided mechanisms that eased the melancholy of isolation and preserved our sense of self.
A definition of play is challenging. Describing the general characteristics of play is more helpful. Play can be self-directed, intrinsically motivated, inspired by the act of doing, guided by mental rules, manipulated by imagination and conducted in a state of energized focus. Research has shown that play is more than fun. It is essential to our mental and social development. Play provides teaching moments that build better brains, developing skills that last a lifetime. Creating art and the act of play both employ the brain, the eye and physical dexterity. They also engage a degree of mindfulness that enables one to be fully immersed, in a state of fluidity between mind and activity, inducing what positive psychologists call a “state of flow.” The result can be a deeply positive experience, yielding a profound sense of fulfillment. These paintings explore tools of play and the flow of the creative process.
You are invited to attend the Exhibition’s Opening Reception and Artist Talk on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Artist Talk is from 2:00 – 3:00 pm immediately followed by the opening reception from 3:00 – 5:00 pm.
The Artist will be in attendance.
The Artist
Dawn Thrasher grew up on the Canadian prairie. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1971 and began a teaching career. Teaching was a challenging and rewarding part of her life. The experience reinforced that all of us are perpetual students. Through travels in North America and abroad, she has explored a wide range of cultural and institutional art. She believes that visual art is a universal language, which reinforces our common human experience.
Dawn completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary in 1990, majoring in painting and drawing. Since then, she has continued to explore art making through workshops including the Kenderdine Campus, Emma Lake Artist’s Workshop in Saskatchewan, the Leighton Art Center in Alberta, the CSPWC Jasper Symposium, the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Alberta and “Arts by the Lake” at the Georgian College of Art, in Ontario and various art programs in Arizona.
It has become clear to her that for an artist there is no obvious career path. Each artist has to chart their own course. Painting is physically and emotionally demanding with many challenges along the way. The painting process feeds her creative spirit. For this she is grateful.
Dawn Thrasher is a Juried Member of the Alberta Society of Artists, see her ASA Profile HERE.
About the Land
“Dimensions of Play“ is on display at the Alberta Society of Artists in the Upper Gallery in the historic Crossroads Market building in the SE Mohkinstsis (Calgary).
The Alberta Society of Artists (ASA) acknowledges that what we call Alberta, where our organization has found its’ home, is the traditional and ancestral territory of many peoples, presently subject to Treaties 6, 7, and 8. Namely: the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) Confederacy (Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika), the Nehiyawak (Cree), Dene Tha’ (Slavey), Dane-zaa (Beaver), Denesuliné (Chipewyan), Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Iyarhe Nakoda (Stoney) (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley), and the Tsuu T’ina Nation and the Métis People of Alberta. This includes the Métis Settlements and the Six Regions of the Métis Nation of Alberta within the historical Northwest Metis Homeland.
Are you interested in learning more about the First Peoples of Alberta?
native-land.ca has an interactive map showcasing many of the Territories, Languages, and Treaties that impact Alberta, Canada and other parts of the world.