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Aspire To Scale Marianne Harris Acrylic/Canvas, 2020 (Supplied)
Kiwanis Gallery Rock Show

Red Deer Arts Council presents Rocks of Ages: Works by Marianne Harris

Aug 22, 2021 | 12:17 PM

Red Deer Arts Council is pleased to present Rocks of Ages: Works by Marianne Harris which runs until Oct. 11 in the Kiwanis Gallery in the Red Deer Public Library.

Rocks represent many aspects of Marianne’s life. Many of her paintings contain rocks of some kind, from pond-size to large mountain formations, close-up cracks and crevices to distant vistas. Her desire to depict more of this subject became the impetus for this exhibit.

First Friday Red Deer Opening: September 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Open to the public during library hours.

Monday to Thursday: 10:00 am – 8:00 p.m.

Friday: noon – 5:00 pm.

Saturday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Sunday: closed

Don’t take it for granite: Kiwanis Gallery rock show celebrates the value of stone

If these rocks could talk, what tales they’d tell. From the rocks in our gardens to the endless vistas of our beloved Rocky Mountains, rocks form the basis of our landscape. They’ve been around longer than mankind, silent witnesses to the history of Earth.

Local artist Marianne Harris finds rocks and rock formations fascinating, both as a subject and as a challenge to represent in her paintings. Her Rock of Ages exhibition demonstrates their intrinsic value to a landscape artist and the many ways she has found to reveal that value in two dimensions.

Rocks have the power to change a river’s path yet can be worn away by a trickle. Harris notes in her artist statement that they are metaphors for the solid, reliable people in our lives, but also for the words people use to hurt us. Rocks represent all aspects of human strength and frailty. Learning to paint them expertly has also been a tall mountain to climb. Her journey of persistence and frustration, experimenting with different styles, techniques, and media to represent the small nuances of colour, shape, and texture, has resulted in a wonderful exhibition of rocks Harris has brought to life.

We hope the community will rock on down to the gallery and support a local artist. (Safe health restrictions apply.)