By Red Deer Arts Council

Artworks by Karla Mather-Cocks

Red Deer Arts Council and Red Deer Public Library present, “gathering evocations”

Jun 23, 2025 | 8:00 AM

Red Deer Arts Council and Red Deer Public Library are pleased to present, “gathering evocations” artworks by Karla Mather-Cocks running from June 23 to Aug. 17, 2025, in the Kiwanis Gallery.

Karla Mather-Cocks “gathering evocations”, a powerful contemplative exhibition that explores the shifting terrain of memory. Featuring a blend of handwoven and digitally altered photographs, this immersive collection transforms familiar images into fragmented, textured reflections of how we remember — and misremember — the past. As traditional techniques merge with modern manipulation, “gathering evocations” invites you to reflect on the emotional echoes of your own memories.

Open to the public during library hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9 am – 8 pm

Friday: 9 am – 5 pm

mayor hopes to meet housing minister this month

Alberta demands Ottawa back off on housing funding stripped from Red Deer

15h ago

Last seen Jan. 15

Missing: Courtney Cattleman, 17, of Maskwacis

20h ago

eyes up

Air Spray training around Red Deer Regional Airport

21h ago

“gathering evocations” is a reflective art exhibition that delves into the fragmented and evolving nature of memory. This exhibition features a collection of hand-manipulated images and digitally manipulated photographs, each serving as a metaphor for the way memories shift and blur becoming distorted and reinterpreted over time. Through intricate weaving techniques, the artist has transformed family photographs and regionally familiar images into textured and fractured versions of their original form. Aspects of the photos distort and reconnect, mimicking the selective nature of recollection – where details fade while emotions and impressions remain.

Visitors are invited to contemplate their own experiences with memory – how moments are evoked, lost, and reinvented. The interplay of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology highlights the contrast between tangible recollections and the ephemeral, fluid nature of personal history.

Artist Statement:

Karla is a multifunctional artist and craftsperson originally from Central Alberta but currently living and practising in Southern Alberta. Her work is rooted in an element of craft and text while exploring the connections between technology and the practice of making. She works in and explores a variety of mediums in her work. She continues to develop a strong desire to learn about different material properties and working methods. These opportunities to experiment have allowed her to explore the different tactile qualities of materials and the different atmospheres that can be created by moderating, light, sound, and texture through assemblies. Her creative process involves a balance between the functional and the nonfunctional and the interplay between these opposites.

First Friday Opening: July 4th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Artist will be in attendance. Special Presentation from Red Deer Polytechnic on the Visual Arts Program. Everyone is welcome to help us celebrate these fine young artists! Refreshments will be served.