Wood, metal, and oil a natural mix

By Carolyn Sloan

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Complete with picturesque vistas of Acadian dykeland, the Marsh Gallery is the product of collaboration between local artists Brad Hall, Jan Coulter, and Janet Larkman. Like its surroundings, the gallery is intended to be a living space, in continual change, and with seemingly unlimited possibilities.

Located on Highway 1 next-door to Hall’s forge, the gallery recently celebrated its opening with well over 100 people from the community in attendance. With the local support and a trust in one another, the three friends like to think of the gallery as an ongoing project that will continue to evolve over years to come.

As this is the first time that the artists have had a gallery space of their own, it has given them a newfound freedom to explore their respective art forms, both individually and through collaborative works.

“Brad had this wonderful space, this wonderful location that was just crying out to be a gallery,” says Larkman. “The wonderful thing about having a space like this…[is] as a place to explore.”

Coulter, a furniture maker, says that as she is often under constraints with commissioned work, the gallery allows her greater experimentation with materials.

“I’m not as limited with what I’m able to do with wood,” she says. “That lends itself to playing.”

While Larkman is a multimedia artist, she is currently showcasing her oil paintings at the gallery, often mounted on beautiful off-cuts of wood from Coulter’s woodworking shop in Bridgetown. She envisions using the space in a variety of ways, including creating collaborative instillations within the gallery. The trio will also be able to clear the space to exhibit work from other artists in the future.

“It is a living space, so things change here,” Larkman explains. “There are new pieces being added all the time.”

For Hall, a metal sculptor and blacksmith, the gallery is a source of inspiration when working in his forge as well as an opportunity for the people who stop by to see the work that he is creating on site. Two large windows in the gallery allow visitors to see into the forge and for Hall to see into the space.

“There’s something really quite active and working right next door, so the gallery is not static,” he says. “It’s an incentive for me to…focus more on my art and it also gives me a sense of confidence about my work and what I do.”

In addition to the daily activity of the forge, the gallery is also complimented by the activity of its natural surroundings, which will inevitably continue to influence the work of its owners. This summer, Larkman plans to set up an outdoor working studio outside the gallery.

“There’s a lot of potential for this to celebrate the art and the land,” she explains. “There’s exciting activity (on the marsh) that’s in full view everyday… It’s alive.”