Art In The Rectory

Finishing off my series from Nuit Blanche 2015 today, this is the Rectory Art House, located next to St. Brigid's. Both buildings were involved in Nuit Blanche- the former church was closed down by the archdiocese and took on new life as St. Brigid's Centre For The Arts. This view is in daylight.

The rectory is now studio space for several artists, who were participating.

I photographed three of the installations here, and popped into the kitchen at the back of the rectory.

This first studio had an installation entitled Nocturne, by the artist Sharon Lafferty.

Lori Victor did this next work, entitled Object of Speculation. She mentioned that the idea grew out of last spring's run by the Ottawa Senators, and this explores hype through hockey culture.

This last room was put together by Karen Bailey, and is called When Guide Dogs Dance. I got there late in the evening- I'd heard the dog in question, a Lab named Stanley, had been present earlier in the evening, and I'd missed him by about twenty minutes. Karen filled this room with paintings of seeing eye dogs at work and at play, as well as a video screen with these dogs engaged in play. We're so used to guide dogs of whatever kind being stoic and professional that we don't see them just being dogs and having a ball.

Stillness And Motion

Taking our leave of the Rectory Art House with this post. I loved the main staircase, and wanted a shot of it. With a lot of people in and out, of course, that meant having people in the shot. I imagine it was the shutter speed that led to this, but I like it. With some people clearly in motion, my eye is drawn to the woman pausing at the heart of the picture, a moment of stillness as she looks to her left. 

The Rectory on the outside, brightly lit up for the evening. At the upper left, you see the blue studio from a couple of posts back. I'll come back here sometime, and photograph the Rectory in daylight. 

The Writing Is On The Wall

Another room within the Rectory Art House. The artist, Lori Victor, was on hand in the room, where one wall was covered in these framed words, a mass of frames all organized and grouped together. I'm glad I picked up her artist statement. There were a hundred of these frames assembled on the wall. The words themselves were done in embroidery, and all of them were words that can be taken in more than one way. She deliberately chose the contrast of lighting the room like a cozy living room and the delicacy of embroidery as a technique, juxtaposed against the harsh words. 

  They are all terms used in reference to women, some very modern (Yummy Mummy was one such example), and others that have fallen out of use, dating back centuries. Her embroidery of the words was stylized, as you can see, in a font that goes back to the 1700s, and she asks the question: with these words still being emphasized in one way or another, does that mean women are marginalized, and if so, why?

Shades Of Blue

The Rectory Art House stands next to St. Brigid's. It served as a home for the parish priests. The Rectory was turned over to a group of artists, the rooms now serving as studio space (with beautiful ten foot ceilings, yes, artists must suffer for their craft). Many people were passing through the house as we were there, taking in the exhibits. I found this room to be eye catching, lit in a moody and dreamy blue, the mannequin on the left seeming to come out of the wall.

And this is the kitchen in the Rectory, still in use today for the artists. I chatted with some who were in there.

To the cooks among my readers, could you see yourself spending time in here?

More to come from the Rectory...