Flourish Art Group is a female arts collective sprung from Vancouver-based THRIVE Art Studio. THRIVE was founded by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Lee Bennett (née Tara Galuska).  Many of us met around 2018 through mastermind groups and art shows. Today THRIVE offers a wonderful online network that I highly recommend. I remain involved. It’s a great place for any female artist to connect and grow skills.

Our group began meeting in person at The PROFILE Coworking Club about eight months before the pandemic. Jen Clark was our fearless leader.  Our meetings moved online when we could no longer meet in person due to public safety guidelines. It’s hard to believe nobody knew what Zoom was back then! For many people around the world, it’s an integral part of daily life now. We are fifteen months into the pandemic at the time of this post. Many original members our group still remain. Our format has changed to include broader discussions and artist talks. It was time to give us a name.

This group has been a pillar of comfort, inspiration and strength to me throughout the pandemic. When blursday described the day of the week, borders suddenly closed, art shows cancelled and our worlds turned upside down, we still had us. Only now we were safe in our living rooms.

Each artist brings her own unique skill set and creative style. We are an unlikely artist collective. Styles range from illustration, to abstraction and realism. We are at different ages and career stages. Some are mothers, some are not. Some early members include a mural artist, poet and even a circus performer. That performer, Renee Mak, graciously launched a wonderful online life drawing group that I was part of for many months early on in the pandemic. It grounded me in a difficult time and informed my art practice. Sadly, many performers were out of work. Renee kindly did her part to help her friends make some money. I digress, but it’s important. This group supported me when I launched Make Safe Brigade, a mask-making coalition. More on that later.

We are a passionate, kind, creative group. We strive to grow as individuals and as a collective. It’s simple yet very special. We help each other flourish in art and life. This is especially important in the art world. Female artists are undervalued and underrepresented.

One thing I know for sure? I’m lucky to have this gang in my corner!

Members:

FLOURISH ~ ACTIVE MEMBERS (alphabetical)
@thechowstudio Maggie Chow
@naturescardigan Susan Jessop
@janaraynemac Jana Rayne MacDonald
@lindsaymacmillanart Lindsay Macmillan
@mira_creates Miranda Maslany
@probynart Joanne Probyn
@ashwoodworth Ash Woodworth
SPECIAL MENTIONS
@jamiesmithstudio Jamie Smith
@tara.lee.bennett Tara Lee Bennett
@jenclark.art Jen Clark
@renee.mak Renee Mak
@lindschroeder Lindsay Schroeder
@karladeco_ Karla Decoran

There are times when when life circles around to offer a deeper connection to something already known. Organizing a Burnaby Art Gallery event for THRIVE Art Studio members felt that way to me.

THRIVE is a Vancouver-based, global female artists collective with 353 global members at the time of this writing. I’ve been a dedicated, delighted member of THRIVE for over two years and this summer I organized a private tour of Burnaby Art Gallery (BAG) for our membership on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

BAG is located in a heritage home built in 1911 by Mrs. Ceperley known as Fairacres. Many people don’t realize that this home was in her own name legally and built under her direction for $150,000 (or $4M today). The property stretches out over 20 beautiful, hilly acres looking onto Deer Lake.

The home’s history is rich. Following the original Ceperley family residents, the building housed a group of Buddhists and followed by an SFU fraternity for a stint. The estate was purchased by the City of Burnaby in 1966 and assumed gallery management in 1999.

In the 80s, my mother, a knowledgeable, passionate arts-appreciator and supporter, volunteered at the Burnaby Art Gallery for over six years. I remember touring the gallery in my early years. She worked in the office, art rentals and at opening receptions. While my mom could tell you some ghost stories about Fairacres, this writing is about a different type of resurfacing…one of female artists of past and present finally finding their place in the BAG collection of over 5,500 works.

The gallery is the only one of its kind in Canada with a focus on collecting works on paper, a niche driven by an industry gap and their storage limitations. Like a museum, new works are acquired through generous donations and a set budget. BAG’s acquisition budget is $10,000 per year.

For context, 88% of the works collected have been created by white males—yet more than 50% of our population is female. Further, over 60% of Masters in Fine Arts graduates are women yet only 30% of women are shown in galleries. It’s a big gap that’s hard to wrap your head around in today’s time. The situation is even worse for women of color. Enter Ellen van Eijnsbergen, curator and director, BAG, who decided to do something about it.

Along with Jennifer Cane, BAG assistant curator, van Eijnsbergen increased collected works of female artists 3% and as a result showcased this exhibition, Women’s Work: New Acquisitions. The work was collected over three years and took some grit. There was pushback. She received aggressive, threatening emails including one person who said the BAG shouldn’t get involved in “neo-nazi, KKK, wacko feminist politics.” One man in van Eignsbergen’s circle of influence affirmed, “the reason so few female artists are collected is because there aren’t many good ones.” Herein lies a myth that’s easier to believe than to look deeper into complex systemic issues. While complicated, I’ll break this out into two main parts: the creation and collection of the work.

Over the past few hundred years, one reason many women hadn’t been creating much art was because of low self-esteem. Women were told they couldn’t or shouldn’t create. Perhaps they were told that they lacked talent, or if they had talent it was known that it simply wasn’t their place to do so. Art creation was seen as work, and women should only work inside the home. Those females who would have excelled given the encouragement, such as training and opportunities, became apathetic. They were frozen by the huge task of changing societal perceptions, fearful of judgements, exclusion or punishments. A very small number of female artists overcame all this. Yet, even when those in power acknowledged a woman’s talent, few were documented resulting in no role models.

I love art and there are so many amazing male artists. It seems that someone such as myself with a creative education and career, should have a greater awareness of female artists. I am constantly researching to uncover my art sisters of the past, to raise their voices for my own knowledge and to inspire the next generation.

Van Eijnsbergen is doing important work. Without context one might think there isn’t an issue, or that a 3% shift doesn’t seem like much. Yet, it takes more energy to begin change than it does to keep going in the same direction. On the contrary, this marks a beginning of a new trajectory that reflects the courage to disrupt the status quo. It’s worth noting again that these challenges are industry-wide and by no means special to BAG. What is special is that BAG acknowledges their gender gap and is doing something about it.

Women’s Work: New Acquisitions Review

“I encourage people to consider and learn. Ask why that piece of art makes you uncomfortable and listen—your brain will figure it out,” says van Einjnsbergen on viewing art that stirs difficult emotions.

With this exhibition, Van Eijnsbergen hoped to diversify the collection by including more female artists, women of color and untraditional works on paper. Themes include exclusion, domesticity, sexuality, sensuality, competition, victimization, racism, resilience, reflection, performance, judgement and others.

Highlights include Leonor Fini, one of the original surrealists, who’s sensual work, La Jeunne Mémoire, mystifies.

Lyse Lemieux, a contemporary artist who, against the odds carved out a place in fine art in her 60s following a successful career at CBC Radio. Works from her TDL series are featured.

Sylvia Tait who speaks to women as both the consumer and the consumed in her representational line art, Lunch Table, that has the intricacy of lace and the expressiveness of a Pollock.

Diyan Achjadi, an Indonesian immigrant and ECIAD teacher, invites us into a world of imagined characters living among traditional and contemporary patterns and shapes in The Only One Digging to the Other Side

Marianna Schmidt who fled WWII, lived in internment camps and was separated from her family at 20 years old. She ended up in Canada and found work at Vancouver General Hospital. Over 800 of her works remain in Belgium even though many have been gifted to BAG.

Mary Cassatt, perhaps the most popular artist of the collection, is one of the original impressionists, who (along with Berta Morriseau) painted domestic scenes as she was not welcome or encouraged to create in public places among her male contemporaries.

Daphne Odjig, a contemporary Indigenous artist who has developed a very strong voice. Work featured here, Medicine Dream, is an image from book Tales from the Smokehouse.

When van Eijnsbergen was asked which female artist deserved more recognition she named two; Anna Wong and Claire Leighton. Anna Wong is a contemporary artist who was recently featured in a BAG exhibition and Claire Leighton, who is a printmaker of the 19th century and was highlighted in Women’s Work.

Select Exhibition Images

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More Information and Upcoming

To learn more about why women have been largely excluded from art history books, museums and gallery collections, read the following article Why are Female Artists Underrepresented?

Women’s Work: New Acquisitions is now closed.

Current and upcoming BAG exhibitions include:

• Italian Masters Saints, Sinners and Souvenirs by guest curator Hilary Letwin, PhD. to November 17, 2019;

• Echos, starting November 29, 2019, which contemplates the physical and embodied ways in which memory reappears and continues to resonate within the individual and across generations, and;

•Genevieve Robertson‘s solo show, starting February 7, 2020, on the environment.

Below are reflections on a challenging time and the years (and lessons) to follow. After a failure, someone criticized me, “Joanne, you are always learning!” I took it as a compliment. “Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!” Alfred Adler. Thankfully, I’ve learned a ton and the lessons are getting more interesting.

1. Find your circle

Creating some distance from a few negative people (the drama queens, the self-absorbed or doubters) was an instant priority. It wasn’t my job to comfort others in that difficult time. Small amounts of negative energy can chip away at wellness, like water carving stone. Do not underestimate its power. Because it seemed my survival counted on a super-tribe, it became clear that I needed to do some weeding and cherry-picking to tighten my circle. My clan of uplifting, caring, supportive peeps has helped make my life possible, enjoyable and fruitful. I’m so grateful. By cultivating strong, collaborative communities, such as female arts collective THRIVE Art Studio, I hope to empower others. Together we go farther! 

2. Seize the moment

Facing mortality seems to increase appreciation of everything. I waste less time on activities that I don’t align with. I choose carefully, freeing all involved for more valuable interactions. Goals are intentional and less fear-based. Each day is a bonus, underlined by a feeling of abundance instead of scarcity. It took a while, but my life is now simpler yet more impactful and joyous. As I opened to alternative healing modalities, I met amazing people who introduced me to new ways of being. Some of these healing journeys have inspired my paintings or guided my practice. While teaching therapeutic art for over eight years, I helped others heal and develop their voice. These days, I’m fully dedicated to sharing my own expressions. I wake up grateful and work hard to share my vision. My practice is rooted in joy, love and service.

3. Practice self-care

Health and wellness are a focus. I drink less alcohol (goodbye wine blog) and exercise more (hello yoga). My love of eating whatever I wanted to turned into a passion for nourishing foods and sustainability. By launching a successful bean-to-bar chocolate company, I have helped get powerful antioxidants into many bodies. I care for myself and others by growing organic vegetables and kombucha. When out of balance (‘cause life happens, right?!), I ramp up self-care in whatever way time allows. Giving my all means different things at different times; it’s the same in the art studio…some days I create, other days I organize. By accepting my imperfections, I channel more energy towards wellness, love and creation. These themes find their way into my art, like kintsugi-inspired gold. I don’t subscribe to the tormented, struggling artist myth. When I’m well, I’m consistent. In short, I do everything I can to secure a long, fabulous, love- and art-filled life! Yet, everything in moderation; sometimes, I “cake for breakfast”! 😉

4.  The truth will set you free

Growth has strengthened my voice. I have learned that only love is real, everything else is an illusion (A Course in Miracles). Knowing my truth and speaking it boldly is a kind of success for me. Fear, guilt, shame…all carry negative energy that I believe have the potential to become the seeds of distraction, disease—and bad art. Thankfully, meditation, yoga and mindfulness practices have deepened my connection to mind-body and my ability to create healthier boundaries. That might means protecting my time or the tender, new ideas of art itself. Ultimately, this clarity has helped me make values- and heart-based decisions with faith and conviction, such as forgiving quickly or releasing expectations. Art based in truth communicates successfully, has lasting power and leaves a great impact on many as we are all human.

5. Be grateful

Always. Period. “As long you are breathing, there is more right with you than wrong with you, no matter how ill or despairing you may be feeling in a given moment.” Jon Kabat-Zinn. Sure, I still have bad days periodically. Nonetheless, I try to never loose sight of my good luck. Luckiness begins with a choice to see ourselves as lucky, regardless of our situation. This productive perception can begin (or be renewed) at any time. I believe gratitude and acceptance foster love while easing pain. My conclusion “why not me?” (vs. “why me?!) released my desire to find answers that weren’t really available anyway. Further, this helped me avoid unhelpful comments by those who struggled to make sense of my cancer diagnosis. Selectively inviting feedback creates a foundation for authenticity in art and life. I tried to heal with focused intentions, faith and compassion–without attachment to outcome. This attitude strengthened the very traits needed in any successful art practice.

New work!! Keepers of the Coast explores the sculptural potential of minimalist painting. String binds the work and creates texture, tension and fragmentation. A single kintsugi-inspired gold line speaks to repair and history. Poured paint augments expression resulting in layered forms reminiscent of the magical mountains seen in my travels to Cappadocia, Turkey. Simultaneously, this abstract landscape depicts the essence of Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Keepers of the Coast is named to draw attention to the important work of Doug Neasloss, elected Klemtu Chief and Central Coast Resource Alliance (CCIRA) board director.

The painting’s name is drawn from the film of the same name by Aaron Heidt that looks at how the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, and Wuikinuxv Nations are stewarding their marine territories. I have done several creative projects with the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais nation and I’m thrilled to support their goal to create sustainable environments and healthy local economies and communities. Their work impacts far beyond this region!

By purchasing this painting, 35% of your investment will go directly to helping CCIRA further its initiatives. For more information on the organization, visit www.ccira.ca. Price and details.