Shows & Events
Lenses & Layers: Exploring Photography and Digital Art
Digital art and photography provide unique avenues to explore concepts, moments, and perspectives. This exhibition aims to showcase works that push the boundaries of traditional practices and highlight how technology and innovation shape the creation and perception of art.
Through Lines
Through Lines showcases the landscape in all its forms through the rich and tactile art of printmaking. Featuring original, hand-pulled prints by thirteen members of the Comox Valley Printmakers Association, the exhibition highlights diverse techniques, including collagraph, drypoint, linocut, monotype, and more. From natural vistas to abstract interpretations, these works explore the personal, social, and political dimensions of place. Framed, mounted, and matted pieces will be on display, with select works available for purchase.
Through Lines Demo: Maggie Norman
Maggie Norman will demonstrate collagraph printing using a small press or foot-powered methods.
Through Lines Demo: Susan Gillespie and David Ballantyne
Susan Gillespie and David Ballantyne will lead a lino carving and printing demonstration.
Through Lines Demo: Terri Stelfox
Terri Stelfox will showcase watercolour monoprinting using a 3D-printed press.
Awakening Members Show
Awakening, our members' show, features a vibrant collection of works inspired by renewal, inspiration, and the beauty of the season.
Ebb and Flow
The Pearl Ellis Gallery invites artists to submit works for our upcoming exhibition, EBB and FLOW. This exhibition is part of a larger, concurrent program involving Artful, the Comox Valley Art Gallery and four other regional galleries called WATERWAYS, The Comox Valley Gallery Hop.
Beyond the Horizon
This exhibition showcases the work of four mixed-media artists—Sharon Lalonde, Silvina Lanusse, Susan Purney Mark, and Maggie Ziegler—who transform landscapes and everyday moments into abstract creations. Using textiles, collage, painting, and digital design, their work explores themes of memory, place, and imagination, inviting viewers to discover new layers of beauty and meaning.
Flourish Members Show
Flourish
Applications open: March 31 - May 5
The title Flourish offers an optional theme to inspire your creativity, but members are also encouraged to submit any recent work they have been creating. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your artistic vision with the community. We look forward to seeing your submissions!
Duality: The Art of Contrast
Duality: The Art of Contrast
Applications open: April 8 - May 13, selections announced May 27
Duality is an inherent aspect of existence, manifesting in various forms such as light and dark, joy and sorrow, chaos and order, nature and technology, and the interplay of opposites. This theme challenges artists to delve into the tension and balance between two opposing forces, the coexistence of contradictory elements, or the seamless fusion of two different aspects into a cohesive whole.
Chromophobia
This exhibition is a vibrant celebration of queer identity, creativity, and self-expression. Featuring over 30 pieces of art in various styles, the exhibition uses bold colours and designs to challenge societal pressures to conform. It emphasizes the importance of individuality, love, and acceptance while fostering a sense of community and pride.
Abundance Members Show
Abundance
Applications open on: June 17 - July 22
The title Abundance offers an optional theme to inspire your creativity, but members are also encouraged to submit any recent work they have been creating. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your artistic vision with the community. We look forward to seeing your submissions!
Text: The Art of Language
Text: The Art of Language
The Pearl Ellis Gallery invites artists to submit works for our upcoming exhibition centered on the theme of Text. This show challenges artists to explore the powerful role that text plays in communication, expression, and the creation of meaning within the visual arts.
About the Theme:
Text, in its myriad forms, serves as a bridge between the visual and the verbal. It can be a tool for storytelling, a means of conveying ideas, or a graphic element that adds layers of meaning to an artwork. In this exhibition, we encourage artists to experiment with the ways in which text can be integrated into visual art, whether as a primary focus or as a subtle, underlying presence.
Applications open: July 1 - Aug 5
The Healing
This group art exhibition inspired by Courtenay artist Josh Klassen’s experience with a lymphoma diagnosis. What began as a birthday painting party grew into regular creative gatherings, resulting in 12-15 large abstract paintings made from reused materials by The Art Writers Ghost Collective. The exhibition focuses on themes of connection, trust, and healing, and includes an interactive element where visitors can join a live painting session on opening night and contribute to the artwork throughout the show.
Giftables Pop Up
Find unique, handcrafted gifts at the Pearl Ellis Gallery Giftables Show. This special event features a curated selection of smaller, affordable artworks, ensuring there's something for every budget.
Joy Members Show
Joy
Applications opens Oct 07 - Oct 28
The title Joy offers an optional theme to inspire your creativity, but members are also encouraged to submit any recent work they have been creating. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your artistic vision with the community. We look forward to seeing your submissions!
Members Show - Theme "Joy"
The Pearl Ellis Gallery invites the community to immerse in the spirit of the season with "Joy," a members' show that embodies warmth, creativity, and celebration. This final exhibit of the year features works from talented local artists, offering a blend of artistic expression that reflects each artist’s interpretation of joy.
Giftables Show
Find unique, handcrafted gifts at the Pearl Ellis Gallery Giftables Show. This special event features a curated selection of smaller, affordable artworks, ensuring there's something for every budget. To accommodate your holiday shopping, the gallery will extend its hours until 8 PM on Fridays, November 15 and 22.
Triple Vision
Pearl Ellis Gallery proudly presents Triple Vision: Three Artists, Mediums, and Visions of the McLoughlin Gardens. In July 2022, three artists participated in a week-long residency at the McLoughlin Gardens, a stunning ocean-side retreat located just north of the Comox Valley. Using glass, fibre art, and photography, they captured their unique interpretations of the forest, ocean, and garden landscapes that define this beautiful location.
Outside In
The Pearl Ellis Gallery is thrilled to present "Outside In," a captivating group show featuring the works of Maggie Ziegler, Sharon Lalonde, Shea Kotilla, Jean Cockburn, Lynn Farwell, Larissa McLean, and Elaine Smith. This exhibition runs from September 17 to October 12, 2024.
Summer Members Show 2024
Celebrate Summer at the Pearl! Immerse yourself in the vibrant essence of summer at the Pearl Ellis Gallery Summer Members’ Show, running now until September 14th. This exhibition features the remarkable talents of 58 local artists, offering a diverse range of artwork that will captivate and inspire all who attend.
Concept Show: Art with Impact
Art with Impact is an evocative exhibition that features artists from varied backgrounds and disciplines, each interpreting the theme in unique and compelling ways. This showcase highlights pieces that resonate deeply through media, scale, or subject matter, pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms to inspire change, provoke emotions, and challenge perceptions.
Emerging Voices
The Pearl Ellis Gallery presents "Emerging Voices," an exhibition featuring the artwork of secondary students from Highland Secondary and Georges P. Vanier Secondary schools. Running from May 28 to June 22, this showcase highlights diverse mediums such as sculpture, paintings, photography, and mixed media. This exhibition highlights the passionate activity and dedication found within the art programs of both schools.
Spring Members Show 2024
Embrace the vibrancy of spring with the much-anticipated opening of the Pearl Ellis Gallery Spring Members’ Show. Showcasing the exceptional talents of 28 local artists, this event promises a diverse array of artwork sure to captivate all who attend. Be sure to mark your calendars for the opening reception on Saturday, May 4th, from 1-3 pm. This gathering offers an opportunity to mingle with the artists, view their creations, and indulge in some delightful refreshments. The Pearl is open Tue to Sat, 12 to 4pm.