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Visual artists of all mediums will descend on the Red River Exhibition Park this weekend for the Winnipeg Fine Art Fair. The event, which first welcomed audiences last year, will see over 70 artists showcasing a wide range of mediums and methods over the course of three days.
For fair organizer and presenting artist Doug Coates, one of the highlights of last year that he’s looking forward to again this year is the dynamic that exists between everyone who attends, be they attendees or artists. “Even if they’re not purchasing art, it’s a good chance to chat with people that do different types of art,” he said in an interview on Morning Light.
“If you’re at the show this year, you’ll see a significant variety of work from photography to sculpture, the types of art that you probably aren’t typically common in art galleries.”
While Coates’ work centres around renderings of automobiles, fellow board member Rachelle Diddens uses 22-gauge titanium-blended zinc with oils and paints on top. Much like the blends of materials in her work, she looks forward to seeing the blend between artists at the fair and the impacts it has on their work.
“They’ve made friends, they’ve connected and helped raise money for other charities, and that’s what I think I enjoyed seeing the most: the connection between the artists that that had never met before,” she says.
Each of the artists participating in the fair was selected by a jury, and they will spend the weekend showcasing their work at their own booth for audiences but also walking the fair grounds and helping to forge the connections with other artists that Diddens champions.
For Coates, those connections help him to break out of a creative bubble as well as out of a creative comfort zone. “An environment like that, I think, encourages each of us as artists to continue on with what we’re doing and whether you sell work or you don’t sell work, it’s motivational.”
“Many artists don’t create for the sale of the art – they’re creating for their for themselves and for their mental health,” adds Diddens. “It saves lives. Creating saves lives, and the opportunity to share that work with other artists feels really good, too.”
Audiences have the opportunity to share in that creative space with artists at the Winnipeg Fine Art Fair on April 4 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Red River Exhibition Park. Tickets and more information can be found at the fair’s website.