Event Dates
Time
6:00 pm
6:00 pm
Join Michelle Leone Huisman as she talks about her experience of coming full circle back to photography. Learning from Professor Barbara Astman at Ontario College of Arts and Design about alternative processes in 4th year University was an influential highlight of her appreciation of unique creative processes. This experience led to selling her thesis project to Polaroid. After graduating from Ryerson University (name change in progress) Image Arts with Honors, Huisman left the Toronto area and started new business and creative adventures in Vancouver. Since that formative time, she has maintained an avid interest in alternative photography processes. After using her photographic background to support her set decorating and interior design businesses, she has come back to embrace her passion for alternative printing processes in fine art photography. This resurgent interest led to a wonderful introduction to Bob Carnie in 2019. Please join her as she talks about her experiences outside of photography and learning a 19th Century printing process called tri-colour gum bichromate over palladium.
Proof of vaccine passport is needed. Please kindly complete a self-assessment before you arrive and continue to wear a mask while visiting the gallery.
Please visit Artist website to sign up for talk: www.michellehuisman.com
Michelle Leone Huisman is a fine art photographer, mother of two and community advocate. She is a graduate of Ryerson University (name change in progress) Bachelor of Image Arts (Stills) with honours (1995/96), and Emily Carr University of Art and design Photographic Arts (2009-2010). After graduating from Ryerson she traveled to Nepal, Laos, Thailand and all over Europe, these travels helped shape her artistic vision and added to her drive to support her community. Michelle has been an entrepreneur for most of her career. She worked as a set decorator from 1999 to 2008, providing set decorating services for national and international commercial clients including Proctor & Gamble, MacDonald’s, Ford, and General Motors among many others. From 2008 to 2010 she provided interior decorating services to Peridot Designs for large commercial and residential projects. From 2009 to 2021 she has worked as a freelance photographer servicing cleared photography rentals to the film industry; marketing and selling MHP Art Boxes across Canada. She was selected for curated Art Shows including BUST Art Social and Aion Art Gallery solo exhibitions. Michelle’s recent photographic exhibition called An Unexpected Collection is photos of wooden spoons which were broken during the banging of pots for the 7PM cheer for first responders. Each photo comes with a personal story from the person who donated their spoon to be photographed. The exhibition toured nationally in 2021. With the resounding success of this exhibition, she produced another COVID-19 collection called Global Pandemic. This series takes images of discarded face masks intertwined with nature and paired with childhood fables. Global Pandemic is a statement on the two pandemics we are currently facing; COVID-19 and the second, and more insidious one, the waste we are producing in response. All photos from each exhibition are printed in a 19th-century printing technique called tri-colour gum bichromate over palladium, a process that is said to maintain its quality for more than 500 years. This longevity means that the stories and photographs will be around to share for generations to come. The technique’s timelessness, craftmanship and originality resonates with her approach to fine art photography. Michelle is dedicated to improving her community in Vancouver and she is currently a Board Member for Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society. She has sat on many community boards and advisory groups, raised thousands of dollars for nonprofits and continues to devout herself to building a strong community by committing time, energy and experience to many on-going local projects, committees and clubs. She ties both her fine art photography and community involvement together with relevant fine art projects.
Abby Boggs is the curator at the Dal Schindell Gallery. She holds degrees from the University of Victoria and Wheaton College. She is passionate about engaging with artists that are dedicated to creating art that both welcomes and challenges the viewer. Abby is also an accomplished classical singer, and regularly performs in local concerts and Baroque music festivals. She resides in East Vancouver with her husband Winsor and their golden retriever, Hazel.
Gallery website: www.schindellgallery.ca