The Jasper Artists Guild is asking the community to hangout this weekend in the reestablished Hangout Gallery in the Clocktower Mall.
The gallery, located next to Mountain Air, will open Friday, Nov. 20, in time for Moonlight Madness.
Just like before, it is a temporary location for the guild as it waits for the completion of the long overdue library and cultural centre, where it will eventually set up a permanent gallery space.
“We didn’t want to just disappear until the library is ready,” said Cheryl Potter, a member of the guild. “We will stay in the Hangout Gallery as long as necessary.”
Since construction began on the library and cultural centre in 2011, the guild has moved five times—relying on the kindness of local business owners, who have provided space at little to no cost, in order to ensure the guild’s artists continue to have a place to showcase their work.
In anticipation of moving into the new building in 2012, the guild vacated its permanent gallery in the Jasper Heritage Firehall, only to find itself virtually homeless for three years, as the library has experienced continuous delays.
Over the summer, it returned to its former home, where it remained until August, with the expectation it would be moving into the library in September.
But, further delays have once again left the guild homeless, and it is now expected the building will not open until the new year.
Potter said the cultural centre’s three years of construction delays have been difficult for the guild.
“It’s been really hard on the membership. It’s hard to keep the members motivated and positive,” she said, noting that each time the guild moves it takes a lot of time and energy.
But, despite the hardships, Potter said the guild is looking forward to moving into the cultural centre when its complete and turning its space into a professional gallery.
She said the guild already has plans for workshops, shows and events in hopes of drawing the community in.
In the meantime, she said she is grateful for the support of the Jasper Freemasons who are allowing the guild to use the Hangout Gallery free of charge.
“It gives us a home and that’s really important to us,” she said. “We invite everyone to come hang out in the Hangout Gallery.”
Nicole Veerman
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