Saturday, May 16, 2009

Niall McClelland's 'Losers' exhibition opens at the Emporium Gallery on Thursday, May 21st!


Niall McClelland's 'Losers' exhibition will open at the Emporium Gallery (3035 St. Antoine Ouest #74) on Thursday, May 21st from 7PM-11PM. The exhibition will also be open on Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th from 12PM-5PM. Private viewings will be available thereafter by appointment from Monday, May 25th to Wednesday, May 27th.

About Losers
Niall McClelland is a Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist whose work has been featured in such publications as Adbusters, Arkitip, Nylon, The Walrus and Tokion. Losers, his first Montreal exhibition, is a collection of new artworks that are in fact a series of imagined and forgotten flags- each of which exemplify McClelland's interest in absurdity, misspent youth, graphic systems of identity and the language of mark making.

Artist Statement
"There is a strong material focus in my work, frequently limited to a grey scale palette and readily available materials such as graphite, photocopies, ink and paper. These materials reflect the nature of the subjects whose identity is being explored and re-imagined. There is both a sense of recklessness and restraint in my work, markings that imagine violent and brutal past lifes, while also retaining an inherent solemnity and respect.

The work created for the Emporium Gallery is a series of imagined and forgotten flags, residing in this make shift space in dedication to their forgotten owners. These are symbols of identity that have been lost in history, symbols of the forgotten and insignificant, overshadowed and tossed aside. This is an attempt to re-create a place of importance for some of those losers."

About Niall McClelland
Niall McClelland, 28, grew up in Toronto, Ontario, spent many of his summers in Northern Ireland, went to school at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver BC, and eight years later moved back to Toronto where he currently resides.

He has previously exhibited in Toronto, New York City, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Denver and Sydney and, has been commissioned by Adidas, Nike, Element Skateboards and many others.

For more information click on the invite above. To see more of Niall McClelland's work click here. Thanks, Ben Pobjoy

The Emporium Gallery chosen as 4th best Art Gallery in Montreal by readers of the Montreal Mirror!


We would like to thank all the Montreal Mirror readers that voted for the Emporium Gallery in the publication's 2009 'Best of Montreal' readers poll. We were voted the 4th best art gallery in Montreal- which we consider a real achievement given that the Emporium Gallery is less than 2 years old. So, we're elated and consider this recognition to be the best recognition we've earned to date- since it's the outcome of a popular vote rather than praise heaped on us by a singular writer or editor. You can see the Montreal Mirror's BOM poll here. A million thanks to everyone who voted for us- we do not take your support for granted! Thanks, Ben Pobjoy

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Thursday, May 7, 2009

Switzerland designs a poster for folk legend Pete Seeger


Switzerland recently collaborated with photographer Jamie-James Medina (of Polite Company) and illustrator Dave Arnold to design a poster for Pete Seeger's 90th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden. A lot of you have inquired about the poster so we decided to post it. Needless to say it was an absolute honor to design a poster for Pete Seeger, a folk legend- made a million times more amazing given that Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Tom Morello, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and a ton of others played the show. The poster was printed in a limited capacity with each copy signed by Seeger himself. If I'm not mistaken all the performers received a copy of the signed poster with the remaining posters being auctioned for Seeger's Clearwater charity. We got word that we're going to receive some signed posters so we're thrilled. Hope you like it, Ben Pobjoy

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Dr. Norman Cornett, our pal, the subject of a NFB Documentary!


If you have ever been to the Emporium Gallery you have probably found me deep in conversation with Dr. Norman Cornett (pictured above), one of our most beloved patrons. I first met Dr. Cornett last year when he attended my Land of America installation and playfully challenged me to defend it. I was awestruck by Dr. Cornett's passion for the arts- he cannot be matched in Montreal. I see him at every exhibition deep in conversation with the artist that is exhibiting- it's marvelous. Anyway, Dr. Cornett has evolved to be a dear friend of mine and I consider him to be a gem of a man. It's why I'm ecstatic to announce that the National Film Board will be releasing a documentary about him. You can see the trailer here. Support this and spread the word! Ben Pobjoy

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Montreal’s Gaetanne Lavoie- solo exhibition this Saturday at The Emporium Gallery


The Emporium Gallery, Switzerland CS and Bierbrier are pleased to present Gaetanne Lavoie’s ‘Moments in Time’ solo exhibition at The Emporium Gallery (3035 St. Antoine Ouest #74) this Saturday (May 9th) from 7PM-11PM. ‘Moments in Time’ is a new collection of over 20 oil paintings that beautifully capture life’s unacknowledged moments through portraits. Lavoie has previously exhibited in Brooklyn and San Francisco with ‘Moments in Time’ being her first Montreal exhibition in over 2 years. So, come on out and support this fantastic Montreal-based painter.

For more information click the invite above or visit The Emporium Gallery’s website at here. Thanks, Ben Pobjoy