Gallery owner returns to her roots

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This article was published 06/10/2010 (5679 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Bhavni Bhakoo held her first solo exhibit this past June at cre8ery gallery and studio, she sold 19 of her 31 paintings on display.

But she’s quick to point to Jordan Miller — her mentor and the co-founder of cre8ery — as the behind-the-scenes star of her show.

That’s why, as Miller spent the last months preparing for her own exhibit — a symbolic return to the art world from her flourishing career as an arts administrator — Bhakoo was quick to offer a helping hand.

And Bhakoo is not alone. Miller said a number of artists who have hung their pieces on the walls of cre8ery have emerged to aid in everything from keeping the gallery clean to helping with touch-ups on her work.

“We realize how important she is to us,” said Bhakoo, who also has a studio at cre8ery. “Without her, there would be no cre8ery. And without cre8ery, we wouldn’t have a place.”

As for Miller, she has three simple words to describe the kindness of fellow artists as she worked to finish the 364 pieces that comprise her exhibit.

“That is amazing,” the St. Boniface-based Miller said.

Miller acknowledged she feels the last few years of her life have been painted by self-sacrifice, all for the cause of helping other Winnipeg artists find space to display their art.

Shortly after graduating with a fine arts degree in 2002, she found herself establishing her first gallery with a group of friends.

“There was no gallery space in Winnipeg where we could show our art,” Miller explained.

That project eventually led Miller to found cre8ery gallery in 2006 with Shawn Berard, a venue utilized by hundreds of artists and whose wait list for 2012 exhibition dates already has 55 names.

The gallery strives to put artists first, Miller said, from helping with promotion to taking a smaller commission than may be considered traditional.

“It’s really hard as an artist in Winnipeg to make a living 100% off their art,” said Miller. “We held them through the process of having their own show.”

Caroline Westendorf, an East Kildonan artist who held her first show at cre8ery last month, said Miller’s dedication to helping other artists drew her to the venue.

“She’s an artist herself, and she’s doing it out of pure passion,” Westendorf said.

But the success has come with a price, Miller said, as her role with the gallery left little time to work on her own art.

“My creativity was just being squished,” said Miller. “I do love (the gallery work) — otherwise I wouldn’t be here — but part of me is missing if I’m not creating my own art.”

The result of Miller’s quest to find that missing piece of herself is her new exhibit, which took almost a year and a half to complete.

“I said, ‘It’s time for me to do something for me,’” she said.

Miller’s show, Life Structures & Other Personalities, features 364 pieces hung from the ceiling rather than on the walls.

On the cre8ery website, Miller describes the Life Structures portion of the show — portrayed through collages, paintings and mixed-media works — as “a personal reflection and commentary on how people’s lives differ, how busy we all are, how much or little we appreciate what we have, and how easily we can push away important aspects of life.”

The Other Personalities portion of the show is a study of interactions with others and the environment, and comprises stitched representations of hands  interacting like bodies.

Together, the mixed media and stitched piece represent a year, with the 365th “piece” being the show itself.

“That 365th piece doesn’t exist until the show is hung, and it doesn’t exist after the show,” Miller said.

The show opened Oct.1 and runs until Oct. 12.

The gallery’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m, and Monday and Thursday evenings, 6 to 10 p.m.

The gallery is located at 125 Adelaide St. It will be closed Thanksgiving Monday.

For more information, visit www.cre8ery.com

arielle.godbout@canstarnews.com