Last fall, an artists’ call went out from Place des Arts to find images that depicted Coquitlam in its 125th year.
The theme was general and the medium was non-specific.
But staff at the Coquitlam arts hub — many of them involved in organizing the city’s milestone celebrations this year — wanted to place an emphasis on community.
In June, executive director Joan McCauley, program and events co-ordinator Michael Fera and Oliver McTavish-Wisden, fine and performing arts programmer, sorted through 65 entries from 36 artists and whittled the submissions down to 28 pieces.
And what they uncovered from the candidates was a deep love for a city they had either resided in, had visited or had friends or family here.
They produced photographs, silk scarves, paintings and quilts. Someone also sent in a bowl to remind him of the woodturning techniques he had learned in Coquitlam.
Most of the scenes were of places: Minnekhada regional park, the Riverview Hospital lands and Lafarge Lake, for example. There were also plenty of wildlife, too, such as bears and salmon.
What the artists wanted to express was that “Coquitlam has a beautiful, natural environment,” McTavish-Wisden said, adding, “They really showed how Coquitlam made them feel with so much nature around them.”
On Friday, the art works will be unveiled in Capture Coquitlam, a sanctioned exhibit for Coquitlam 125.
While there are few portraits in the show, there are a couple of interesting pieces that highlight the city’s evolution, McTavish-Wisden said.
One artist created photograph postcards of bungalows being demolished for monster homes; another imagined spirits looming around Riverview — a nod to its mental health past as the 244 acres now prepare for redevelopment.
Place des Arts’ faculty member Don Portelance — a retired art teacher from Centennial secondary — also has a painting up of the old Chimo Pool, which was replaced a few years back with the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex tank.
The opening reception for Capture Coquitlam is on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave.). Call 604-664-1636 or visit placedesarts.ca.
