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Protect What You Love

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since my exhibition “Protect What You Love”. It’s been a bit of a crazy year and I just realized that I never posted a follow-up to let you all know just how much money we raised for Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Together with Pulse Gallery, we were able to donate $500. I wanted to use this opportunity to thank everybody who purchased one of my works, all the fabulous women at Pulse Gallery for contributing to the donation and putting on an amazing opening reception/exhibition, to Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for being at the launch with two owls and for the amazing work you do and to everybody who visited the gallery. It’s nice to see that we can truly all make a difference.

Here are a few links to media coverage for the exhibition:

Global news interview, September 2019

https://globalnews.ca/video/5960836/environmental-art-exhibit-opens-at-the-forks

CBC Radio interview with Nadia Kidwai, September 2019

If you missed the exhibition here is a link to all the pieces on my portfolio site:

https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/anja-studer/collection/protect-what-you-love

I have been feeling very inspired to continue to use my art to make a difference. More news on that to come soon!

Ciao

Anja

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Protect What You Love Exhibition

Growing up in the Swiss alps I always felt a deep connection to nature and cared about protecting our environment. I am sure my parents were at times annoyed by their teenage daughter giving them lectures about recycling and sustainable living. I didn’t realize though that they took what I said to heart until this summer when my mom told me that to this day she turns off the water in the shower while shampooing her hair. What seems like a small thing to do, she had done for over 30 years because of what her teenage daughter told her. It filled me with hope and it proofed to me that we can all make a difference by changing our own way of living and educating others.

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As a teenager (circa 1990) with handmade environmental activism poster on my wall “Please be nice to mother nature”

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Expansion of environmental activism message to throw pillows. 🙂 (circa 1994) “Please be nice to mother nature”

Over the past couple of years, the environmental crisis has been weighing really heavy on me and I have been working on a series of encaustic paintings about the impact humans have on wildlife.

Our oceans are full of plastics, our forests are on fire, the ice is melting, sea levels are rising and animals are becoming extinct at an unprecedented rate. As average global temperatures rise, the land and all the species that live on it suffer: Heat waves, droughts, hurricanes, and dust storms are growing more intense. The rising temperatures combined with other ways in which we have degraded forests, prairies and shorelines around the world now put food security, human health, and ecosystems at grave risk.

It is becoming urgent that we significantly reduce our emissions, consume less, buy sustainable products, eat less meat and plant trees. Based on a report issued by the UN and the world’s leading climate scientists we have less than a dozen years left for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C. Anything beyond this will have a significant impact on our lives as we know it. I truly believe that we can turn this around by making an effort. We don’t need to live a perfect zero-waste lifestyle but if enough of us make some changes to how we live the impact will be immense.

Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird, and mammal go extinct every 24 hours. This is nearly 1,000 times the “natural” rate and is greater than anything the world has experienced since the vanishing of the dinosaurs. The thought of so much wildlife going extinct is very sad and I want to do everything I can to protect what literally has provided inspiration for my art for the past 30 years.

My hope is that this newest exhibition helps to increase awareness about the negative impact we have on our wildlife and that it provides inspiration to take action to protect our world and its wildlife. Each painting within this series tells the story of a Manitoba animal and one of the reasons why the animal’s survival is increasingly challenged such as deforestation, loss of habitat or global warming. 10% of all sales will be donated to a local organization Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (PWRC). Their goal is to rehabilitate injured or orphaned wildlife in Manitoba and to successfully release them back into their natural habitat. I am very impressed with Pulse Gallery for agreeing to donate 10% of any of my sales to this amazing cause. It’s very heartwarming!

From Sept. 1 – Oct. 31 Pulse Gallery at the Johnston terminal at the Forks will be featuring a few of these works and for one night on Friday, Sept. 27 (7-9pm), all works from this series will be on display.  I hope you can join me for a night of art, wine, snacks and feathered friends from Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (they are bringing a couple of owls they are currently rehabilitation).

I hope to see you on Sept. 27 from 7-9pm!

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Opening night moved to May 11, 7-11pm

A couple of days ago the Winnipeg Jets announced the schedule for round 2 of the playoffs against the Predators and game 7 (if needed) will be taking place on May 10. Considering this I have decided to move the opening night of my exhibition to the next day – May 11, 7-11pm.

Go Jets Go and see you on May 11 at cre8ery gallery!

Ciao

Anja

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Afternoon of workshops

I had a very inspiring afternoon at a fundraiser event for the Manitoba Crafts Museum. There were many different demonstrations and I had the opportunity to participate in three workshops.

I attended the “Leather Work” workshop by Jan Castillo, where we learned the basics of leather working by making a small coin purse. Loved it and will definitely do this again.

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The second workshop I took was “Metis Beadwork” by Jennine Krauchi. Her work is just stunning. We learned floral beadwork using a two-needle technique. After spending a hour at the workshop I spent a couple more hours tonight finished up my little flower. A very humbling experience.

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I ended the afternoon by learning a Japanese braiding technique called Kumihimo taught by Susan Styrchak. Hoping to transfer the simple string into a bracelet.

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I really enjoyed learning some new techniques today and I will for sure participate in this event again next year.

Ciao

Anja

 

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Holiday art show & sale

I am joining two amazing artists (Charlene Brown and Colleen Leduc) to put on a holiday art show/sale. Come and join us at Clayhaus on Nov. 24 & 25 (12 to 5). A great chance to see some great local art and to get some Christmas shopping done. There will be pottery, paintings, photography, screen prints, jewelry and accessories made from recycled materials to choose from.

Hope to see you at the show!

Ciao!
Anja

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What a night

It’s been a couple of days since opening night and I have caught up on some sleep. What an incredible night! The gallery was packed. There were so many people who I knew and I spent all night talking to people and still feel that there were so many  I didn’t have a chance to chat with. I am overwhelmed by the support I have received from the media before and after  opening night along with the support of my friends, family and the art community. I will never forget this special night. Thank you everybody for making this such a magical night. So far I have sold 6 paintings and 9 photographs. If you missed opening night, the show is still on until April 3 at 6:00pm. Hours are Tues & Thurs: 12:00pm to 9:00pm and Wed, Fri, Sat: 12:00pm to 6pm.

Here are some links to some of the coverage I got:

CBC Manitoba Scene 

CBC News

article in the community papers city wide

fun photoshoot after opening night. Photo by Dave Swiecicki.

Thanks everybody!

Love

Anja

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The opening night of my first solo show “Home Sweet Home” is one week away . I am busy with lots of final preparations and with preparing for my parents arrival on Sunday. I am signing off my blog until after the opening night but I wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to the opening night. Thursday, March 22, 2012, 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. at cre8ery gallery, 125 Adelaide, 2nd floor. It’s going to be a fun night with lots of Swiss food and music.

See you next Thursday night!

Click here for invitation

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Home

I love Switzerland so much I am even watching the Bachelor right now… they are in Switzerland and not just anywhere, they are in Zermatt, so extremely close to my hometown Visp. The images of the Matterhorn and Zermatt are making me so homesick and I thought when better to post my Pecha Kucha presentation from a few weeks ago. 

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Exhibition poster and invite

I am so excited! I just received the printed posters and invites for my solo show. I wanted my materials to have the look and feel of a vintage travel poster and I am really happy with how they turned out.  A big thanks goes out to my friend Charity for the design and to Prolific for the printing. Now I just have to start promoting my show and of course finish all the pieces for my show.

Ciao

Home Sweet Home poster

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Xmas sale

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year already when we all start thinking about Christmas shopping. My good friend and fellow artist Charlene Brown and I have joined forces this year and are putting on a Christmas sale at Charlene’s studio. Please come visit us….drink some coffee….do a little shopping (pottery, jewelry, photography and textiles)….Nov 26 & 27, 12-5p, 1178 McMillan.

Xmas sale