Snow-blind at The Red Head Gallery - February 1 - 25, 2023

Snow-Blind

February 1 – 25, 2023

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 4, 2023, 1-4 pm

The artist will be in the gallery on February 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 12-5 pm.

The Red Head Gallery

401 Richmond St. W., Suite 115, Toronto ON

Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 12 - 5 PM

 

Sarah Kernohan, Remnants 2, watercolour and pastel with acrylic ground on yupo, 24 x 18 inches, 2022.

The Red Head Gallery is excited to present Snow-Blind, Sarah Kernohan’s first exhibition as a member of the gallery.

Snow-blind is a series of drawings that respond to an experience of landscape that is ambiguous and difficult to visually apprehend on account of atmospheric and light conditions. They are informed by her experiences visiting alpine terrain in northern Scotland and Alberta, where snowpack has been dwindling over the years due to climate change. 

Her investigations involve hiking, contemplative watching, observational note-taking, sketching, and photography. These are pulled together as a point of reference. This ongoing process combines these experiences, study, and reflection, allowing her to draw connections between the patterns that draw her attention. The drawings come from a process of trying to understand and re-create the disorienting experiences she encountered in these environments. 

Snow, fog, or lack of available light contribute to the difficulty of deciphering space, making it difficult to understand the scale and proximity of these obscured mountains, only seeing how light reflects on snow high up in the hills. Through making these drawings, she attempts to pull these snowy patches closer for inspection through hazy scrims hanging on the surface of each drawing.


The artist would like to thank the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and Pat the Dog/City of Waterloo for their financial support in producing this work. 

Arts Awards Waterloo Region

On Wednesday evening, I was honoured to receive a General Arts award from Arts Awards Waterloo Region. I was one of nine recipients at this annual event which celebrates artists across all disciplines in recognition of their work.

I'm so encouraged by the nomination, support, and recognition for my work as a visual artist and arts worker. Congratulations to all of the nominees, artists, and organizations awarded this year. I'm fortunate to work in a community with solid artists, to work alongside and collaborate with dedicated professionals with the work I do behind the scenes with visual arts organizations in the Waterloo Region and beyond. I'm grateful for the support, the nudges, the conversations, the opportunities, and the relationships I've forged over the years. I moved to Kitchener in 2007 and began my professional career as an artist at the same time. This community has had an incredible impact on me. Thank you for supporting my work.  

Pouch Cove Foundation Residency

A weathered hand-painted sign that reads Pouch Cove Foundation

I am thrilled to be back on the east coast to complete a residency at the Pouch Cove Foundation in Pouch Cove, NL. I am stationed here for the entirety of August, and I am so grateful for the time and space to focus on my work. 

The residency is in an old elementary school, with classrooms converted into live-work studios. The foundation is also the home of the James Baird Gallery. While here, I am developing work for my upcoming exhibition at the Red Head Gallery in Toronto (February 2023). Atlantic Canada—specifically Cape Breton—has become a second home for me over the years, and this is my second trip to Newfoundland. I am excited to explore and see how that space finds its way into my work. I will post occasional updates on Instagram if you are keen to follow what I'm up to.