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George Hogg exhibition coming to Centre 64
By Mike Redfern
Kimberley is privileged to be the place they call home for a considerable number of very talented visual artists.
Not all of them have yet achieved the recognition they deserve, either locally or in the wider arts community. But many have. Among them is a born-and-bred Kimberley man who has achieved international recognition for his rural landscapes and western themed paintings, George Hogg.
Fifty of his paintings will be displayed in the Gallery at Centre 64 for the month of April this year. Kimberley Arts Council is proud to put on this solo exhibition of Hogg’s work at the gallery, the first since his previous solo show there 12 years ago. The show will open on Tuesday, March 29, and be open for viewing each Tuesday through Saturday between 1 and 5 p.m. until Saturday, April 23. Admission is free but donations are welcomed.
George was born in Chapman Camp and attended school in Kimberley before heading down to Vancouver to attend what is now called the Emily Carr University of Art & Design, then simply the Vancouver School of the Arts. As a painter of realism, George found himself out of step with the style favoured at the art school at that time and after a couple of years he returned to Kimberley to pursue his artistic endeavours at home. twenty years later his work was gracing the cover of Beautiful BC magazine and was widely in demand.
Hogg has found inspiration not only in the rural landscapes among which he has lived but also in the history of the northwest, in particular the culture and costumes of the indigenous people of the area. His oils, acrylics, and watercolours recreate the vibrant colours of nature and the vivid designs of native costume and regalia, to capture which he and his wife, Isabel, have traveled throughout the region.
Since he retired from his job with Cominco over 30 years ago, George has painted full-time, producing over 1600 canvases and exhibiting his works in galleries in Britain, Europe and Japan as well as Canada and the United States. In 2000 he was recognized as the top Western American Cowboy artist, receiving the John Clymen Award for his work in that field.
A reception for the George Hogg exhibition will be held on Saturday, April 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free and the public is invited to come and admire the paintings, enjoy some refreshments, and perhaps chat with the artist.
