Arts centre hosting ‘soft opening’ of newly renovated space

ELORA – The Elora Centre for the Arts is inviting the community to a soft opening celebration of its newly renovated gallery and atrium spaces.

Everyone is invited to an afternoon in the refreshed gallery to meet the artists of Loops, Layers, Shapes & Shadows: David Brown, Heejung Shin, Laurie Skantzos and Michael Stecky.

An artist reception is slated for Nov. 16 from 2 to 4pm. Admission is free.

“We are working furiously to finish up the gallery to feature this group of artists in our new gallery space,” stated arts centre executive director Lianne Carter in a press release.

“It’s very fitting that the essence of their exhibition is all about renewal and transformation, which is exactly what we are all about here at the moment.” 

The soft opening event offers a first look at the renovated spaces and an opportunity to enjoy creative conversations, hear behind-the-scenes stories from the artists and mingle with the community, officials say.  

“We’ll have an official grand opening of the new space … in the new year,” stated Carter.

“But this is an awesome way for people to get a sneak peek at the spaces and enjoy a very compelling exhibition that reminds us to give ourselves permission to play, take risks and begin again.”

The Elora Centre for the Arts is preparing for a soft opening of its new gallery space. On Nov. 16 the exhibition Loops, Layers, Shapes & Shadows opens with an artists reception. Submitted photos

 

About the artists/exhibit

The Toronto and Guelph-based artists of Loops, Layers, Shapes & Shadows explore the relationship between process, material and meaning, officials say. 

Their work investigates themes of transformation, rhythm, identity and cultural heritage – reshaping everyday materials into art objects that challenge traditional perceptions of their mediums, officials added.

The artists work with paint, paper, plywood, beeswax and reclaimed materials for this exhibition.

Skantzos reconfigures the discarded into the refined, finding sculptural beauty in the overlooked. 

Brown folds, layers, and reshapes the human form into rhythmic geometries. 

Stecky reinterprets the pulse of music through painted puzzle fragments, translating sound into visual rhythm. 

Shin deconstructs and reassembles traditional Hanji paper, honouring cultural memory while creating something distinctly contemporary. 

Loops, Layers, Shapes & Shadows runs in the gallery until Jan. 18.

For more information, visit eloracentreforthearts.ca.