BURSTLovers of art and casual art admirers in Nanaimo will be able to experience the works of two famed 19th century painters in one exhibition.
Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet is on display at Vancouver Island Conference Centre, in downtown Nanaimo, until Aug. 29, offering guests the chance to not only view re-creations of the works of Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, but immerse themselves in the paintings through animation, set to music, on screens set 360 degrees.
The exhibition came about thanks to collaboration between the Port Theatre, Nanaimo Museum, the conference centre, Tourism Nanaimo and City of Nanaimo.
According to David Warburton, Port Theatre artistic executive director, the two are usually presented individually, and by putting the two shows together it takes up nearly the entirety of the centre’s second floor.
“I took my daughter during the pandemic [to Beyond Van Gogh], and I thought it was such a beautiful experience,” Warburton said. “It’s really accessible for families. You could be a great lover of art and history and take something profound from it. You could be somebody who has maybe never gone to the theatre, or a museum or an art gallery, and still have an amazing time.”
The exhibit is not as large scale as one shown in Vancouver, and while in Florida to view Beyond Van Gogh, Warburton noticed that Beyond Monet was also being shown separately, providing inspiration for the double feature.
“When we started hearing that there was an opportunity for this exhibit in a little window that perfectly aligned with the space here, we put together a small group to really explore what actually could be possible,” he said. “Do we have the skill sets, the resources, the will and energy to put this on? We started seeing barriers and seeing if we could overcome them … It ended up being really quite feasible for us. It’s still the biggest thing that’s ever happened in Nanaimo in terms of a large-scale event, but we all fell in love with it, and now we’re here.”
Warburton says it’s difficult to summarize van Gogh’s works and it is a “tragic, but beautiful story” that the Dutch painter died thinking he was a failure, unaware of the impact he would have on future generations. In terms of Monet, he said he likes the nature scenes the most.
“Water Lilies is his most famous piece, but … he really believed in making ‘your small corner of the world, the centre of your world,’ and I think Islanders really embrace and relate to that idea that we live in this paradise, in a very small place in the world, but for us it’s the centre of this beautiful world that we’re in,” he said. “I think that Nanaimo audiences will really relate to that in the same way I’ve always found that in my life.”
Leonard Krog, City of Nanaimo mayor, said Beyond Monet and Beyond Van Gogh are a testimony to the value of teamwork.
“This is not the season when you’re attracting folks to the conference centre,” said Krog. “This is a tourist season. People are looking for events and things to attend that are inspiring. This will be a great draw. It spreads art appreciation. It ticks all the boxes that any mayor would want to see for their city.”
For more information, including to purchase tickets, go to www.islandevents.ca.