Immersive Maple Ridge exhibition opens ACT Art Gallery season

The ACT Art Gallery in Maple Ridge is opening its season with “Créatrices d'images,” a solo exhibition by Vancouver-based artist Laurence Belzile. The exhibition features five large-scale abstract paintings marked by bold colour and expressive brushwork.

The paintings are dedicated to five artists who have influenced Belzile’s practice: Betty Goodwin, Faith Ringgold, Georgia O'Keeffe, Françoise Sullivan and Marlene Dumas. Gallery manager and curator Courtney Miller said the exhibition recognizes the women’s presence in art history while giving visitors insight into the artists who shaped Belzile’s work.

Belzile’s vibrant, textured works draw on the language and nature of abstract painting. They also incorporate storytelling and representation as she reinterprets each artist’s techniques in her own style.

Each painting measures 54 by 76 inches and is intended to create an immersive gallery setting. Reference materials and smaller companion works accompany the paintings, placing Belzile’s practice within a lineage of influential women artists.

Belzile has been active in Vancouver’s francophone community, and all exhibition panels and printed promotional materials are available in both French and English.

A free opening reception will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at The ACT Art Gallery, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge. Belzile and Miller will take part in an interview-style conversation at 2:30 p.m.

The exhibition runs until Saturday, Nov. 7. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and selected additional evenings. General admission is free.

The ACT Art Gallery is owned and operated by the City of Maple Ridge and presents rotating exhibitions by emerging and mid-career artists from the region and beyond. More information is available at TheACT@MapleRidge.ca.