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OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2026

VERNON PUBLIC ART GALLERY

3228 31st Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 2H3 (250) 545-3173 info@vernonpublicartgallery.com vernonpublicartgallery.com VPAG acknowledges our presence on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓ xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx / Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial. We recognize, honour, and respect the syilx / Okanagan lands upon which we live, work, and play.

Hours: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Closed Closed 10 am to 5 pm 10 am to 5 pm 10 am to 5 pm 10 am to 5 pm 11 am to 4 pm

Admission: Free for everyone Donations gratefully appreciated Wheelchair accessible Gender-neutral restroom

Cover image: Darian Goldin Stahl, 100' Scar (detail), 2026.

The Vernon Public Art Gallery is a registered not-for-profit society. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of BC's Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, British Columbia Arts Council, the Government of Canada, Corporate Donations, Sponsorships, Foundation Grants, General Donations and Memberships. Charitable Organization #108113358RR

Letter from the Executive Director Moving into the final months of the year, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our members, donors, sponsors, volunteers, artists, and visitors. Your continued support makes it possible for the Vernon Public Art Gallery to remain a welcoming and vibrant space in the North Okanagan. This fall, we are pleased to present three exhibitions. The gallery's members come together in a highlight of their work for the exhibition Exposed!, showing the talent and reach of our membership. Mackie Lake House Artist in Residence, Andrea Zittlau, will present an exhibition of work made during her time at the residency. Bound to Birth will bring together five artists’ books by interdisciplinary printmaker and bookmaker Darian Goldin Stahl, whose practice explores the intersections of art, medicine, disability, reproductive health, and lived bodily experience. At the centre of the exhibition is 100′ Scar, a monumental artists’ book that hangs suspended from the ceiling and extends one hundred feet and transforming the gallery space. The coming months will also bring a range of opportunities to gather at the gallery, from artist talks and workshops to educational programs and other events. We are grateful to be able to offer many of these programs at low or no cost, helping make the visual arts accessible to our wider community. The twice-yearly 19+ event Art After Dark is coming up on October 16 as a chance to visit the gallery after-hours with live music and try out new ways of making art in a way that is accessible to all skill levels. We’re also introducing a new adult program called Show & Tell: Art Club, which will be taking place on a Saturday afternoon each month. As we look toward the end of 2026, we are reminded that the gallery is shaped by the people who walk through its doors, participate in its programs, share their work, and support its future. Thank you for being part of the VPAG community, and we look forward to welcoming you to the gallery this fall. Warmly,

Calendar of Events October 2 1:00pm to 4:00pm

First Friday Art Trail with James Jennings

October 3 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Open Model Session: Medium of Choice

October 6 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Closing Reception: Opera Obscura and Your Absence is Mineral

October 10

Closed for Thanksgiving Weekend

October 16 7:00pm to 10:00pm

Art After Dark 19+ After-Hours Event

October 22 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Opening Reception: Bound to Birth, Exposed!, and Mackie Lake House Artist in Residence

October 24 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Show & Tell: Adult Art Club

October 29 10:00am to 11:30am

Mini Artists Kids under 5 & Parent/Guardian

October 30 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Crit Club Free | Ages 13-19

October 31 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Family Saturday All ages

Opening Receptions are generously supported by:

Calendar of events cont’d

November 6 1:00pm to 4:00pm

First Friday Art Trail with Mandi Irmen

November 7 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Artist Talk: Darian Goldin Stahl

November 11

Closed for Remembrance Day

November 21 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Show & Tell: Adult Art Club

November 26 10:00am to 11:30am

Mini Artists Kids under 5 & Parent/Guardian

November 27 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Crit Club Free | Ages 13-19

November 28 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Family Saturday All ages

Guests attending Art After Dark in April 2026. Photo by Sara Skye Photography.

Calendar of events cont’d

December 1

Giving Tuesday Fundraiser Drive Matching Sponsor: Vantage One

December 5 11:00am to 4:00pm

Festive Saturday Extra 10% off gift shop for Members

December 12 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Show and Tell: Adult Art Club

December 12 11:00am to 4:00pm

Festive Saturday Extra 10% off gift shop for Members

December 17 10:00am to 11:30am

Mini Artists Kids under 5 & Parent/Guardian

December 18 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Crit Club Free | Ages 13-19

December 19 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Family Saturday All Ages

December 19 11:00am to 4:00pm

Festive Saturday Extra 10% off gift shop for Members

December 25 until January 4

Gallery Closed for Holidays

Gallery visitors at an Opening Reception, 2025.

Current & Upcoming Exhibitions Oct 16 to Dec 23

Bound to Birth Darian Goldin Stahl Topham Brown Memorial Gallery

Oct 16 to Dec 23

Mackie Lake House Artist in Residence Andrea Zittlau Community Gallery

Oct 16 to Dec 23

Exposed! Gallery Members Caroline Galbraith Gallery & Up-Front Gallery

January 8 to March 10

Epic Fails Patrick Lundeen Topham Brown Gallery

January 8 to February 6

Art and Soul SD #22 Secondary Students Caroline Galbraith, Up-Front & Community Gallery

February 11 to March 10

Art from the Heart SD #22 Elementary Students Caroline Galbraith, Up-Front & Community Gallery

Exposed! Gallery Members October 16 - December 19, 2026 Caroline Galbraith Gallery & Up-Front Gallery The Vernon Public Art Gallery’s annual Members’ Exhibition, Exposed!, celebrates the creativity, talent, and diverse artistic practices of our membership. Bringing together artists of varying backgrounds, experiences, and approaches, the exhibition offers members the opportunity to present their work in a professional gallery setting and share their practice with a wider audience. Each year, Exposed! recognizes the important contributions our members make to the cultural life of the region while inviting visitors to discover and celebrate the breadth of artistic practice taking place locally. Gallery Members, Exposed!, 2025.

Mackie Lake House Artist in Residence Andrea Zittlau October 16 - December 19, 2026 Community Gallery The Mackie Lake House Foundation Artist in Residence Program is a collaborative partnership between Mackie Lake House Foundation and the Vernon Public Art Gallery, made possible through the generosity of Patrick (Paddy) Fylton Mackie who established and funded the Mackie Lake House Foundation. This year’s artist, Andrea Zittlau, is an interdisciplinary artist and designer based in Vancouver. Her creative practice seeks to explore the relationship between people, place and craft; with the aim of harnessing craft as a means to strengthen the connection between humans and their surrounding environment. Her interest in this theme has led her to work in a variety of fields and media, ultimately pursuing a career in architecture while maintaining an artistic practice adjacently. Zittlau initially studied Visual Arts and Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, where her passion for sustainability led her to work in organic agriculture. Seeking a more creative path which would synthesize her interests, she turned to the world of architecture, studying at several institutions. There, she drew parallels between the tenants of the local food movement and those of critical regionalist architecture, both of which seek to express the particularities of place, thereby strengthening our connection to it. Although architecture has taken centre stage in her working life, she sees her artistic practice as an extension of it. It is where she carves out the time and space to explore similar themes in a more tactile way. Painting and sketching give her the pause to step back and observe the world, while ceramics and ink-making enable her to explore how nature can provide the artistic medium itself, thereby defining an aesthetic of place. Andrea Zittlau, Out My Bedroom Window (detail).

Bound to Birth Darian Goldin Stahl October 16 - December 19, 2026 Topham Brown Memorial Gallery Bound to Birth brings together five artist’s books by interdisciplinary printmaker and bookmaker Darian Goldin Stahl, whose practice explores the intersections of art, medicine, disability, reproductive health, and lived bodily experience. Through printmaking, bookmaking, storytelling, and collaborative research, Stahl considers how experiences that are often reduced to medical terminology or clinical records might instead be understood through the voices and bodies of those who have lived them. At the centre of the exhibition is 100′ Scar, a monumental artist’s book created from the narratives of six women who received Caesarean sections at Kelowna General Hospital. Extending one hundred feet, suspended, and spiralling inward, the work transforms the physical scar of a C-section into both the structure of the book and a pathway through the gallery. Moving alongside the narratives becomes a physical act of reading, reflecting the varied and deeply personal journeys of healing, vulnerability, and acceptance held within the work. Surrounding 100′ Scar are four additional artists’ books. Birth Work brings together five books containing interviews with birth workers, using collagraph and ink transfer to give material form to their experiences and knowledge. Bad Roommate, made from encaustic transfer and microbial cellulose, considers the complicated experience of living alongside and within an unruly body. Vessels, an accordion book composed of mason jar-shaped pages, gathers stories of embryo donation and the complex relationships between bodies, reproduction, family, and care. The final project, Embodied Legacies, presents narratives and keepsakes composed by daughters about the complicated legacies of their mothers. The curved reading tables and reading nook invite visitors not only to observe but to read and spend time with the books. Darian Goldin Stahl, Vessesls, 2026.

THE VERNON PUBLIC ART GALLERY PRESENTS

Art After Dark AN AFTER-HOURS 19+ GALLERY EVENT

INTERACTIVE ART LIVE MUSIC REFRESHMENTS TICKETS

vernonpublicartgallery.com /event/art-after-dark

FRI, OCT 16 7-10 PM 3228 31 AVE SPONSORED BY

Holiday Gift Shopping The gallery gift shop holds a curated selection of local and Canadian artwork, ceramics, art supplies, cards, art publications, and more! It makes for the perfect place to shop for unique gifts this holiday season and throughout the year. VPAG members receive 10% off all items (except for art rental pieces) in the gallery gift shop and get access to double discount days each Saturday in December. Your purchase in the gift shop supports artisans and the gallery’s ability to continue with its contemporary exhibitions, educational programming, and community events.

Above: Julie Oakes glass birds & Paula Charter paintings | Right (top to bottom): Laurel Frieden ceramics, rings from various vendors, and Angela Hansen ceramics

School Tour in gallery viewing Populated by Mark Thibeault

Back to School Tours Make art part of the school day by bringing an elementary, middle, or secondary school class to the Vernon Public Art Gallery! Tours and activities will be adjusted for different age groups and learning goals. Choose from three gallery tour options designed to fit your group’s needs: Self-guided tours with supporting activity sheets to help guide your exploration. (By donation) Guided gallery tours led by our education staff, offering deeper insight into the exhibitions. ($3.50 per student) Guided tours with an art activity that extend exhibition learning through a creative art activity. ($5 per student) Our educators look forward to welcoming groups to the gallery and creating engaging and memorable experiences for all tour visitors. To book, vist our website at vernonpublicartgallery.com/tours or email us at education@vernonpublicartgallery.com.

Sarah Steeves, Time-based installation (detail) from the exhibition Your Absence is Mineral, 2026.

Become a Gallery Member Being a member of the Vernon Public Art Gallery is a vital investment in your community, sustaining the exhibitions, programs, and educational initiatives that make the visual arts accessible to everyone. Your membership supports the cultural vibrancy of the entire region.

Core Benefits Newsletter + E-News Access to Regional Reciprocal Membership Program 10% Gallery Shop Discount Members Only Events Join Here Discounts on Programs & Events Members Exhibition Participation AGM Voting Privileges Access to Art Rental Program STUDENT $10.50 | INDIVIDUAL $35 | FAMILY $50 | CORPORATE $150

Riot on the Road, sponsored by A&W Vernon.

Sponsorship Opportunities As the largest public gallery in the North Okanagan, the Vernon Public Art Gallery (VPAG) connects our community to the visual arts through around twenty exhibitions each year, alongside other impactful community programs and signature events. Sponsorships directly support these exhibitions, events, and education programs, helping to grow creativity and cultural tourism in the region. Upcoming Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsor an event at the gallery by being a title sponsor and help us make the events accessible to all. Support one of the gallery’s youth initiatives to grow the development of the arts in the community. Join the gallery’s year-round sponsors, with your company’s logo on our entry wall, website, in our newsletter, and in marketing. For more information please email admin@vernonpublicartgallery.com

VPAG Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors for continuing to support Arts & Culture in the North Okanagan.

VPAG Partners We are grateful for the continued collaboration and support from the following VPAG Partners:

Tolko

Gumtree Catering

BigSteelBox Wayside Co.

Browns Transport 107.5 Beach Radio

Sunbelt Rentals Apero Catering Mission Hill Winery Wedge Cheesery SOBR Market Vernon Okanagan Spirits

Vernon Morning Star Kalamalka Eagle Feather Security Okanagan Spring Brewery The Prestige Vernon Lodge Uprooted Kitchen & Catering Co. SVOI Media

Board of Directors Sarah Kennedy – President Kyle Britton – Treasurer Edward Woolley - Co-Vice President Jay Gillman - Co-Vice President Anne-Marie Clancy

Sigrid-Ann Thors Louise Mcguire Karol King Shauna Kay

Staff Dauna Kennedy – Executive Director Victoria Verge – Curator Lubos Culen – Curator Emeritus & Facility Advisor Liam O’Sullivan – Preparator Tom Knight – Bookkeeper Chantelle Bullen – Gallery Attendant Gwynneth Tansey – Marketing & Events Coordinator James Jennings – Development & Admin Coordinator Jordan MacDonald – Education Coordinator Samantha Ahize – Education Coordinator (on leave)

Darian Goldin Stahl, Vessels (detail), 2026.

A Special Thank You to Wayside for being our official Print Sponsor and helping us bring art to life on paper.