An upcoming arts show in Merritt that will pay tribute to “a giant in the arts community” in this city promises to be one of the most memorable in the history of the Courthouse Art Gallery.
The upcoming show, called Inspirations and Master Artists of the Nicola Valley, is being dedicated to Diane Kiernan, an outstanding painter and well-respected artist who has been deeply missed since her death last September, said Kathi Dahlquist-Gray, a good friend and curator and director of the Courthouse Gallery.
Dahlquist-Gray said she will always remember her good friend as a “giant” not only because of her immense artistic talent, but because of the fact she always stood out in a crowd of her peers.
“She was a very tall and statuesque woman, but she loved to wear two and three-inch heels,” she said smiling. “This brought her way over six-feet-tall and she was extremely good looking and striking, so she always stood out and her incredible personality made so many people flock to her.”
Kiernan lived most of her life in the Lower Mainland running a successful business, but her artistic heart remained in Merritt and the Nicola Valley as she returned to spend many weeks here each summer for more than 30 years, said Dahlquist-Gray.
When she retired, she moved to Merritt and lived here full-time for over five years until she lost her battle with cancer last fall, she said.
She had wanted to organize a show to honour Kiernan for some time and was in the process of doing so when she ran into her at Cooper’s grocery store last fall and Kiernan told her about her battle with cancer, she said.
“She passed away shortly after that.”
Dahlquist-Gray spends the winters in Utah and after mourning the death of her good friend, decided to organize the upcoming show as a tribute to a wonderful artist, talented teacher and unforgettable personality.
She contacted several of this region’s finest artists and virtually every one of them said they would be honoured to produce work for the upcoming show, she said.
The list of well-known local artists who will be showcasing their work as part of the Inspirations & Master Artists of the Nicola Valley show include Pius Chong, Linda Butler Buchanan, Evelyn Armstrong, Cassandra Dolen, William Edmonds, Roger Kamp, Jean Kiegerl, Arnold Mosley, Mischelle Pierce, Almerina Rizzardo, Silvia Rosenfelder-Schechtel and Murphy Shewchuk.
“The Nicola Valley is a hotbed for talented artists … and this show is bringing together some of the finest artists who have ever lived here or been inspired by this region,” said Dahlquist-Gray. “The lineup of talent that has agreed to show is staggering and it will be a great tribute to Diane and her legacy.”
The Nicola Valley Community Arts Council produced a book 10 years ago called Visual Artists of the Nicola Valley: Celebrating Art and Culture in our Community.
Many of the artists featured in that collection have tremendous talent, but have never shown their work in a public setting, said Dahlquist-Gray.
To show just how influential and popular Kiernan was, many of those same artists will be showing their best work at the Courthouse Gallery starting this weekend.
“There are a handful of artists in this area who do incredible work, but haven’t shown around here in many years, shown very little or not at all,” she said. “I’m so thrilled that several of them have agreed to show publicly for the first time ever.
“One lady named Linda Butler Buchanan has never shown art outside of her home in her entire life and I can tell you she’s simply awesome. To have people who have never shown want to be part of this show as a tribute to Diane is what will make this show something very special.”
Pius Chong is a world-renowned artist in Asia and Europe and he didn’t hesitate for one second when asked to be part of this show, she said.
Dahlquist-Gray is expecting a full house for the opening reception and she expects this to be one of the more popular shows in the gallery’s history.
“The biggest show we’ve ever had was when we published our book 10 years ago and I’m even more excited about this show,” she said.
Kiernan’s daughter Stephanie will be coming to Merritt for the opening reception on Saturday evening from 5-7 p.m. at the Courthouse Gallery and most of the artists will also be in attendance, she said.
The show will run until Saturday, May 28. The Courthouse Gallery is open from Thursday until Saturday from noon until 6 p.m.
