David Dumbrell makes the kind of art you want to touch. More often than not, he is the one insisting that you do.
His latest projects — The Acrobat and Going Nowhere — are works that are machine-operated, set into motion with a push of a button and inspired by the age of automatons (see famed 18th-century Swiss watchmakers Pierre Jaquet Droz and Henri Maillardet for Dumbrell’s sources of inspiration).
It’s this kind of interactivity between observer and art that has allowed the visual artist and automaton enthusiast to refine and improve his installations through the years.
“The little kids, they’re all over it — they love it,” Dumbrell said.
It’s also the kind of feedback, exchange and general community-building that has inspired Artists in Our Midst — a group dedicated to the promotion of visual arts in Vancouver — to expand its annual West of Main Art Walk, held this year on May 27-28.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the group is putting on its largest-ever art walk, spanning from Point Grey to Main Street and from Granville Island to 41st Ave. This year, more than 50 artists are expected to share their art in garden studios, cafes, shops and community centres.
“We’re pleased to have so many different kinds of art,” says Mary Downe, vice-president of Artists in Our Midst. “It’s harder for younger artists to have a studio. We wanted to encourage younger artists to join.”
The weekend-long art walk aims to provide the community with an opportunity to meet local artists, view samples of their art and even peek into the studios where artists spend most of their time crafting their works in solitude.
“Usually you’re working away on your own,” says eco-artist Alice Philips. “It’s really important for artists to get to show.”
Philips, who is participating in her 15th Art Walk this year, will be showcasing felt displays stained with natural dyes. She credits the art walk with having connected her neighbourhood to her art.
“It’s a very positive experience,” Philips says. “People really appreciate being invited in.”
The entire premise behind the walk dates back to 1993 when artists in Vancouver’s West Side opened their studio to the public to galvanize a dialogue about art and community that has continued since.
This year’s Art Walk also features a silent auction with all proceeds going to the West of Main Art Walk Legacy Scholarship Fund in support of young and emerging artists from Arts Umbrella and Lord Byng Secondary School.
