187 Gallery Exploring Darker Side of Art
The art scene on Main Street is exploding. It is anchored by the WKP Kennedy Gallery, with both Art on Main, and the White Water Gallery moving to bigger, better locations. Recently, 187 Gallery has joined the mix, and is doing exciting things, showcasing both local, and international artists.
187 Gallery is North Bay’s first integrated Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery, as it is co-located with Deluxe Custom Tattoos at 187 Main St. East.
Earlier in the summer, it all began with a show called “Tools of the Trade” which featured original work by internationally known tattoo artists such as Chris Hall, Matt Ellis, George Brown, Rich Hanford and Phil Kyle. The theme was art pertaining to the tools of a tattoo artist’s trade, which are hands.
The second show was Mechanics of Pain, featuring the photography of Andrew Vaughn. It was based on a concept by Polly Hatter, and documented the journey of a tattoo from beginning to end. The tattoo that Andrew photographed was executed by Shawn Beatty. These photos had impact, especially for people who were about to get a tattoo, as they showed in extreme close up detail the interaction of needle and skin. Penetration, ink and blood were rendered in remarkable detail in these excellent photos by Vaughn. The photos “made people step back a bit” says proprietor Polly Hatter.
Currently showing at 187 Gallery is “Through the Socket”, featuring “all things skulls” by local artists, such as Tara Sharp, Jess Bureau, John Baker, Polly Hatter, Shawn Beatty, Marty Lacombe, Peter Sloan, Andrew Vaughn, James Sroga, and Judith Ingwersen. The show opened on August 27, and the reception featured music by Montreal band No Face Left. The show will be hanging until September 27.
Polly and the crew at 187 Gallery have great plans for future shows. The next one is already generating a lot of excitement, as renowned Canadian artist Angelina will have an opening at the gallery on October 1. The artist will be present at the opening reception to do a meet and greet and sign autographs. There will be some limited edition exclusive prints and some original sketches for sale. Angelina will be showing some never before seen paintings as well.
Featuring artists from all walks of life and from all over the world, the next show “Killers” will open on October 30. The theme for this show is serial killers. 187 Gallery is a welcome addition to the art gallery scene in North Bay, as clearly, they are willing to take on subject matter that is a lot more edgy, adventurous, and dark than the more conservative galleries would normally explore. It’s also the only gallery that, not only displays art, but has artists available to create art … right on you.
