From the archives: Third Shift 2015
I was happy to host this guest post about an exciting art event that happened in Saint John recently called Third Shift. Although I haven't focused on events with CreatedHere, this one featured so many local (and not so local) artists that I couldn't resist! It is exactly the type of event that draws a community right into the sometimes distant world of art. If you were there, then you know what all the fuss is about. If you weren't, aim for next year! - MH
Third Shift: An Evening of Contemporary Art
Third Space Gallery organizes Saint John’s first art in the dark event Words by Taylor LosierPhotos by Holly Gao
Inspired by Halifax’s Nocturne, Saint John’s Third Space Gallery set out to create an art in the dark event that would highlight the history and architecture of the city’s Trinity Royal district. The end result was Third Shift, the first ever nighttime exhibition of contemporary art to come to the port city. Third Shift brought together 29 artists – both local and international – who created 17 independent projects, which were then put on display Friday, August 21st.
Emily Saab, President and programming chair for Third Space Gallery, noted the importance of the event to both the Gallery, and the participating artists: “Because Third Space gallery as an artist run center doesn’t have a permanent gallery space, organizing an event like this provided that space to be able to represent local artists.” Saab added that this event also gave artists the chance to meet one and other in a “very short but intense exhibit,” and learn about various different art practices. Leading the artists was Manitoba-based artist Andrew Milne, who came to Saint John accompanied by his Museum of New Ideas: a brown delivery van that he has transformed into a mobile, white-box gallery, and which was featured the night of the event. “I initially contacted Third Space last fall and said hey, I’m coming through with the Museum, and would you guys like to do something.” Said Milne. This led to his involvement as Third Space’s artist-in-residence, and one of the forces behind Third Shift. Milne explained that: “My relationship with Saint John is incredibly difficult to understand and also personal, in the sense that I don’t really know anybody here, and yet the place has an incredible resonance with me.” Milne attributes this fact to the stories he had been told about his father’s childhood in Dundee, Scotland, an industrial port town which he believes matches Saint John’s own atmosphere.
It was drawing on Saint John’s industrial heritage that Milne came up with his contribution, the Mythic Future Histories and Psychic Viewers: These viewers – small wooden boxes that, when you look through them, superimpose an image onto reality through the use of specially placed lenses - were scattered throughout the Trinity Royal District. They show a future version of Saint John that Milne has imagined, one where the ghosts of the 1877 firefighters are visible and are still fighting fires. This is due to the newfound psychic energy of the area, which is strengthened because of the history within the architecture. Milne describes it as an attempt to engage the history and the physiological space of Saint John: “This project is really exciting for me because it comes at the right time for me to bring different parts of my work together, because it had previously orbited around each other, but never actually connected.”
Other displays included Amy Ash’s I Love You More With Every Remembering, love letters dedicated to various places, and drawn on Ash’s own attachment to Saint John; Pulp Benches by sculptor Geoff Ramsay, benches reminiscent of the pulp and paper industry that shaped Saint John; grass laid down Grannan Lane as part of Acre Architect’s project titled The Park; and Paint Tube by Ana Fernandez, an interactive piece where visitors were able to add their own artistic touch to the clear canvas. There was also an audio-visual project called Holocene by Sam Blue and Jeff McLennan. Their projection onto the side of one of the area’s buildings pieced together the city’s history as though it were being rediscovered by future civilizations, all the while being accompanied by an impressive cacophony of found sounds of the area. Saint John natives, Blue and McLennan were excited by the project. “We saw the call for submissions and we called each other on the same day. We’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while, and this gave us an excuse to finally do it.” McLennan added that their first experience has been a positive one: “[Third Space are] just amazing to work with. It’s really what an art gallery in a small city like Saint John is meant to be. It’s really fantastic.” Meanwhile, the Third Shift organizing committee are pleased with the success, and Saab has said they are already planning for next year: “Third Shift has really presented a great opportunity for starting a conversation about why and how contemporary art is relevant within our community.”