February 22 – April 6
East Gallery
Mend by Sylvie Rossel-Janssens
Mend is the title for Sylvie Roussel-Janssens’s exhibition project at the Kootenay Gallery in the West gallery. Ms. Roussel-Janssens’s sustainable art practice in sculpture melds embroidery and environmental concerns. In her recent work, she transferred her experience in textile work to plastic waste material. The plastic debris was gathered in the Fraser Valley during the pandemic. Ms. Roussel-Janssens says that “Stitching is healing. If we can make small gestures of repair, perhaps we can have the courage to fix our broken world.” Mend is a series of 28 embroidered recycled plastic circles. This number is a way for women to measure time. It symbolizes the phases of the moon and refers to the effect of plastic on the hormonal system. “We are surrounded by plastic, and it affects our body and our mind.” Eco-anxiety is real, and Ms. Roussel-Janssens finds stitching to be healing and meditative. It is a good way to process emotions and thoughts as we face difficult decisions regarding adapting to climate change. All the pieces were made with discarded plastic objects, drilled and threaded with masonry twine. As the the 18th century, Antoine Lavoisier said: “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed”.
West Gallery
Lost World by Gloria Mok
Over the years Gloria Mok has collected natural history books with beautiful illustrations. During the process of moving, she re-acquainted herself with these well-observed illustrations of birds, insects, and plants by a number of illustrators from Europe to Asia. She also came across objects she collected in the past such as pieces of coral, shells, leaves damaged by insects, and other natural curiosities. Each object, even though they come from modest origins from walking along the beach or in the garden, are unique and original. Ms. Mok felt these diverse elements would create an art project that celebrates the beauty in nature. As she was admiring these illustrations and objects, she felt an acute sense of loss of our relationship with the natural world in contemporary society. The physical act of cutting out each flower, and bird somehow re-connected her to nature. The idea of using cigar boxes reminded her of the idea of treasure boxes… A world within a box, a lost world. Ms. Mok hopes this show will inspire everyone to appreciate our natural world, whether it is in our backyards, or in the wilderness.
April 11- May 18, 2024
East and West Gallery
Young Visions: School District 20

One of the Kootenay Gallery’s most anticipated annual events is the Young Visions show, featuring talented young artists from School District 20, which this year runs in both the West and East Galleries from April 11th to May 18th. This very popular annual event celebrates the creative skills and talents of young people in our school district from ages 13 to 18.
This year, students from Stanley Humphries Secondary School in Castlegar, and Kootenay Columbia Learning Centre (Castlegar and Trail) participate in the show.
Gallery hours are from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. For more information contact the Gallery at 250.365.3337 or email kootenaygallery@telus.net.
May 23 – June 2, 2024
East and West Gallery
West Kootenay Camera Club
Each year the Gallery is delighted to host the annual exhibit of the West Kootenay Camera Club, which features photographers from around the West Kootenays. Subject matter ranges from landscape, to portraiture, to abstract, and experimental. The exhibit is timed to coincide each year with the Castlegar SunFest, and draws a dedicated crowd to view the exhibit.
June 8 – July 28, 2024
East and West Gallery
Grand National Exhibition – Quilt and Fibre Arts Show
The Kootenay Gallery is pleased to announce that the gallery was chosen to host the opening show for the tour of this year’s Grand National Delights Quilt and Fibre Arts Show.
The Exhibition Statement from the Grand National website states: “ Every one of us has pleasures in our lives. What delights you? What makes you happy, joyous and cheerful? What lifts your heart? We asked the fibre artists of Canada to share their ‘Delights’ with us. This juried exhibition consists of the works of 37 Canadian professional fibre artists from
across Canada, each expressing a particular delight that has great meaning to them, resulting in a diverse range of materials, techniques, ideas, concepts, and cheerful thoughts to get us all back on the path to living, having fun and enjoying the pleasures of life once again.”
August 1 – September 7, 2024
East Gallery
Evolution is not a theory: Paintings by Jenny Ballie
Jenny Baillie has lived in Rossland for the past 40 years drawn by the skiing and the West Kootenay vibe. She has been painting consistently for twenty plus years, firstly in watercolours and then acrylics, which remains her preferred medium. Initially inspired by the mountains and flowers of the West Kootenays, she has also delved into a variety of art streams such as early mountaineering women, wildlife (especially bear portraits), faces of interest, and super heroes. Her work is well received and has found homes throughout North America, in the U.K. and Europe, in Australia and New Zealand. “My art journey has been one of experimentation. Public feedback has been interesting. I try to explain that I am “evolving” which is what I believe an artist needs to do. Hence the title of this latest exhibition: Evolution is not a Theory. My paintings will hopefully provide a visual story that change/evolved as an artist is an integral part of the creative process. The subtle or not so subtle reference to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is intentional!” This exhibit represents both recent and previous work.
August 1 – September 7, 2024
West Gallery
Sylvan Reflections: Paintings by Barbara Brown
Barbara Brown is an artist and author residing in the Slocan Valley, where she paints and writes about the forest where she
lives. Her show at the Gallery is entitled “Sylvan Reflections” exploring her intimacy with the woods which is reflected in her
paintings. Barbara expertly captures the enchantment of the forest with her juxtaposition of realism lovingly rendered, with
other worldly symbolism and/or geometric elements – sometimes hidden, and always spellbinding. Barbara has exhibited and won awards in juried exhibitions in the past, and she shows her work annually during the Columbia Basin Culture Tour. Online she exhibits at Manhattan Arts International, The Healing Power of Art and Artists, where she has won a Special
Recognition Award in the Healing Power of Elements exhibition, Awards of Excellence in the Healing Power of Art 2020, and Spirit of Resilience shows. Her work is in private collections across the country.
September 13 – November 2, 2024
East and West Gallery
Arrow of Time: Installation by Kelly Schpeley
Kelly’s wonderfully colourful and strange landscape “Arrow of Time” exhibit at the Kootenay Gallery is an interactive art piece and is meant to surprise and delight the viewer, and remind them that even the smallest presence truly does have an effect. Carefully crafted over the last year, this exhibit uses 90% recycled and repurposed items from community businesses, and individuals. Kelly Shpeley is a self-taught, a multi-disciplinary artist from Nelson, BC, Canada. She has had showings in Canada, the United States, and Norway, and has done artwork for Stan Lee, the Calgary Comic Expo, and was part of Neil Gaiman’s “Calendar of Tales” in January 2015. Kelly has had work mentioned in Juxtapoz Magazine, Print Work Magazine, Trend Prive Magazine, and most recently The Globe and Mail. Kelly has worked in the film industry for White Monkey Studios, Amazing Ape Studios, Masters fx studios, and others. Kelly painted the original poster for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Coastal Jazz) in 2015, and in 2018 was part of the Nelson International Mural Festival. She currently maintains a studio in historic downtown Ymir BC.