Making Art a little less “Precious”: Gallery in The Truck

One of the many highlights of Peterborough’s Arts Week is a travelling art gallery in the back of a U-Haul. The brainchild of curators Carolyn Code, Elizabeth Fennel and Ann Jaeger, the “Gallery In The Truck” features 10 local artists with various talents. With the theme “Time and Travel”, one truly does feel transported into another dimension upon boarding it’s ramp. Arthur had a chance to catch up with curator Ann Jaeger and local artists Victoria Ward and Earl O’ Sandwiches.

We have a gallery on a truck here. Why a gallery on a truck?

 AJ: Well, Peterborough has a shortage of galleries. Also, the idea was to bring art to the people. Bring it into a context that you don’t usually see art and get it out of the “preciousness” of galleries and bring it into peoples lives directly.

How many stops are you making during the week?

AJ: Nine permanent ones and there were a few days where we were going where people tweeted.

You mentioned bringing art to the people and making it less precious. Why is art important for the people and our community as a whole?

VW: I think people find the art going experience a bit intimidating. I think the average person who isn’t exposed to art that much maybe finds the experience intimidating. Maybe going into a gallery seems a bit frightening and creates fear in people. But, if they see art in the back of a U-haul that they have all used to move and so forth, it breaks the boundary down. There is something fun and unique about the experience. It breaks the boundary of intimidation that some people have of the arts.

What do you think the place of community created art is within a community. What sort of influence can it have or should it have?

EOS: I think it can inspire people to do it on their own and be more creative. It breaks the monotony of the day to get away and look at some art.

 The last day to catch this travelling gallery is Friday September 14^th from 4-8pm at Artspace. Some of the artists will be found in the future at “Gallery in the Attic” located at 140 ½ Hunter Street.