Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture

Join our Facebook Group
Artist Jennie Vegt in the gallery installing her mural, “Gimme Some Space”, for the Parka Patio.

Artist Jennie Vegt in the gallery installing her mural, “Gimme Some Space”, for the Parka Patio.

Art by Jennie Vegt, donated for the Schmoozy silent auction.

Art by Jennie Vegt, donated for the Schmoozy silent auction.

Jennie Vegt interviewed in the Edmonton Journal

In this week’s Journal column, Janice Ryan spoke to Jennie Vegt, who kicked off the Incubator season this summer, about getting started on her career—continuing the conversation we started with our podcast video.

What is your goal? Is it to be a full-time artist?

Going into art school my mindset was, maybe it won’t be my career but it will be something I have for the rest of my life. But now that I’m out, I’m thinking well, maybe this can actually happen. Doors keep opening. But even though things are starting to work out, I am still so hesitant about it. When I feel super defeatist I think I might just jump ship and get a different degree. That’s the thing I struggle with a lot right now.

Read the full article on the Journal’s website.

It’s a busy day at the gallery as we get everything ready for our first patio night of the summer! The Latitude staff have their hands full preparing the patio, while in the meantime, work from Incubator artist Jennie Vegt is all ready for visitors in the Community Gallery.

If you’re planning to join us tonight, follow us on Twitter @Latitude_53 and make sure to include the hashtag #yegrooftop in your tweets about patio!

Tonight’s party is hosted by ATB Financial, with music from DJ Not Very Sound. Things will be getting started at 5 PM, and we’ll be done at 9. Hope to see everyone there!

Latitude 53 Video Podcast

We visited Jennie Vegt’s studio last week and talked to her about her work and getting started as an artist after finishing her BFA. Come see her show next week, Tuesday–Saturday!

We’re excited to kick off our Incubator series next week, featuring new work from up-and-coming local artists. From June 14-August 25, the Community Gallery will showcase installations from a different artist each week, with fresh art up in time for every Rooftop Patio this summer. Jennie Vegt, our first Incubator artist, will be showing her paintings at Latitude from June 12-16. Keep an eye out for a video interview with Jennie, which will be on the blog later today. In the meantime, Jennie sent us some info about herself and her work in anticipation of her show. Born in Vernon BC, Jennie moved to Edmonton in 2005. This past December, she graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Art with a focus in painting. She has worked as a curatorial intern for The Works Art and Design Festival, and had the honour of painting a mural for the University of Alberta with Rachelle Bowen. She is currently exploring and adjusting to her post-school art practice by participating in shows, gathering commissions, and making new paintings. My work is nearly always figurative, and each piece sits on a sliding scale of naturalistic and fantastical. In my most recent works, a theme of self-identity and fantasy has risen from images of people wearing costumes, suits, or traditional wear. What makes a costume any less real, or more pretend, than a suit or a pair of jeans? We are safe in anonymity and we are vulnerable in our individuality, so we constantly switch between the two in the perception of ourselves and others. I believe that the ability to pretend and positive projections of our world are integral to our personal pride and self-worth. The realms of reality and imagination are in flux. They constantly affect and rely on each other.

We’re excited to kick off our Incubator series next week, featuring new work from up-and-coming local artists. From June 14-August 25, the Community Gallery will showcase installations from a different artist each week, with fresh art up in time for every Rooftop Patio this summer.

Jennie Vegt, our first Incubator artist, will be showing her paintings at Latitude from June 12-16. Keep an eye out for a video interview with Jennie, which will be on the blog later today. In the meantime, Jennie sent us some info about herself and her work in anticipation of her show.

Born in Vernon BC, Jennie moved to Edmonton in 2005. This past December, she graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Art with a focus in painting. She has worked as a curatorial intern for The Works Art and Design Festival, and had the honour of painting a mural for the University of Alberta with Rachelle Bowen. She is currently exploring and adjusting to her post-school art practice by participating in shows, gathering commissions, and making new paintings.

My work is nearly always figurative, and each piece sits on a sliding scale of naturalistic and fantastical. In my most recent works, a theme of self-identity and fantasy has risen from images of people wearing costumes, suits, or traditional wear. What makes a costume any less real, or more pretend, than a suit or a pair of jeans? We are safe in anonymity and we are vulnerable in our individuality, so we constantly switch between the two in the perception of ourselves and others. I believe that the ability to pretend and positive projections of our world are integral to our personal pride and self-worth. The realms of reality and imagination are in flux. They constantly affect and rely on each other.