The trio of Sunshine Coast artists calling themselves The Mix – along with a new guest artist – will be back at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt this weekend (Friday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 16) for the second consecutive year. And once again, the show will be both a pop-up venue for displaying and selling their rich variety of art as well as a fundraiser for the Sechelt Hospital Foundation.
“It was a big decision to have a COVID-safe show, but we are definitely going ahead, with 10 per cent of sales going towards the hospital foundation,” the group said in a news release.
The Mix is composed of artists Charly Mithrush, Lore Schmidts, and Donna Stewart. They’ve met regularly several times a year for the past six years to talk about their work and share ideas. The group often likes to invite a fourth creator to their exhibits and for this event that will be West Sechelt’s Kate von Riesen, who works in welded and plasma-cut metal, clay, glass, rope art and in fusions of those media.
The show was originally scheduled to coincide with the Festival of the Written Arts, since cancelled due to the pandemic. The Mix has stressed that this show’s safety protocols are a priority.
“We’ll limit the numbers in the building,” Mithrush told Coast Reporter. “We will set the walls up and there will be arrows so that there’s no overlap [of patrons]. It’ll just be a flow, in one door and out the other. The 101 [Brewhouse + Distillery] has donated hand-sanitizers. We will also use the upstairs space in the centre, but we’ll have no overlap on the stairs, either.”
The Mix is aptly named, as each member works in distinct specialties and mixed-media styles that can include concrete, acrylic, oils, resin, acid stain and encaustic. Mithrush said they also like to hang their shows – always with many new works – in a blend of each other’s pieces, rather than have individual areas for each artist. “You’re not just going to see one person’s art and then another person’s. We like to get a nice flow, have everybody mixed in there and really make it fun for the eye. We’ve always done that, just mixed it all up together. It’s a group show.”
The group also likes to set up a “wall of small” for works that people can simply take away. “People don’t have to come back and pick it up [as with larger pieces],” Mithrush added. “And it’s affordable. That’s a key thing, too.”
Von Riesen said she’s excited to finally get into a show with The Mix, whom she’s gotten to know through her friendship with Donna Stewart. “She’s inspired me, totally inspired me. And then along the way I’ve met Charly and Lore. They’re great people and make great art. I was really thrilled and honoured they invited me.”
The show runs on Friday, Aug. 14 from 3 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
