Gallery Hop

The courtyard of Centerbeam Place, where we drifted out from the Opera patio with our luscious desserts.

My virgin gallery hop experience was accidental. I was walking home past Trinity Galleries after working too late. It was just past dusk, and the neighbouring merchants were all closed. Trinity Galleries was full of light and people spilling out to sit on the stone steps and chat. A friend called out to me and I stopped for a moment to talk… and then I went on with them to see the rest of the shows too. Now I always go, if I can. They’re free to attend, but you can bid, and sometimes there is a food event involved too.

At the New Brunswick Museum, they were unveiling new- rather, old, Maliseet tools from recent excavations along Thorne Avenue. The area was a camping stop, convenient for portaging to avoid the Reversing Falls. They looked just like the pictures from my grade five textbook, but bigger, rougher and so much more real than it ever felt on glossy pages while sitting on red plastic chairs.

The Alexandrya Eaton show was on at Trinity Galleries. I wouldn’t call myself a flower person or a pink person, but I have always liked her work: effusive blossoms painted in lots of pink oils on large canvases.

The Peter Buckland Gallery on Prince William Street had an opening by David Strithe of intense black and white snowscape photos. Everyone was in summer clothing in these warm coloured rooms, talking about kids’ camps, boats the weather, and looking at the light and lines of snow. It was so weird, but fun too. And a nice reminder of the beauty of winter, as we’ll soon be grumbling again.

After the PBG, we went next door to the Opera Bistro where they were offering cheese or chocolate plates and wine. Of course I bee lined for the chocolate. Pear mousse was sandwiched between a dark chocolate and a milk chocolate- and it was divine. I was amazed at how good pears can be. I don’t think I’ve given them my proper attention before, or I need to give more attention to Opera.