Those that know me know I am no fan of sentimentality; nevertheless, when I first heard that the New Edward Gallery was closing, I felt my indebtedness towards things done.
The New Edward was a magical place; a fourplex basement suite turned white cube. White walls, track lights, and spotting knives. There was an ethos of DIY-humanism that contrasted other galleries at the time-- who in a post tumblr-era found it fashionable to prioritize artists statements over artworks. At the New Edward, there was nothing which came before the art, and a works ambiguity was celebrated rather than explained a way.
The New Edward wasn't interested in "questioning notions of..." if we couldn't give you answers. There was no curatorial conspiracy against the laity.
The NEG exhibited many of the artists that Huffman-Nyikes now represents and others who found representation elsewhere.
When I first heard that the New Edward Gallery was closing, I contacted Edward Nyikes. My obstinacy combined with Eddies' persistence and optimism until we concluded that if you care, you repair. A New-New Edward Gallery was called for, so we schemed, re-branded, and now we have a website.
What exactly is Huffman-Nyikes? And, where do we plan on taking it? The answer to those questions is written on Eddie & I's palms-- not this blog post.
Currently, we're in the sensorimotor phase; we're launching with six artists and an exposed fontanel. Our website offers little fluff at this stage: artists' pages, events, and bookings for some services.
We will be hosting pop-up exhibitions once the pandemic wanes.
We are looking forward to launching Huffman-Nyikes in stages, each bringing new features, new artists, and new ways to experience the art of Western Canada.
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