The Hope & District Arts Council presents “Dagmar’s Expressions” at the Hope Arts Gallery throughout October.
The backroom exhibit features Hope artist Dagmar Lucak with special guest Bill Lucak. Both have been living in the community for over 30 years and are part of the local music scene as well.
Dagmar’s work portrays unique three-dimensional art that brings people closer to the elements of nature. She works in leather, wood, bone, fur, rock, metal and paint.
The leather is hand-stretched and then adorned with upcycled natural finds. Dagmar uses what is on hand – taking something old, making it new and then making it look old again. She calls her work “folk art rustic” and has been making leather faces since 1999. Her work can be found online at www.dagmar.ca
Bill has been carving for just over a year now. His work is done free hand and he’s mostly self-taught through experimentation. Living in Hope he has been exposed to lots of carvings and took a workshop from local master carver, Randy Swope.
Both Dagmar and Bill are very conscious of the environment, with no animals or trees killed for their art. They use the byproducts from animals that have been hunted for food. In addition, the wood Bill uses would have otherwise been burned in slash piles.
“We incorporate nature into each one-of-a-kind hand-crafted item,” said Dagmar.
The Hope Arts Gallery, located at 349 Fort St., hosts an opening reception with the artists on Oct. 4 from 4-7 p.m.