Bev Pike facts for kids
Bev Pike is an artist from Winnipeg, Canada. She is known for painting very large, dramatic landscapes. Her current project, called Grottesque, explores ideas about climate change. It features imaginary underground safe places, inspired by old English shell grottoes from the 1600s. Bev Pike also creates video art and writes articles for news outlets like CBC and the Winnipeg Free Press.
Contents
About Bev Pike's Art
Early Life and Education
Bev Pike studied art at the Alberta College of Art and Design. She then continued her advanced art studies at the University of Alberta.
Exploring Themes in Art
The Grottesque Series
One of Bev Pike's important art projects is her Grottesque series of paintings. These paintings were shown across Canada in 2018 by the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina. In this series, Pike imagines playful and unique underground shelters. She uses very large canvases and delicate paint layers to create these scenes.
A curator from the Dunlop Art Gallery, Blair Fornwald, described the paintings as looking like "lumpy piles of bedding, knitted items, yarn, and fabric." These piles come together to form images that look like landscapes, parts of homes, or even the inside of a body. Cassandra Getty, a curator from Museum London, noted that titles like Cavernous Sun Parlour and Subterranean Day Spa suggest these are fun places for a new underground world.
Other Notable Art Series
Before Grottesque, Bev Pike created other interesting series. Curator Mary Reid described her earlier Hysteria Chronicles paintings. These works showed "mountainous bundles of clothing." They created a visual story about different social ideas.
In 1990, Bev Pike had a solo show at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Curator Shirley Madill said Pike's Boudoir Series balanced "reality and the inner space of dreams." These paintings aimed to add magic and wonder to everyday life.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Bev Pike's paintings have been shown in many public art galleries and artist-run centres across Canada. She has received important awards and funding from organizations like the Canada Council, the [Winnipeg Arts Council], and the Manitoba Arts Council. Her artworks and special artist-made books are part of public collections. These include famous museums like Tate Britain and the Victoria & Albert Museum in the UK. Her art is also in the National Museum of Women in the Arts in the US, among others.
Supporting Other Artists
Bev Pike is also known for her work as an advocate for culture and for women's rights. She has given talks at universities and colleges all over Canada. She has served on many committees and boards. She also helped guide other artists at Mentoring Artists for Women's Art (MAWA). She is a founder of the Wendy Wersch Memorial Lecture Series.
In 2021, Herizons magazine published Bev Pike's research. This research looked at a 1975 art exhibition called Woman as Viewer at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. This show was part of International Women's Year. The Winnipeg Free Press later featured her talk about this topic in March 2021.
Bev Pike's important papers are kept at the Archives of Manitoba and Artexte. These archives also hold records of her leadership in 2001-2002. She led a community effort to support the mission of Mentoring Artists for Women's Art (MAWA). This mission helps women artists develop their professional skills.
Writing and Video Art
Bev Pike has also created video art projects. She publishes special artist's books. She also writes opinion pieces for news outlets like CBC, MSN, and the Winnipeg Free Press.
Books and Videos by Bev Pike
Artist Books
Bev Pike has created several unique artist books:
- Autobiography of an Eccentric Line (2001) explores different and unique ways of thinking.
- Swallowing Safety Pins (2007) is a story told through letters about love and relationships.
- Agony Aunt's Cavalcade of Mysteries (2017) compares different circus acts to the ups and downs of relationships.
Video Art Projects
Her video artworks are shared by the Video Pool Media Arts Centre. Some of her videos include:
- Agony Aunt Tarot (2015) is about women working together.
- Suffragette Sight Gags (2004) uses humor to look at group efforts for change.
