The Art Street Collective is made up of eight local artists who share the same passion for creating beautiful things and was founded by Fran Schlosser. To celebrate their work, the collective is hosting a weekend fine art exhibit on Oct. 3 and 4 at the Bow Cliff Senior Centre for the second year in a row. “I had this grand idea that I wanted to have a group of artists so that we could do things together and have this fantastic, amazing event and have something to work toward,” Schlosser said. “We are such a diverse group, so we have all sorts of different art forms there, which is beautiful; it’s really beautiful.” Schlosser says each artist will display their works in aisles that have been turned into “streets” at the venue, so visitors can see all their work along one row and get to speak to the artist to learn the story behind the pieces. Along with various paintings, Schlosser is bringing a book she’s created with the help of someone special in her life. “It’s a collaboration with my granddaughter (10-year-old Olivia), so we are sending letters back and forth and some of the answers that she gives me dictate what direction the book is going to go,” Schlosser said. “This whole book is called the ‘Realm of Forgotten Wonders.’ It’s about remembering and discovering and that sort of thing; it’s not about epic wars or battles or anything like that.” Artist Susan Osness has spent the last year creating pieces for the two-day show and gala. She’s also a chef and is preparing all the food that will be served at the event. Last year, she displayed many of her paintings, but this year she turned to a different medium. “This is papier-mâché made with recycled papers and discards so it doesn’t go to the landfill. I reused everything and made 27 pieces in my collection,” she said. “When I start making them, I have an idea in my head, but then the piece speaks to me, and it ends up being something completely different.” Osness and the other artists participating say it’s extremely emotional to show their art to the public because they never know how visitors are going to react to what they’ve created. “As artists, we’re solitary people; we go to our studios and we paint, and this is our chance to connect with this community, to showcase our portfolio and see old friends,” said artist Jane Romanishko. “Old collectors come and you meet a lot of new collectors, and it’s not just the sale; it’s making connections and building new relationships.” Romanishko says much of her art is inspired by travelling to the far reaches of the world with her photographer husband and seeing the people living there. “My major style of painting is a pastel; I call myself kind of ‘representative impressionistic.’ It’s realistic, but it’s on the loose side of realism,” she said. “I have paintings (of locals) from Burma, Nepal, Mexico, Africa and India; a lot from India.” The Art Street Collective Fine Art Show and Gala kicks off Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at the Bow Cliff Senior Centre, at 3375 Spruce Dr. S.W.
