Have you ever been intimidated by walking into an art gallery?  You may scoff at this idea or you might agree that art galleries are for 1.people who know a lot about art or 2. people who have deep pockets. Some galleries perpetuate this idea by the kind of art they carry, the way they design their interiors, and by the way the sales staff approach prospective customers.

A few weeks ago I took my class of interior design students to the Daffodil Gallery. I believe that it is very important for a designer to be exposed to original art right from the beginning as part of their education. I do know, however, that some of the students felt a bit intimidated in going to the gallery (just like when I take a class to an antique store) but since there is safety in numbers they agreed to come. I couldn’t have picked a better place to introduce new designers to art.

Located in Edmonton’s Gallery Walk district, owner Rick Rogers and our host and co-owner, Karen Bishop, have created a friendly, welcoming space for art lovers that is exemplified in their slogan: Art without Pretence. What I like about the gallery (apart from the art they carry) is that they think outside the box. They have a different take on the traditional gallery by complimenting art with live music and hold many events in their space that serve to expand their sense of community and expose new people to the world of art. This approach has worked as they were voted the “Best Private Gallery” by Vue Magazine readers.

I’ve included two pictures here of an upcoming show that I am planning to see. Artist Bruce Allen’s new show is called “Neighbourhoods” and it runs from April 29 to May 24, 2014. As you can see here, he has a masterful way of capturing the essence of streetscapes that feature old buildings – something dear to my heart, of course.

Shows rotate on a regular basis, featuring emerging and mid-career artists. If you have a good eye for new talent you might even consider buying some art work for investment, but the first rule of buying art? Buy what you love!

The Daffodil Gallery is located at 10412 – 112 street in Edmonton. The spring Art Walk is taking place on April 26 and 27th, 2014 so why not check them out? Tell them you heard about them from this blog. Check out their web site at Daffodil Gallery.