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Tuesday 11am - 6pm Wednesday 11am - 6pm Thursday 11am - 6pm Friday 11am - 6pm Saturday 11am - 4pm

Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art

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Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art

The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is a non-profit artist-run centre founded in 1989.

We leverage knowledge, expertise, empathy and resources to support creative projects that nurture our community. The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is a registered non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the development of our creative community. Since 1989, the Alternator has shown the work of emerging Canadian artists and helped develop the talents of local artists by providing a

network of collaboration and sharing. We believe in the greater positive potential of our creative community and value our role as key contributors to the cultural life of Kelowna and beyond.

08/31/2026

THE AIR IN OUR LUNGS & THE INSECTS THAT WALK IN HER GRASS // INTERPRETIVE ESSAY BY ALY K. BENSON

Read the full essay on our website: https://bit.ly/4zz2BGa.

Aly K. Benson’s essay, "the air in our lungs & the insects that walk in Her grass", interprets Cree-Métis artist Lara Felsing’s exhibition "Shallow Breaths" through the lens of reciprocity, positioning the land as both a teacher and a living witness to humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Benson explores how Indigenous knowledge, sensory memory, and ecological responsibility shape our understanding of environmental stewardship, urging viewers to recognize both the beauty of the Earth and the collective grief of ecological disruption. Felsing’s works, including "Forest Basket" and "Wild Fire Country", embody the tension between care and displacement. "Forest Basket" juxtaposes traditional braided forms with industrial flagging tape, confronting the lasting impacts of wildfire and colonial intervention while emphasizing resilience through gathered and woven materials. "Wild Fire Country" pairs naturally dyed textiles with altered license plates to reflect on environmental crisis and shifting identities of place. Together, the works demonstrate how harvesting, craft, and ancestral teachings cultivate reciprocity, inviting viewers to reconnect with the land through attention, responsibility, and collective care.

08/29/2026

PINHOLE CAMERA & DIY DARKROOM WORKSHOP // THE ALTERNATOR

Here's some photos from our last BOD workshop facilitated by .
In this workshop, participants were given the opportunity to create their own pinhole cameras and learn the process of darkroom exposure.
While turn out was small, this tight knit group was able to have a hands-on experience with this technique. Here are just a few examples of the results achieved!

08/26/2026

BREE APPERLEY // CLOWN TEARS

Opened August 18th in the Alternator Member's Gallery is "Clown Tears" by Bree Apperley ().

This exhibit will be available for viewing in the window gallery during our summer closure, make sure to stop by and check it out!

Bree Apperley is mixed-media artist who uses assemblage, drawing, textiles and photography to create her work. The main thematic threads of Apperley’s practice include the impact of technology on society, feminine expression in a capitalist system and the generally compromised nature of our current human experience.

In her sculptural pieces, she assembles objects and materials in the spirit of "arte povera", a postwar Italian art movement which was a political statement about the increasing monetization of art, rampant industrialization and consumerism, and the rising economic instability of that time. She creates weird, visually impactful, low-tech, low-skilled and potentially decaying juxtapositions that reference and reflect our confused, fractured and materially excessive times.

Photo courtesy of Yuri Akuney.
Read more on our website: https://bit.ly/3SpIsS3.

08/23/2026

BRING ART TO LIFE // STOP FRAME ANIMATION WORKSHOP

🎬✨ Continue our Board Workshop Takeover with board member and animator Jacen Dennis () as you bring your imagination to life through stop-frame animation! There's still time to register!

Over two hands-on sessions, you'll:
🐛 Dream up a "WORM STORY" starring a charming worm or another limbless creature!
🧵 Build your puppet, backdrop, and plan your sound effects
🎥 Learn the fundamentals of stop-frame animation
✨ Animate and edit your own short film, frame by frame!

📅 Thursday, October 8 & Thursday, October 22
⏰ 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art
💲 $60 Members | $100 Non-Members. Not a member yet? It pays to join: https://bit.ly/4tZZlj3.
⚠️ This is a TWO-PART workshop! Register once and attend both sessions.

🎨 All basic materials are provided, including a phone tripod and lighting setup—just bring your creativity!
Whether you're a curious beginner, a budding animator, or a practicing artist looking to add motion to your creative practice, this workshop is for you.

💙 Every registration supports the Alternator's 2026 fundraising goals, helping us keep this creative space thriving for our community.

📲 Register now and watch your artwork come to life—one frame at a time: https://bit.ly/45wmy2s.

08/21/2026

SUMMER CLOSURE // ALTERNATOR CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

Please note that the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art will be CLOSED Sunday August 23 until Monday September 7 for our annual summer closure.
September 8 & 9: open by appointment only.

SAVE THE DATE! Join us for our next exhibition opening on September 18th 2026, 6-8PM.

If you require urgent assistance, please contact [email protected].

08/18/2026

2026 POSTCARD PROJECT & STUDIO SALE // FINAL PICKUP REMINDER

ATTENTION ARTISTS! Please remember to pick up any unsold works from the gallery between now and August 21 during regular gallery hours. If you are unable to collect your artwork during this timeframe, please contact us promptly to make alternate arrangements.

The Alternator does not have sufficient space to store artwork after August 21.
Payments for sold works (minus gallery commission) will be issued in September.

We will see you after our summer closure with new exhibitions!

08/16/2026

CAPTURE THE SUN // EXPERIMENTAL CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP

☀️💙 Continue our Board Workshop Takeover with board member and artist Patty Leinemann () as you harness the power of the sun to create stunning cyanotype prints! There's still time to register!

Learn the magic of one of photography's oldest printing processes as you:
🔹 Create beautiful Prussian blue prints using sunlight
🌿 Experiment with flowers, seeds, jewelry and other objects
🪵 Go beyond paper by printing on cloth and wood
✨ Explore a camera-less photographic process that's equal parts science and art

📅 Saturday, August 22
⏰ 11 AM–2 PM
📍 Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art
💲 $45 Members | $75 Non-Members (Not a member yet? It pays to join: https://bit.ly/4tZZlj3).

🎨 All materials are provided! Feel free to bring flat objects with interesting silhouettes—like leaves, flowers and jewelry —to make your prints uniquely yours.
Whether you're a curious beginner, a creative hobbyist, or a practicing artist looking to expand your alternative printing skills, this workshop is for you.

💙 Every registration supports the Alternator's 2026 fundraising goals, helping us keep this creative space thriving for our community.

📲 Register now and capture the sun in brilliant shades of blue: https://bit.ly/4pE8Q6Z.

08/13/2026

20 FACES // ZOË CAINE

👉 Join the Alternator // Take Your Place

👤 Meet the 2026 Member Intake: Zoë Caine () is a Kelowna-based creative writer and 2D mixed media artist, and one of the "Faces" of our community.

🖼️ What Zoe has to say about the Alternator:

"The Alternator Gallery is a hidden gem of Kelowna that I only found out goes beyond the Members Gallery recently. Even so, it’s a very special place to me. I’ve been told that the Alternator is committed to giving opportunities to new and experimenting artists, and their dedication to this reassures me that I will be able to build my portfolio and get shows even if I’m trying something new or don’t have a huge amount of experience. It’s also quite inspiring to be able to see art from artists who are closer to starting out their career, as only seeing more established artists can be quite intimidating. The Alternator makes becoming a full-time artist feel more achievable."

Our artist-run community thrives on peer-to-peer connection. We celebrate our member's practices and are actively looking for 20 new artists to ground their work in our network of 150+ practitioners.

🔗 Click the link to explore the project archive and learn how you can join us https://bit.ly/4vCd3dj.

08/12/2026

2026 POSTCARD PROJECT & STUDIO SALE // THANK YOU & PICKUP REMINDER

Our 2026 Postcard Project is almost over!

If you haven't visited the gallery to view this year’s exhibition, pop in to see us this week! There are still many amazing postcards and original artworks available for purchase.

A huge thank you to all of our exhibiting artists for sharing your fantastic work with our community. Thank you as well to our volunteers, board members and staff. The public response to this show has been incredible, reflecting Kelowna's immense appreciation for its local art scene.

Key Date: The 2026 Postcard Project and Studio Sale officially closes at 6:00 PM on Friday, August 14th.

ATTENTION PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Artwork Pickup: Please remember to pick up any unsold works from the gallery between August 15 and August 21 during regular gallery hours. If you are unable to collect your artwork during this timeframe, please contact us promptly to make alternate arrangements. The Alternator does not have sufficient space to store artwork after August 21.

Artist Payments: Payments for sold works (minus gallery commission) will be issued in September.

Address

103-421 Cawston Avenue
Kelowna, BC
V1Y6Z1

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11am - 6pm
Wednesday	11am - 6pm
Thursday	11am - 6pm
Friday	11am - 6pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

+12508682298

Website

https://bit.ly/alternatorcentre

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