Sara Wiens, BA, BEd
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Sara Wiens
Biography
Growing up on the West Coast of Canada embedded the power and beauty of the ocean, mountains, and forest in Sara’s being. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Bachelor of Art Education from UBC Vancouver, Sara moved to the beautiful city of Salmon Arm in the North Shuswap. Since then she has shown her work in various small group and solo shows in galleries throughout the province. Sara’s work can be found in private collections throughout North America and in international publications. Her contributions to her community include many years teaching art at the Heartwood Learning Community and collaborating on public mural projects in 2020 and 2023. Sara is currently represented by Gallery Odin at Silverstar Mountain Resort, British Columbia.
Artist Statement
Sara’s work is an exploration of light, colour, and movement inspired by her local environment. Each year she travels throughout the province of British Columbia, taking photographs and making sketches of various locations. Light coming through the leaves of trees, rocks at the water’s edge, and salmon swimming near the river’s surface are each from specific locations, but are abstracted to be ubiquitous. As the viewer is drawn into contemplation via the surface of the painting, larger themes emerge of conservation and appreciation for the created environment.
Working from photographs, sketches or even scientific graphs, Sara paints with layers that abstract the reference through mark making and rhythmic brushstrokes. Beginning with layers of drawing materials and acrylic paint, Sara’s work is repeatedly overlayed with marks and soft, vibrant colours, which may stand alone or be finished with lush oil paints. The final result is an energetic piece which conveys the vitality of the subject. The artist’s intention is to express both the wonder and meditative experience of nature and to engender a love of the natural world that cuts through the noise of data.
Sara’s most recent work is based on the flight patterns of honeybees as they forage to and from their hives. Scientists affixed transmitters to the backs of honeybees to determine how they orient themselves in the landscape and what factors affect their homing abilities. The complexity of layered lines and colour patches in the artwork remind us that over time, the layers of different bee individuals overlap repeatedly to create an indispensable imprint on the survival of all species.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2020
Creatively Made Business course instructed by Jeanne Oliver
2014
Abstract Painting Workshop instructed by Barry Rafuse, Signature Member of the Canadian Federation of Artists
2002
Bachelor of Arts Education, University of British Columbia
1999
Bachelor of Studio Arts, University of British Columbia
Awards
2004
Marie Manson Memorial Arts Award recipient, Salmon Arm
Publications
2024
Art Queens Volume II artist interview in publication of women identifying artists
Suboart Magazine Nr. 26 juried interviews in international publication
2023
In Her Studio Magazine feature page of myself working in my studio
Illuminating the Beauty of Science juried exhibition featured in Suboart Magazine
Community Art
2023
Mural Project with Rise-Up Indigenous Wellness, grant recipient through the Vernon Immigrant and Community Society, muralist and mentor for artistic youth connected to the Rise-Up Wellness Centre in Salmon Arm. Read about this project in the Salmon Arm Observer here.
2020
Osprey Mural muralist with Adam Meikle, Wade Meikle Downtown Salmon Arm Art Loop
Teaching and Workshops
2015-present
Co-founder and Teacher at Heartwood Learning Community Salmon Arm teacher to grades k-9 in an alternate school exploring cross-curricular connections with Fine Arts including painting, drawing, ceramics, fabric art, and drama.
2020-2024
Workshop facilitator for adult workshops exploring creativity, mixed media, acrylic and oil painting techniques, and more. I teach at the request of community organizations such as Rise-Up Indigenous Wellness (2024), Peachland Community Arts Council (2023), and The Okanagan Artists of Canada (2023) as well as facilitating many private group workshops.
Representation
2022-present
Gallery Odin Contemporary BC Art Gallery featuring work from 19 Western Canadian Artists.
Exhibitions
2024
Lake Country Art Walk 2024 juried art fair in Lake Country
A Place for the Pollinators exhibition with Sarah Hope and Leilani Ambrose at the Armstrong Art Gallery.
Summer Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
Le7-en k tcuw? a collection of 24 x 24 multi-media artworks by Shuswap artists, Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Significance of Pollinators exhibition with Sarah Hope at the Summerland Arts Centre.
Tsrep curated exhibition focused on examining the displacement of Indigenous trees and shrubs in the Shuswap region at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Moral Panic, Wicked Problems, Whisper Campaigns members exhibition at Lake Country Art Gallery
Shuswap Artist Collective members show at hOurspace, Salmon Arm
2023
Nature at Every Level curated by the Silk Purse Art Centre, West Vancouver. Please view the recorded artist talk here.
Petite Art Show, juried online group show based in Ottawa
Lake Country Art Walk 2023 juried art fair in Lake Country
Summer Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
Honeybee Flight Paths solo show at Marionette Winery, Salmon Arm
A Place for the Pollinators curated by Janet Hornseth, gallery coordinator at the Peachland Art Gallery. A joint exhibition with the artist Sarah Hope on the significance of pollinators and their impact in the environment.
Winter Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
2022
Junction solo exhibition Gallery Vertigo, North Okanagan Artists Alternative, Vernon. An exhibition of paintings from Train Wreck hike in Whistler, BC. The work explores the intersection of the environment and human impact.
Honeybee Flight Paths solo show at Marionette Winery, Salmon Arm
Lake Country ArtWalk 2022 juried art fair in Lake Country
20th Anniversary Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
The Pollinators curated by Tracey Kutschker at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, paid CARFAC fees. An exhibition exploring the importance of birds, bees, butterflies, and bats as essential to life on earth.
In Dialogue with Vivian Lindoe curated by Tracey Kutschker at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, paid CARFAC fees. 10 artists responded to serigraphs created by the late artist Vivian Lindoe. This exhibition was an aesthetic response to her work and an opportunity to highlight the work of an overlooked postwar female artist from the Calgary group.
2019
A Seat at the Table exhibition on food security curated by the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, paid CARFAC fees
2017
True North Show juried by Barry Rafuse SFCA at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
2016
Trail Mix curated by the Salmon Arm Arts Centre and Shuswap Trail Alliance, paid CARFAC fees. This was a year-long project done in 3 person groups including an artist (me), a local biologist, and a photographer to depict experiences on specific trail networks throughout the Shuswap region. I created a large 48 x 36 painting which was exhibited in the final exhibition.
2014
Paint the Town plein air paintings exhibited at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Paint the Festival plein air paintings of the Roots and Blues music festival exhibited at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
2009
Harmony Arts Festival juried arts festival in West Vancouver
2008
Shuswap Artists juried by the SAGA Public Art Gallery, Salmon Arm
Feast! In the Village, North Vancouver
Salmon Run & Throw Away series solo exhibitions Place des Arts, Coquitlam
2007
Paint the Town plein air paintings exhibited at Shuswap Art Gallery Association, Salmon Arm
Celebration of Colour group exhibition at the Old School House Centre, Qualicum
2006
Throw Away solo exhibition at the Station House Gallery, Williams Lake
Art Rush! Studio Tour Gallery Vertigo, Vernon
2005
Right Here! Juried Exhibition Gallery Vertigo, Vernon
Art Rush! Studio Tour Gallery Vertigo, Vernon
Paint the Town Shuswap Art Gallery Association, Salmon Arm
Arts Around Shuswap Artist Studio Tour curated by Margaret Chrumka for Salmon Arm artists
2004
North Okanagan Juried Exhibition Vernon Public Art Gallery
13 Degrees and Well Textured curated by the SAGA Public Art Gallery, Salmon Arm
2002
Construction Site Collection, a commissioned dynamic painting used in the filming of a project for Collection Productions, Vancouver
2001
GoGoGoSTOP group exhibition at the Crystal Building, Burnaby
1995
“Fin de Siecle” Juried Grad Show Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver
Memberships and Affiliations
2024
Professional Artist registered with Canada Council for the Arts
2023-present
Member, Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC)
2023-present
Founder of Shuswap Artist’s Collective, a group of professional artists based in the North Shuswap, BC
2004-present
Member, Salmon Arm Arts Centre
2022-present
Member, Vernon Public Art Gallery
2021- present
Member, West Vancouver Arts Council Statement
Growing up on the West Coast of Canada embedded the power and beauty of the ocean, mountains, and forest in Sara’s being. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Bachelor of Art Education from UBC Vancouver, Sara moved to the beautiful city of Salmon Arm in the North Shuswap. Since then she has shown her work in various small group and solo shows in galleries throughout the province. Sara’s work can be found in private collections throughout North America and in international publications. Her contributions to her community include many years teaching art at the Heartwood Learning Community and collaborating on public mural projects in 2020 and 2023. Sara is currently represented by Gallery Odin at Silverstar Mountain Resort, British Columbia.
Artist Statement
Sara’s work is an exploration of light, colour, and movement inspired by her local environment. Each year she travels throughout the province of British Columbia, taking photographs and making sketches of various locations. Light coming through the leaves of trees, rocks at the water’s edge, and salmon swimming near the river’s surface are each from specific locations, but are abstracted to be ubiquitous. As the viewer is drawn into contemplation via the surface of the painting, larger themes emerge of conservation and appreciation for the created environment.
Working from photographs, sketches or even scientific graphs, Sara paints with layers that abstract the reference through mark making and rhythmic brushstrokes. Beginning with layers of drawing materials and acrylic paint, Sara’s work is repeatedly overlayed with marks and soft, vibrant colours, which may stand alone or be finished with lush oil paints. The final result is an energetic piece which conveys the vitality of the subject. The artist’s intention is to express both the wonder and meditative experience of nature and to engender a love of the natural world that cuts through the noise of data.
Sara’s most recent work is based on the flight patterns of honeybees as they forage to and from their hives. Scientists affixed transmitters to the backs of honeybees to determine how they orient themselves in the landscape and what factors affect their homing abilities. The complexity of layered lines and colour patches in the artwork remind us that over time, the layers of different bee individuals overlap repeatedly to create an indispensable imprint on the survival of all species.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2020
Creatively Made Business course instructed by Jeanne Oliver
2014
Abstract Painting Workshop instructed by Barry Rafuse, Signature Member of the Canadian Federation of Artists
2002
Bachelor of Arts Education, University of British Columbia
1999
Bachelor of Studio Arts, University of British Columbia
Awards
2004
Marie Manson Memorial Arts Award recipient, Salmon Arm
Publications
2024
Art Queens Volume II artist interview in publication of women identifying artists
Suboart Magazine Nr. 26 juried interviews in international publication
2023
In Her Studio Magazine feature page of myself working in my studio
Illuminating the Beauty of Science juried exhibition featured in Suboart Magazine
Community Art
2023
Mural Project with Rise-Up Indigenous Wellness, grant recipient through the Vernon Immigrant and Community Society, muralist and mentor for artistic youth connected to the Rise-Up Wellness Centre in Salmon Arm. Read about this project in the Salmon Arm Observer here.
2020
Osprey Mural muralist with Adam Meikle, Wade Meikle Downtown Salmon Arm Art Loop
Teaching and Workshops
2015-present
Co-founder and Teacher at Heartwood Learning Community Salmon Arm teacher to grades k-9 in an alternate school exploring cross-curricular connections with Fine Arts including painting, drawing, ceramics, fabric art, and drama.
2020-2024
Workshop facilitator for adult workshops exploring creativity, mixed media, acrylic and oil painting techniques, and more. I teach at the request of community organizations such as Rise-Up Indigenous Wellness (2024), Peachland Community Arts Council (2023), and The Okanagan Artists of Canada (2023) as well as facilitating many private group workshops.
Representation
2022-present
Gallery Odin Contemporary BC Art Gallery featuring work from 19 Western Canadian Artists.
Exhibitions
2024
Lake Country Art Walk 2024 juried art fair in Lake Country
A Place for the Pollinators exhibition with Sarah Hope and Leilani Ambrose at the Armstrong Art Gallery.
Summer Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
Le7-en k tcuw? a collection of 24 x 24 multi-media artworks by Shuswap artists, Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Significance of Pollinators exhibition with Sarah Hope at the Summerland Arts Centre.
Tsrep curated exhibition focused on examining the displacement of Indigenous trees and shrubs in the Shuswap region at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Moral Panic, Wicked Problems, Whisper Campaigns members exhibition at Lake Country Art Gallery
Shuswap Artist Collective members show at hOurspace, Salmon Arm
2023
Nature at Every Level curated by the Silk Purse Art Centre, West Vancouver. Please view the recorded artist talk here.
Petite Art Show, juried online group show based in Ottawa
Lake Country Art Walk 2023 juried art fair in Lake Country
Summer Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
Honeybee Flight Paths solo show at Marionette Winery, Salmon Arm
A Place for the Pollinators curated by Janet Hornseth, gallery coordinator at the Peachland Art Gallery. A joint exhibition with the artist Sarah Hope on the significance of pollinators and their impact in the environment.
Winter Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
2022
Junction solo exhibition Gallery Vertigo, North Okanagan Artists Alternative, Vernon. An exhibition of paintings from Train Wreck hike in Whistler, BC. The work explores the intersection of the environment and human impact.
Honeybee Flight Paths solo show at Marionette Winery, Salmon Arm
Lake Country ArtWalk 2022 juried art fair in Lake Country
20th Anniversary Show of all represented artists at Gallery Odin Contemporary Art, Silverstar Mountain
The Pollinators curated by Tracey Kutschker at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, paid CARFAC fees. An exhibition exploring the importance of birds, bees, butterflies, and bats as essential to life on earth.
In Dialogue with Vivian Lindoe curated by Tracey Kutschker at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, paid CARFAC fees. 10 artists responded to serigraphs created by the late artist Vivian Lindoe. This exhibition was an aesthetic response to her work and an opportunity to highlight the work of an overlooked postwar female artist from the Calgary group.
2019
A Seat at the Table exhibition on food security curated by the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, paid CARFAC fees
2017
True North Show juried by Barry Rafuse SFCA at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
2016
Trail Mix curated by the Salmon Arm Arts Centre and Shuswap Trail Alliance, paid CARFAC fees. This was a year-long project done in 3 person groups including an artist (me), a local biologist, and a photographer to depict experiences on specific trail networks throughout the Shuswap region. I created a large 48 x 36 painting which was exhibited in the final exhibition.
2014
Paint the Town plein air paintings exhibited at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Paint the Festival plein air paintings of the Roots and Blues music festival exhibited at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre
2009
Harmony Arts Festival juried arts festival in West Vancouver
2008
Shuswap Artists juried by the SAGA Public Art Gallery, Salmon Arm
Feast! In the Village, North Vancouver
Salmon Run & Throw Away series solo exhibitions Place des Arts, Coquitlam
2007
Paint the Town plein air paintings exhibited at Shuswap Art Gallery Association, Salmon Arm
Celebration of Colour group exhibition at the Old School House Centre, Qualicum
2006
Throw Away solo exhibition at the Station House Gallery, Williams Lake
Art Rush! Studio Tour Gallery Vertigo, Vernon
2005
Right Here! Juried Exhibition Gallery Vertigo, Vernon
Art Rush! Studio Tour Gallery Vertigo, Vernon
Paint the Town Shuswap Art Gallery Association, Salmon Arm
Arts Around Shuswap Artist Studio Tour curated by Margaret Chrumka for Salmon Arm artists
2004
North Okanagan Juried Exhibition Vernon Public Art Gallery
13 Degrees and Well Textured curated by the SAGA Public Art Gallery, Salmon Arm
2002
Construction Site Collection, a commissioned dynamic painting used in the filming of a project for Collection Productions, Vancouver
2001
GoGoGoSTOP group exhibition at the Crystal Building, Burnaby
1995
“Fin de Siecle” Juried Grad Show Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver
Memberships and Affiliations
2024
Professional Artist registered with Canada Council for the Arts
2023-present
Member, Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC)
2023-present
Founder of Shuswap Artist’s Collective, a group of professional artists based in the North Shuswap, BC
2004-present
Member, Salmon Arm Arts Centre
2022-present
Member, Vernon Public Art Gallery
2021- present
Member, West Vancouver Arts Council Statement