Though Scott Marsden has left his position as curator at The Reach Gallery Museum, his influence on the visual arts displays will be seen for years to come.
Marsden left to take up a new post with the Haida Gwaii Museum. Though often flying under the radar during his time in Abbotsford, Marsden’s diverse taste will still be evident into the future – he has booked much of the gallery’s upcoming art displays for the next few years.
When The Reach began in 2008, Marsden took up the role of curator with a goal of creating a credible regional art gallery. He has since brought in internationally recognized artists, such as Spanish romantic painter Francisco Goya, exclusive national travelling shows and exhibits centered around local artists. He said the programming at The Reach is on par with anywhere in Canada, including the large cities – but has been brought directly to a local audience.
Marsden said his aim was to bring in a variety of art to represent the various aspects of the community, including exhibits centered on the Mennonite, Sikh and First Nations communities.
Currently on display at The Reach is Clash: Conflict and Its Consequences. The display comes from the National Gallery of Canada, making its only stop in the West in Abbotsford. The exhibit explores the effect of war and trauma and the effect of mass media depictions of conflict.
Despite the international scope of the display, Marsden said it is deeply connected to the community. Abbotsford has a large Mennonite population – a historically pacifistic people – and The Reach partnered with the Mennonite Central Committee for the display, which looks at the harsh side of war.
Marsden said the role of a public gallery is to encourage different ways of seeing and provoke people into new perspectives.
He said people can like or dislike the displays at The Reach and still frequently attend as the art turns over quickly, with new displays every two months.
With the limited resources all communities face, Marsden said he believes the public needs to fight for The Reach.
He said that despite ongoing controversies surrounding the construction of the public gallery, he said that it was the city’s decision to build the facility and now it has “a lifelong commitment” to support it.
He would like to see the gallery get a five-year agreement with the city for funding, ensuring that its fate is secure for the time being and allow the gallery to do the work it set out to – bring high-quality diverse art to the city of Abbotsford.
Marsden maintains a simple philosophy for the visual art displays, saying it is not his goal to “preach to the converted,” but rather to introduce the medium to those who want to learn more about art.
“All I ask people to do is look.”
Marsden will return to Abbotsford for reading by the poet bill bissett that coincides with an exhibition on his works, featuring a collection of his art including collages, paintings and drawings.
The reading will be held at The Reach on April 19 at 1 p.m. and the exhibit will be on display from April 17 to June 29, with an opening reception for the spring exhibits on April 17 at 7 p.m.