Michele Quan GARLANDS May 29 – July 11, 2009 Opening: May 28 6 - 10 pm Artist Talk: May 30 2 – 3 pm Gallery Hours: Saturdays, noon – 5 pm Or by appointment, please phone 604 872 7713 ON MAIN 1965 Main St. Vancouver, BC “The tree is my muse. I’ve made ceramic garlands to hang from their branches in offering to the earth, the community and the self. My hope is they serve as objects of contemplation to inspire reverence and as a source of encouragement and refuge.” M.Q. ON MAIN in conjunction with The Potters Guild of BC is pleased to present GARLANDS the inaugural exhibition of ceramic and mixed media works by New York City artist Michele Quan. Combining drawings, photography and ceramic elements this site-specific installation is designed to be viewed 24/7 from the street or can be experienced from inside the gallery. The principle pieces are intended as indoor architectural elements or outdoor garden sculptures. Her mixed media and ceramic work continues a lifelong pursuit to visually bring form to our internal landscape and locate the thread that connects us with the experience of the world we live. Motifs for Quans’ ceramic garlands are rooted in visual symbols of Eastern iconography, an extension of her study of Buddhism. www.mquan.com. We are excited to launch this new body of work in Canada. Curated by Donna Partridge & Paul Wong. Michele is originally from Vancouver and studied at Langara College. She moved to New York in 1984 to continue her education in graphics & photography at Parsons School of Design. For 6 years she worked as a runway and print model in NYC, Milan and Paris and appeared in such publications as Vogue and Elle & on the runways of Chanel and Armani. 12 years prior to embarking on her current medium of clay, Quan co-founded the NYC jewelry company Me&Ro. This design house operated retail stores in New York, Miami and Japan and was instrumental in bringing attention to charitable organizations such as Doctors of the World and The Tibet Fund. In 2001 Me & Ro partnered with amfAR to create the AIDS ribbon for nominees and presenters at the Emmy Awards. ON MAINis a project room/gallery for visual , media and interdisciplinary art. Artistic Director: Paul Wong. Rebranded from On Edge www.onedge.tv to On Main in 2008. We gratefully acknowledge assistance of the Canada Council. The Potters Guild of BC promotes awareness, education and appreciation of the ceramic arts. Its membership operates the Gallery of BC Ceramics located on Granville Island. www.bcpotters.com for further information t: 604 872 7713 e: onmain@gmail.com