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Artist operates gallery-studi Shelley Niro features both native and .non-native work By Sheila M. Ferguson, For The Exposi~ •. -r- fl? "There are many artists in the Brantford . . ~ · area, and ~om the surrounding region Brantford artist Shelley Niro 1s domg who are domg quality work and who ex- something she has long wanted to do; she hibit here," Niro added. is operating an art gallery which also houses her studio. In May of this year, the Niroquois Gallery opened at 318V2 Col- borne Street in downtown Brantford. Its second exhibition is just now winding down. The first exhibition mounted in the now space featured sculpture work by Niro and the artwork of four other area artists. The most recent exhibition, "Contemplations," included 23 works by fourteen artists. Th9re wore watercolors, collages, sculptures, graphic work, paint- ings, photographs and drawings. When the exhibition is dismantled this month, Niro will start work, with fellow artist Chelo Sebastian, on the next show which is slat- ed for viewing in late November. This up- coming show will feature works by ten artists. The Niroquois Gallery will not be· closed between now and then, however. When Niro is not in Toronto, where she is n her fourth year at the Ontario College of rt, she can be found at the gallery most afternoons throughout the week. The nique name for her gallery comes from a arriage of Niro's surname and her Iro- uois heritage. She was raised on the Six ations Reserve. "Although I am native, my gallery docs at hang only native art," she explained. For example, Patricia Deadman is from . Woodstock, J.C. Elvey is from'. Kitchener, and Annerie Van Gemerden is a Hamilton artist, to name a few artists associated with the Niroquois Gallery. "I wanted to provide a space where so- . rious artists could display their work," said Niro. "When your own work is on display in a gallery, you cannot help but gain from that experience - got educated by it. You don't know what to expect from the viewing public. Exhibiting your art can.be an exercise in humiliation or in ex- hilaration." There are public galleries in many com- munities with display spice for artists' work. Many of these are relatively large organizations with governing bodies, such · as a board of directors, and it is not al- ways easy for an artist to mount an exhibi- tion at such a gallery, especially if the vol- umn of work he or she has produced is not large. Then there is the jury system for special art events. This system requires that an artist's work be in competition with pieces by other arti_sts. Based on the selections made by members of the jury, artists may miss these occasions to exhibit their work. "Artists who are serious about their work, but who may not have a large body of completed work to draw from, can use the Niroquois Gallery," said Niro. "This is a gallery setting and the artists are making use of it. They may not profit from it mon- etarily, but they can benefit from it in oth- er ways. To see their piece beside the work of other artists can help an artist more accurately visualize a future project in its completed from. Collective displays are better than displaying a work in isola- tion," explained Niro. She is happy with the location of the gallery. "We get a lot of view~rs who are' curious to see what we are all about. I started to display an artwork or two in the front window and that drew people's at- tention. They wand(lr in to see the other work," Niro said. Not all art galleries have the luxury or advantage of 'store-front' display space. "Visitors are really surprised to find out how many 'local' artists.there are," contin- ued Niro. "These artists have pride in their communities, as I do in Brantford, and here they can contribute to the com- munity's environment and help make it, that much more interesting." At the gallery Niro works on her bronze sculptures, or is involved in the necessary day-to-day operation and promotion of the space. She is sometimes assisted by one or more of her artist-colleagues. If you drop by to see what is on display you have a very good chance of meeting and speaking with one or more of these artists. For hours of operation call the Niroquois Gal- lery at 756-2205. Sheila M. Fer, uson is a freelance writer.