Johanne Yakula has only been president of the St. Albert Painters Guild for a few weeks, but with the Guild’s Fall Art Show & Sale coming up, there’s no time to ease into the role.

It’s one of two big showcases the Guild facilitates every year, showcasing the works of 50-some guild artists. In other words, there’s lots to coordinate, though Yakula seems happy to help manage the bustle.

“There are just so many moving parts,” she says. “It's unbelievable when it's put together.”

Yakula first got involved with the Guild a few years ago. A life-long painter, she studied textiles at ACAD—now called the Alberta University of the Arts—and later worked in interior design before circling back to the canvas, now focusing her energies on pastel painting.

For her, the appeal of joining the Guild was the chance to connect with fellow artists.

“I wanted to be part of a community where I could talk about art to people,” Yakula recalls. “I'd heard about the Guild and I had been to the shows several times. I thought, ‘Wow, I should look into this.’”

She did, and quickly found herself helping manage shows. There are plenty of ways to get involved, she notes, with lots of support from both new members and more experienced ones: “Everybody jumps in with both feet and helps out, which is nice.”

In return, the Guild gives its membership a wide range of resources, workshops, and opportunities: from bringing in guest instructors, to offering a library of art books to draw inspiration from, and setting up shows throughout the year to showcase the Guild’s works.

“That's part of the mission of the Guild: to help people learn and to grow, to meet other people that are interested in the same thing,” Yakula says. “And just to be part of that community.”

This upcoming Fall Art Show & Sale is free to attend, though they’re accepting donations for the St. Albert Food Bank. The Friday night reception will mix light refreshments, entertainment, and a chance to talk to many of the artists about their works—all of which will be new pieces, Yakula notes.

“One of the rules is that the artwork has to be new,” she says. “It cannot be something that you did in another show or you're showing it again…  So there’s always a bit of pressure there to come up with some things that are new.”

While she’s still figuring out exactly what she wants her time as Guild president to look like, Yakula notes that those who have held the role before her have built an excellent foundation.

“If you have fresh eyes, sometimes you look at the way things are done and say, well, maybe we can streamline, maybe this can be better,” she says. “But ultimately I think all the presidents that have been in this position before have done a good job. We've been around since 1987—so somebody's doing something right!”

Article written by Paul Blinov

The St. Albert Painters Guild Fall Art Show runs from Friday, October 24th to Sunday October 26th at St. Albert Place, with an opening reception on the 24th from 7pm – 9pm. Hours and more information can be found at paintersguild.ca

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