Meghan Hildebrand

            As a painter, I see my role as part of a storytelling tradition.  I supply a setting, sometimes some characters, then hope the viewer will use their own experiences to build the story.  In this body of work, my themes have come from two directions.

            One theme I've been exploring this year is the quilt.  I have always loved the  rich, mismatched patterns of textiles, a look I wanted to achieve in painting.  The subject is full of storytelling potential, from the historic events which they chronicle, to the role women have played in activism, art, and society.

            Another angle from which I created this series is the current trend in our province (British Columbia) to privatize rivers, for 'run-of-river' hydro projects.  In 2008 a private energy company unveiled it's plans for power projects at nearby Bute Inlet, which compelled me to explore the theme.  In a time when water is at a crucial shortage world-wide, and is rapidly becoming a major commodity, I have joined the cause to keep water and water utilities in public hands.  My work has characteristically focused on the intersection of nature and human construction, now, combining the themes of water and logging with the quilting aesthetic, I hope to mark this pivotal time in history.

             Born and raised in the Yukon, I went on to study art at the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.  I am now settled on the Sunshine Coast, in Powell River, painting, sculpting clay, playing music, and sewing my days away.