Our Artists
Sculptor explores regional watershed, plants and deep time
Sabine Lecorre-Moore’s Painting Alberta
When Sabine Lecorre-Moore started the project Painting Alberta in 2017, she never dreamed she would finish the last of the canvases during a residency at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre (KOAC). So, in February 2022 when she installed her tools, canvases and computer in the KOAC’s studio, she knew she was entering an exceptional place and time that would have a remarkable impact on her art.
Throughout the residency, Sabine received immense support from the Centre’s founders. During the first week, Katie Ohe left a note on her worktable saying: “I really like what you are doing!” This simple note gave her the confidence she needed to complete this large-scale project. For a time, she visited Harry Kiyooka on Friday afternoons to show him photographs of her progress. Their last conversation was about how to display the paintings. She was excited about installing the canvases in a linear design although it would take a hundred and fifty linear feet of wall space. Of course, Harry had an answer to this challenge, to display them in two lines!
During Saturday’s sculpture park tours, Sabine had the chance to present the project to the public. She loved seeing their positive reactions. Often, they were enchanted to recognize a place, or a person painted. Always they wondered where they could see it next. Once, a gentleman explained that he did not like paintings in general, “but I like what you are doing.”
As the months flew by, she completed forty paintings to arrive at the three hundred and sixty canvases mark. She had reached my goal of creating a three-hundred-sixty-degree view of Alberta. The last image depicts Harry Kiyooka’s celebration of life on July 2, 2022. While she worked and saw the seasons change, she marvelled at the opportunity that Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe have created for artists and the public to connect.
“The Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre is an authentic Alberta treasure.” Sabine Lecorre-Moore
KOAC was thrilled to present resident artist Sabine Lecorre-Moore’s Painting Alberta. Her project is composed of 360, 6×6 acrylic canvasses, and built through five years of research in museum archives and interviews with individuals to discover the many facets that make up Alberta. Along the way, the project gathered many stories, representing an extensive survey of the province’s past and present. This project’s in-depth exploration imparts Albertans with a better appreciation for who we are.
Sabine Lecorre-Moore
Originally from France, artist Sabine Lecorre-Moore moved to Mohkinstsis / Calgary in the early nineties after studying decorative arts in Brussels, Belgium. She has participated in numerous solos and group art exhibitions, but over the years has primarily specialized in collaborative art-based projects. From February 2022 to April 2023, she was an artist in residency at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre.
Sabine believes that artists play a crucial role in raising awareness about the pressing issues in our society, and she has truly thrived on collaboration. Her primary focus is to foster a sense of consciousness and shared humanity among individuals. To achieve this, she delves deep into research, gathering ideas to discover the common thread that runs through them. From there, she develops her varied projects, utilizing tools such as art installations, curating, painting series and videos to start meaningful conversations.
Fundamentally, her motivation stems from her role as an artist engaged with the community. To this end, each project she creates encourages honesty, explores identity and embraces beauty. For Sabine, art is essential to imagine a better world together.
Your generosity is more important than ever
The Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre is a place for art and artists, for the curious, for the novice and for the expert alike – everyone is welcome to visit, to make, to learn and to talk about contemporary art, whether by traversing our sculpture grounds and gardens, or visiting (when appropriate) with our artists in studio or via our digital forums and workshops.
Regular support from our friends enable us to sustain our work with artists, audiences and communities. Help us keep our grounds open as an escape into Art-in-Nature during this unprecedented time.
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The KO Arts Centre Society of Calgary is a registered charity. CRA Business Account # 83391 4955 RR001.