Skip to content

Anonymous Art Show continues to grow

2410anonymous91
Meaghan Richens/NNSL photo. Rosalind Mercredi, owner of Down to Earth Gallery in front of some of the works in this year's Anonymous Art Show and Sale. The seventh annual event ran from October 18-21 at Down to Earth Gallery.

The Anonymous Art Show and Sale returned to Yellowknife for the seventh time this weekend.

Over 100 canvases were displayed at Down to Earth Gallery, with the artist's name hidden on the back of the work, making it anonymous to the viewer.

“It's really good because it brings out a lot of closet artists,” said Rosalind Mercredi, owner of Down to Earth Gallery.

Meaghan Richens/NNSL photo.
Rosalind Mercredi, owner of Down to Earth Gallery in front of some of the works in this year's Anonymous Art Show and Sale. The seventh annual event ran from October 18-21 at Down to Earth Gallery.

The show attracted local artists of all ages and mediums, with everything from painting to beading to three-dimensional sculptures decorating the six-by-six inch canvases. The only rule is that the art has to fit in the dimensions of the canvas.

“Whatever you can do in that six-inch space. And sometimes it dangles over the six inches but it has to be attached,” she said with a laugh.

“The idea to have it anonymous is that sometimes you buy art because you think you know who did it right,” Mercredi said.

“So if you look at art and you buy it because you like it, you might be surprised at who you get or who did it.”

A lot of artists, especially new ones, can be shy about putting their work in front of other people.

“So this way by not having to sign the front, just throwing it out there then it gives everybody the opportunity to just give things a try,” said Mercredi.

The idea to first hold an anonymous art show came from fellow artist Fran Hurcomb, who saw something similar out on a trip.

“So we had a little talk and said, let's try it here,” Mercredi explained.

The first year they ran the show they gave out around 100 canvases and got back 80 or 90 to display.

“This year we gave out 195 canvases, and we got back 165,” she said, adding that this year's show had 113 different artists displaying their work.

Even some of the more well-known artists in town use the Anonymous Art Show to dabble in something different, and work in a style or technique they might not typically work in.

“Or you get the people that you can identify right away as being somebody's work,”she said.

“There's a lot of guessing going on,” from gallery visitors trying to figure out who made what, said Mercredi.

This year the gallery was packed wall-to-wall on the show's opening day. She said the show keeps growing, with new faces showing up each year.

“People who are new artists are bringing their stuff in,” she said. “It's pretty exciting.”