Michael Soltis: Games People Play

In his latest exhibition, Michael Soltis' work takes us back to a time before we played games on our phones or computers. In a statement about the exhibit, Soltis says, "playing board games together creates opportunities to laugh, to learn, to compete, to share, to win, to lose and to connect with family and friends in a way that not many other activities can offer." He uses board games to create mixed media pieces that not only stir up nostalgia, but that viewers can interact with in a new way. Games People Play will be at Kimoto Gallery from January 29 to February 27. An opening reception will take place on January 29 (Friday) from 6 to 9 p.m.

Alison Hrabluik: The Splits

In The Splits, Alison Hrabluik uses video to explore narrative construction by focusing on the voices, rhythms, and methodologies of storytelling. Hrabluik collaborated with dancers and musicians to choreograph a montage of motion and sound in The Splits, which combines both documentary objectivity and first-person narration. Twenty performers including a hula hooper, singer, pizza dough thrower, speed skipper, tap dancer, gymnast, and dog trainer are featured in the film. The Splits will be at SFU Gallery (Burnaby campus) from January 30 to April 22, with an opening reception and artist talk taking place at 1 p.m. on January 30 (Saturday).

Julie Prescott: Of Water

Burnaby-based artist and photographer Julie Prescott admits she has a reverence for water, whether it be in the form of dew drops or in an ocean. In her exploration of the element in her upcoming exhibition, Of Water, her photographs, paintings, and multimedia pieces are largely abstract and representational, reflecting on water's "serene yet forceful, life-giving and sustaining, transmutable" qualities. Of Water will be on display at The Water Shed Arts Cafe in Langley from February 1 to 29, with an opening reception and artist talk on February 2 (Tuesday) from 7 to 9 p.m.

Bill Edmonds: Catfish

For more than two years, B.C. painter Bill Edmonds has been exploring the anonymity of the internet and the relationships formed by strangers online. His online search for portrait subjects revealed than many of the people who's photograph he requested had different agendas, and he suspected in some cases that there was a disconnect between the person in the image and the person he was speaking with. Edmonds sketched and then painted the images on Plexiglas panels. In some cases, he's modified the paintings to include text from his conversations with his subjects. Catfish will be at the gallery at the Firehall Arts Centre from February 2 to March 6, with an opening reception taking place on February 3 (Wednesday) from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Various Artists: Open Waters: Maritime Painting

The work of eighteenth and nineteenth-century painters Vilhelm Arnesen, Abraham Hulk, Carl Frederik Sorensen, James W. Callow, P.C. Dommersen, John Hammond, and Samual Walters will be shown in this exhibition. With a focus on the seventeenth-century Dutch style of marine painting that was continued in later centuries, the exhibition explores the tradition behind the style, which served as an invaluable record of human design and invention. Open Waters: Maritime Painting will be on display at Uno Langmann Gallery from February 2 to 29.

Gallery Surf is the Straight's weekly feature showcasing some of Vancouver's must-see art gallery exhibits. Surf through the images and if you like what you see, check out the art IRL.