Osoyoos artist Deb Sherwin became the new manager of the Osoyoos Art Gallery last week. She takes over from Dianne Hughes, who was acting director for just over two years. Hughes continues to be an active member of the gallery committee. (Richard McGuire photo)
Osoyoos artist Deb Sherwin has stepped forward to become the new manager of the Osoyoos Art Gallery.
The volunteer appointment became effective last Wednesday. Sherwin replaces Dianne Hughes, who held the position in an acting capacity for just over two years before announcing recently that she wanted to step down.
Hughes will continue to be active with the gallery in various volunteer roles including managing the website and social media.
Sherwin said she accepted the position after Hughes approached her.
“It sounded like a perfect fit for what I was looking for,” she said. “It’s something to do that matched my personality and skills. They needed somebody and I have the time. It just felt right. It fits.”
Sherwin, who takes on the position for an indefinite period, said she is not including the word “acting” in her title as her predecessor did.
For now, she’s learning about what Hughes and previous managers did.
“It’s more or less a co-ordinating kind of position right now,” she said. “I’m still at the point where I’m feeling my way through it.”
She’ll be working with others, such as the curators, who are instrumental in planning the rotating exhibitions the gallery holds.
“It’s such a wonderful team they have going,” she said. “It’s such a fine-tuned mechanism the way they run it.”
Sherwin said she sees no reason to make major changes to the way the gallery operates, but at the same time she welcomes suggestions and ideas.
“We want to make this a destination and put art on the map for Osoyoos,” she said. “We have some incredible artists here. People come here for the lake, but they are surprised to find the art and I want them to come for the art as well.”
Sherwin grew up in Toronto, later moving to Calgary and working as a nurse. She came to Osoyoos 23 years ago. She was not an artist when she moved here.
She said one day she was inspired by a dream that she could paint and she decided to take it up, completing her first painting in 2002.
She had no formal art training, but she was self-taught, relying heavily on advice offered by fellow members of Artists of Main.
“I haven’t looked back,” she said. “It’s so much fun. Now I’m an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. I just enjoy art that much.”
Sherwin paints in acrylics in a loose, impressionistic style. She also does sculptures in concrete and was the leader among three local artists who installed a sculpture of a family of quails next to the art gallery during the summer.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
