It鈥檚 the elephant in the corner of the room, only the room is the boulevard in front of the Dalhousie Arts Centre, and the elephant is a white marble sculpture shaped like something else entirely. What, no one is quite sure鈥攋ust something else entirely.
Don鈥檛 make the mistake of asking the students what it鈥檚 supposed to represent. They鈥檒l dissolve into helpless giggles. In fact, until I descended into the hallowed halls of the Dalhousie Art Gallery, no one even tried to answer my question鈥斺�淲hat is that thing?鈥�
The sculpture, it turns out, is called Marine Venus. It鈥檚 by Robert Hedrick and was installed at Dalhousie in 1969, the Summer of Love. According to the Dalhousie Art Gallery鈥檚 director/curator Peter Dykhuis, Marine Venus is only the tip of Dal鈥檚 artistic iceberg. Dalhousie hosts two separate collections of art 鈥� the 鈥淯niversity Collection,鈥� and the art gallery鈥檚 own permanent pieces, including Marine Venus.
Marine Venus is one of the pieces from the collection installed in a public space, says registrar/preparator Michele Gallant. The gallery鈥檚 pieces often end up in protective storage; the gallery, which showcases temporary exhibitions, has no dedicated space for display of its permanent collection.
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听鈥淥ur holdings are incredible, we have impeccable historical works鈥� (but our) vaults are full right now,鈥� explains Ms. Gallant. When NSCAD students visit for a class on printmaking, the gallery has to showcase its prints collection鈥攚hich includes two Goyas鈥攐n folding tables.听 She would like to see accessible storage, providing full access to the art Dalhousie already possesses. It鈥檚 called 鈥渙pen storage鈥�, and there are precedents 鈥� it鈥檚 already been installed at UBC. 鈥淲e have a mandate not only to collect and preserve, but also to exhibit,鈥� Ms. Gallant says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the double-edged sword.鈥�
鈥淚t (the gallery) is off the beaten path,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so important in looking at the big picture in an education鈥� (but) students graduate and may not know we exist.鈥澨�
And make no mistake 鈥� art, and the art gallery, is vital to Dalhousie鈥檚 culture. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just part of the decorating department,鈥� Peter Dykhuis points out dryly. 鈥淰isual literacy informs so much about our world.鈥� So what would improve the situation? 鈥淪treet level gallery! Street level gallery! Street level gallery!鈥� Mr. Dykhuis exclaims 鈥� a separate, more accessible space to showcase the permanent collection. 鈥淭he motto of this whole enterprise is 鈥楰eeping art present鈥�!鈥�
Even with its constraints, the gallery has placed art wherever it can on campus 鈥� the McCain Building, for example, hosts Mitchell Wiebe鈥檚 鈥淒igital Dragon Meets Analog Unicorn鈥� above the elevators and Donna Hiebert鈥檚 鈥淐ontainment鈥� in the courtyard.
For years, the gallery has had virtually no money for new art. New acquisitions are thanks to donations. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 accept everything, though鈥� it鈥檚 a matter of quality, not quantity,鈥� Mr. Dykhuis interjects. As for the art the gallery does showcase, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just flights of fancy out of my curatorial head. It has relevancy鈥� visual art often addresses philosophical issues but through visual means鈥� A gallery is like a blank book. What are you going to write in it?鈥�
And Marine Venus? He grins infectiously. 鈥淚 realize it draws a certain attention鈥� It鈥檚 a period piece.鈥� Anyway, he points out, you can鈥檛 judge a sculpture that is still technically incomplete. Marine Venus was meant to be mounted in a reflecting pool, but due to cost and upkeep concerns, that never occurred.
鈥淭he whole aspect of the marine nature of it isn鈥檛 there.鈥� Yes, it looks like certain unmentionables, 鈥渂ut it also looks like a big barnacle!鈥� Mr. Dykhuis says Marine Venus also serves a utilitarian function. 鈥淒uring frosh week sometimes students are given a scavenger hunt and one of their things is that sculpture.鈥� Trying to find the name of the work and artist 鈥淕ets them down into the art gallery, so they鈥檇 know we exist.鈥�
Who knows? Maybe there鈥檚 a generous benefactor out there, just waiting to provide Marine Venus with her long-lost watery home. If not, at least a few more people will be aware of the gallery鈥檚 existence. 鈥淭he university has a great resource within its community,鈥� enthuses Mr. Dykhuis.
Admission is free, movie nights are frequent, and Mr. Dykhuis and Ms. Gallant are patiently awaiting the public.
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