July 23rd – August 18th, 2026

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 25th, 2pm – 4pm

LISA BLACKWELL | Earthly Emergence

Informed and inspired by the practice of observing the living world and the forces of nature, Lisa Blackwell’s exhibition Earthly Emergence features handbuilt sculptures created from clay. Blackwell views the biological imperative of growth and the mutual symbiotic relationships between flora, fauna, and fungi as sources of hopefulness and optimism; these primordial connections, represented by Blackwell’s biomorphic sculptures, have much to teach us about cooperation, altruism, and collaboration. In addition to her sculptures there will also be an interactive component to this exhibition on select days. By touching material, thinking about place, and shaping forms, visitors will experience the visceral nature of creating with clay, which links directly to the natural world. 

Lisa Blackwell grew up in Sechelt, on the unceded territory of the shíshálh Nation, and is now living on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen people in Saanich BC. Considering an Indigenous perspective is integral to her work, as an act of decolonization and reciprocity. She was taught handbuilding by Sto:lo ceramics artist and cultural caretaker, Laura Wee Láy Láq, and has been working in clay for the past thirty years. Blackwell attended Alberta University of the Arts and in 2023 earned a BFA, Majoring in Ceramics with Distinction, and also won the Board of Governors Award for top ceramics student. She has taught, sold, and exhibited her pottery in California, Alberta, and British Columbia. At the heart of everything she makes is her growing understanding of ecology in all of its complexity.