In his latest exhibition, Flattening the Curve, artist Curtis Botham shows recent charcoal and conté drawings that are part of his series exploring everyday pandemic life. Come see Flattening the Curve in the Corridor until January 28, 2022. Can’t make it to the Corridor in person? Check out the video tour of the exhibition on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2YeG5GGCT7o

Of this work, Botham writes:
The last two years have significantly altered everyday life nearly everywhere in the world, derailing our lives and leaving us to grapple with how precarious normalcy can be. But in many ways, the systemic issues of society have been thrown into starker relief. The pressure of work culture (especially in service and medical industries), the social isolation of the modern day, and the costs of self-care, as well as wealth disparities between working class and capital class, have been exacerbated. The drawings I’ve done in this series reflect some of the changes and the pressures that the pandemic has put on people, as the initial shock of the outbreak shifts towards being normalized into an endemic illness that is most likely here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Curtis Botham is a graduate of NSCAD University.  Through large-scale charcoal drawings, Curtis explores the multi-faceted effects of industry, labour, and material culture, as well as their effects on communities and the environment. In the past, he explored the declining coal industry in rural Nova Scotia as well as other small-town industries. For Flattening the Curve he has shifted to depictions of city life and its changes during the pandemic. In the near future he plans on examining Nova Scotia’s fishing industry.

He has been the recipient of several awards and grants, including the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/VANS Award, scholarships from the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, and one from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. Some of his work, including this exhibition, was funded by Arts Nova Scotia.  His artwork has been shown in galleries across the province.

Featured image: Sanitary Still Life, Charcoal, white conte on paper, 18 x 24″, 2019. Image courtesy of Artist.

Located inside the Visual Arts Nova Scotia office at the Halifax Seaport since 2000, the Corridor Gallery is complemented by simple yet modern architectural elements and an array of current cultural activity in the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia office. The Corridor Gallery is located at 1113 Marginal Road, Kjipuktuk/ Halifax, NS, situated on unceded Mi’kmaq territory.

The VANS office will be open by appointment only during this exhibition, so we recommend calling or emailing in advance to ensure that the Corridor is staffed. All visitors to the office must wear a mask, practice distancing, and sanitize hands upon arrival. In consideration of the size of the office and the Corridor Gallery, only two visitors are permitted at a time.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia advances the visual arts through leadership, education, and communication.

High resolution image for press available via Dropbox. See more of Curtis Botham’s work on his website curtisbotham.weebly.com.

For further information or to make an appointment to view the exhibition please contact:
Carri MacKay
Programming Coordinator, Visual Arts Nova Scotia
communicate@visualarts.ns.ca | www.visualarts.ns.ca