Get Funk-y at Effusion

Fearless Leader / 20x24 / Acrylic on Canvas

By Stephen Lebovits, Effusion Art Gallery + Glass Studio
The Columbia Valley Pioneer, August 12, 2016

"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet," wrote Shakespeare in his tragedy Romeo and Juliet. 

But a name can say a lot about a person.

Funk, for instance, is a name of Germanic origin meaning "spark", and may have been bestowed as a nickname to indicate a very lively person.  That would be Veronica Funk - sparky and lively.

Born in Winnipeg and raised in northern Manitoba, Funk now calls Airdrie, Alberta home, from where she creates her vibrant, urbanesque, highly-symbolic paintings using acrylics on canvas.

"The symbols I use are very meaningful for me as many come from stories told by the Cree grandmothers in my community while they taught us to bead," she explains.

After studying art and design at Red Deer College in Alberta, Funk went pro in 1999, with a singular goal to create a sanctuary, a quiet place of contemplation, within her art - something she has successfully pulled off, be it through her canoes, tipis or animal portraits, all heavily laden with symbolism and colour. 
 
However, quiet is anything but what her creative life is, as she continually promotes art, in all its guises, as far and wide as possible.

"I'm a huge advocate of the necessity of the arts in community, so besides creating and showing my own work, I believe that this is what I was meant to do," she proudly states of the many residencies, demonstrations, invitations, discussions and other creative engagements she finds herself involved with.

Laying the artistic groundwork early on in her life has allowed her to explore a variety of possibilities and projects that, in one way or another, have lead her in new directions, and to new opportunities, things she is continually thankful for.

Says the artist:  "I really am fortunate that I get to share what I love to do."

To catch some of those creative sparks and watch her paint live, why not stop by the Effusion Art Gallery + Glass Studio, 1033 7th Avenue, August 12 from 5 to 8 p.m., or (August 13) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  It will most assuredly be a Funky affair!

Some of Veronica Funk's work can be seen at www.effusionartgallery.com.