Avis Rasmussen book launch and exhibition

by: Artie Goshulak, Web & User Experience Assistant

Standing in the middle of the downtown gallery, Avis Rasmussen was surrounded by six decades of her art. From sketches she made in the 1950s to a linocut finished this year, the retrospective exhibition displayed the scope and variety of her creative output.

On April 30, Avis gave a guided tour of the exhibition, titled The View from Here (April 12-May 28, 2023) that displayed in the gallery of the Victoria Arts Council (VAC). She also celebrated the launch of a poetry collection of the same name, created in partnership by UVic Libraries and the VAC. The book, which collects poems from the 1970s to the present, showcases the synchronicity between Avis’s poetic and artistic practices, and reproduces several of the artworks displayed in the retrospective.

An artist of national significance inspired by the landscapes of the West Coast, Avis has also been a lifelong advocate for Victoria’s arts community. Her devoted attention to this place is evident throughout both her artwork and her poetry.

The PDF version of The View from Here is freely available in the UVic Libraries repository.