It's a one-stop culture shop

BAILA LAZARUS

When it comes to an artsy family business, they don't get any artsier or more familial than the Patrich family's endeavors. Simon, the patriarch, ran art galleries in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Sao Paolo, Brazil, involving his wife and children in the business. His son, Sergio, followed in his footsteps and, after Simon's death, opened a gallery in Vancouver. Now, Sergio Patrich runs and co-owns the business with his son, Jordan. A true legacy for the generations – but with a twist.

The Patrich family no longer runs the Simon Patrich Gallery on Granville Street, well known in the community for more than 17 years; they run the new Art Centre on Pine Street, which opened last month, with not one but two galleries (Gallery O – Contemporary, a gallery focusing on painting, sculpture and other media, and the Vancouver Gallery of Photography), as well as a space for performing arts and a rooftop that is destined to be a sculpture patio.

"We wanted a wider scope for this space," said Sergio Patrich of the two-storey, 10,000-square-foot former factory. The building, which has high ceilings, natural lighting and large, industrial-looking, open spaces, is perfect for showing paintings, photography and sculpture.

While the Patrichs' previous galleries focused mostly on South American art, in their current space they'll be displaying more contemporary pieces. Patrich said family and staff members got together and determined their choices by looking at artists they felt had a strong future and with whom they felt a connection.

Although Patrich thinks the art world in Vancouver is "quite vibrant" for a city its size, he says the public still needs a lot of education because most people don't get exposed to art from a young age. He's used to living in cities such as New York and Los Angeles, where children regularly accompany their parents on family outings to art galleries or museums.

"Here, it's not part of their daily lives to visit museums," he said. "You find that collectors are not in big numbers; most people [buying art] are decorating their home."

What sells in this kind of a city, therefore, is often something that might go well with the family couch, but Patrich doesn't have any temptation to select only artwork that splashes the latest "in" color.

"If you don't show what you really care for, if you don't show it with passion, it's not going to sell," said Patrich. "What sells is what you believe in and your passion for the artist will catch on with other people."

Passion is well represented in the Patrichs' decision to devote an entire gallery just to photography. Patrich admitted this was a risky move, but he believes "the medium deserves that attention." Photography, he said, does much better in the United States than Canada, but he believes the medium is coming of age. In March, the photography gallery will exhibit the collection of Yosef Wosk.

Next to the photography gallery, and still under construction, is another large space that Patrich hopes to use for special theatrical and musical performances. It won't hold any permanent seating, but will have a more casual, intimate atmosphere, where the clientele can relax on couches and chairs "to bring a cultured crowd to come and visit us," said Patrich. "There are all these musicians coming out from schools like UBC and they have nowhere to go [to perform]. So this is something the city needs."

And if the art, photography, sculpture, theatre and other performing arts are not enough, the Art Centre will also connect with groups in the community to hold special events. They already had a kabbalistic lecture and candlelighting with Rabbi Joseph Saltoun on the fifth night of Chanukah and plans are in the works for a singles dinner with Chabad.

The Art Centre is at 2060 Pine St., just south of 4th Avenue. The work of photographer Alex Waterhouse-Hayward is on display until the end of January, as well as a collection

of artwork from eight different painters. For more information, call 604-733-2662, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.artcenter.ca.

Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and illustrator living in Vancouver. Her work can be seen at www.orchiddesigns.net.

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