" Digital Spirits " by Erika Gagnon

Digital Collage art exhibition by Erika Gagnon

– In conjunction with Native American Heritage Month, Canadian photographer and multimedia artist Erika Gagnon presents her exhibition “Digital Spirits” at the Central Library from September 29th – December 7th, 2014. All are invited to meet Gagnon and learn more about her work during an Artist Talk on Sunday, November 9th at 2:00 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Meeting Room of the Central Library.

The digital collage series “Shadow Catcher Revisited” is the central focus of the exhibition where Gagnon blends historical Native American portraits by turn of the century U.S. photographer E.S. Curtis, along with her own photographs, scanned objects and other imagery. In doing so, Gagnon brings these ancient spirits into the present day, creating a powerful visual, emotional and political commentary on the state of our Indigenous peoples over the course of the last century. Also on exhibit is the digital collage series “The Americas”, an exploration into the Indigenous traditions and medicines of North, South and Central America, as well as other photo composite works.

Erika Gagnon is a Canadian Multi-Media artist of mixed blood heritage, which includes her French Canadian, Japanese and Native American ancestry. Gagnon holds a BFA degree, honors in Graphic Design from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. She recently moved to the San Francisco Bay area to further her education and creative interests, which include her newfound exploration into the digital arts and especially photo composite work. In the last two years, her work has been selected for over 30 National and International juried group exhibitions in the United States, along with several awards, nominations and publications. For more information please visit her website http://www.erikagagnon.com, or you can contact her directly at
info [at] erikagagnon.com

The exhibition will be on display from September 29th through December 7th in the Catalog Lobby on the first floor of the Central Library, 2090 Kittredge at Shattuck, downtown Berkeley.

The Central Library is open Monday, noon-8 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.