[BCMA] [MEDIA RELEASE] Sensorineural opens at Kelowna Art Gallery

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

For Immediate Release



Sensorineural sculptural installation opens at art gallery



Kelsie Balehowsky: Sensorineural

May 30 to September 18, 2022



June 1, 2022 - Kelowna, BC: Sensorineural. Sensori-what? You wouldn't be alone if the word seems unfamiliar and the meaning doesn't jump out at you. However, that's something a Kelowna-based artist hopes to change through a new art exhibition at the Kelowna Art Gallery.



"Hearing loss affects people of all ages and demographics," says Kelsie Balehowsky, the artist behind the exhibition. "Something like sensorineural hearing loss, for example, is not something you can tell immediately just by looking at someone. This exhibition aims to spread awareness of hearing health and reduce stigma."



Visitors will be able to get their first glance at Sensorineural this week. It is presented in the Gallery's street-level Glass Gallery space that is viewable from outside of the building.



The site-specific installation is inspired by Balehowsky's son who was born with sensorineural hearing loss. It features oversized mixed media sculptures of the tiny bones that make up the middle and inner ear. They are finished in a lustrous golden coat of paint and suspended against a rich lavender backdrop. However, viewers will have to work a little to get a clear view. The front of the glass has a frosty opaque finish with only vertical "audio" slats to get a glimpse through. Balehowsky has included a QR code that links to an online hearing loss simulator to add a further dimension to the experience.



Sensorineural can be experienced now through September 18, 2022.



Kelsie Balehowsky is an artist and arts educator based in the Okanagan on the unceded and ancestral territory of the Syilx people. Her work is primarily concerned with themes of the uncanny, technology, and connection. Balehowsky says her "artistic practice is a means to observe, express, interpret, and process the human experience."



The Kelowna Art Gallery is located at 1315 Water Street, in downtown Kelowna, B.C.



- 30 -



Image Credits



Kelsie Balehowsky, Sensorineural, 2022, papier-mâché and mixed media, variable dimensions.



Kelsie Balehowsky works on Sensorineural with her son. Courtesy of the Artist.



Resources



Webpage: https://kelownaartgallery.com/sensorineural/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelownaartgallery/

Arist's Webpage: https://www.kbalehowsky.com/



To arrange for an interview, or for additional high-res images please contact:



Joshua Desnoyers

Marketing and Events Coordinator



Kelowna Art Gallery

1315 Water Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 9R3

250-762-2226 ext. 305

josh at kelownaartgallery.com<mailto:josh at kelownaartgallery.com>

www.kelownaartgallery.com<http://www.kelownaartgallery.com>


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0002.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Kelsie_Balehowsky_Sensorinerual_PR1_resize.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1119047 bytes
Desc: Kelsie_Balehowsky_Sensorinerual_PR1_resize.jpg
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0010.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Kelsie_Balehowsky_Sensorinerual_PR2_resize.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 897271 bytes
Desc: Kelsie_Balehowsky_Sensorinerual_PR2_resize.jpg
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0011.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Kelsie_Balehowsky_Sensorinerual_PR3_resize.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1144748 bytes
Desc: Kelsie_Balehowsky_Sensorinerual_PR3_resize.jpg
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0012.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Kelsie Balehowsky in progress shot with her son.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 725354 bytes
Desc: Kelsie Balehowsky in progress shot with her son.jpg
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0013.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Kelsie Balehowsky_Headshot.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 656673 bytes
Desc: Kelsie Balehowsky_Headshot.jpg
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0014.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Media Release -- Sensorineural opens at Kelowna Art Gallery.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 150762 bytes
Desc: Media Release -- Sensorineural opens at Kelowna Art Gallery.pdf
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20220601/9abfdb23/attachment-0002.pdf>