ARTWRK/ opened in 2020 as an online gallery to provide talented artists a place to showcase their work. Aggie and Katie, who were both featured artists on Artwrk.ca are now introduced as the new owners of the company, which will continue to feature artists across Canada and the United States, starting September 2024.

Toronto, ON – September 10, 2024
Since launching during the challenging days of the COVID lockdowns in 2020, Artwrk has been a beacon of hope for artists needing a space to exhibit their work and connect with art lovers around the world. As of August 15th, 2024, the gallery has been transitioning from original co-founders Alissa Sexton, Laura White and Eda Brown to its new ownership, Aggie Armstrong and Katherine (Katie) Rodgers. These two individuals have not only exhibited and sold their own work on the platform, but they've also been enthusiastic members of the company’s tight artist community. Both Aggie and Katie share Artwrk’s vision of providing a supportive, accessible space for artists to showcase their talent. As artists themselves, they understand the unique challenges and opportunities of exhibiting online and are eager to carry forward the values and mission that Alissa, Laura and Eda have built together.
“Rest assured, the core of Artwrk remains unchanged”, said Alissa Sexton, art curator and Artwrk founder. “Our mission to elevate artists' work and create meaningful connections between artists and collectors is as strong as ever. Aggie and Katie are very committed to maintaining this vision, and their fresh ideas and passion will only help Artwrk grow stronger.”

In the days ahead, there are many exciting plans for upcoming exhibitions and new ways to support emerging artists. Artwrk’s founders and current owners are working together on improving the platform to make it even easier for artists to showcase their art, reach new audiences, and thrive as part of this community.

“Thank you for being such an integral part of Artwrk. I am confident that under Aggie and Katie's leadership, the gallery will continue to flourish, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us. With warmest regards from your Artwrk founders, Alissa, Laura & Eda”, Sexton states.

For more information about Artwrk/ co-founder & artist, Eda Brown, visit: edabrown.com

About Katie Rodgers: Katherine (Katie) Rodgers, CPA, CMA was the co-owner of a healthy meal delivery company (with fresh grab-and-go cafes) from 2003-2012. Since then, she has applied her skills in business development, accounting, strategic planning, and marketing services for organizations operating across several industries (including modular construction, forestry, property management, food services, and Indigenous housing). Katie backs her experience up with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph and a Certified Management Accountants designation.

Katie has been experimenting with acrylics for several years, independently and in workshops to develop her artistic practice. The paintings suggest atmosphere and emotions associated with specific locales, both in traditional landscape and abstract style. Katie is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and a member of North Van Arts and the West Vancouver Community Arts Council. Recent exhibitions include the Ferry Building and Silk Purse Galleries in West Vancouver. Katie is serving as Treasurer for the Board of Directors of North Van Arts and currently lives with her twin boys in North Vancouver, BC.

For more information about Katie and her works, please visit: katierodgers.ca

About Aggie Armstrong: Known for multimedia work that explores various states of female consciousness, Aggie Armstrong’s work serves as a record of her feelings and memories of being raised as a Third Culture Kid/Individual, and her own intersectional female experience. By combining clever compositions, hand-stitched embroidery, and vivid colours, her audience is attracted to the punchy canvases immediately, and encouraged to think beyond their initial impressions to a deeper meaning of the work.

Aggie was commissioned to do the poster for Canada’s The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November 2023 held at the Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario. She has shown her work at The Artist Project Toronto from 2022-2024, and has been asked to come back in 2025. She has several solo exhibitions coming up in Fall 2024, and Spring 2025 in Toronto, to be announced at a later date.

Born in Manila, Philippines, Aggie moved to Ontario, Canada at age 18 and received her BA in Fine Arts at Western University in London, Ontario. She currently resides in Oxford County, Ontario as a full-time artist and creative entrepreneur.

For more information about Aggie and her works, please visit: aggiearmstrong.com

About Alissa Sexton: Following formal education in Art History & Social Psychology (University of Guelph) and Museum Curatorship (Fleming College), Alissa joined Canada’s longest-running contemporary gallery in Toronto (2005) to work with dozens of professional artists of every career level. Alissa left Bau-Xi Gallery as the Co-Director in 2017 to pursue direct artist consulting and mentorship.
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For more information about Alissa please visit: alissasexton.com

Thanks to everyone who welcomed my artwork into your home over the year.  Here's a playback of the paintings that found new homes.  

I am pleased to be the featured artist on Artwrk.ca right now.  My series of work called the Untethered Collection combines landscape and the abstract paintings they inspired.  I've shaken up the elements of the landscape to create a new energy or amplify certain features or colours that I didn't think were getting quite enough attention before.  In connection with this feature, the team at Artwrk.ca has put together this little studio tour.   (Contact me to purchase)

Check it out here.  ​

Here is a timelapse of a painting I did called 'A Day to Remember'.  I wanted to capture the amazing scenery of Howe Sound and the special aqua and turquoise tones of the silty water near Squamish, BC.  I also wanted the painting to have the positive energy of a hot, sunny day spent with friends on the water.  Did I succeed?

I'm pleased to have my latest body of work exhibited on Artwrk.ca this week.  In this collection I am reflecting on the transition of nature from the cool dead of winter, when the earth around me lies in wait for the warmth of spring to come alive again.  As the colours awaken and buds begin to bloom, this is a positive and hopeful time of year.  I wanted to capture and share some of that perennial optimism.  Starting with calm and cool landscape scenes, I found my brushstrokes getting more playful as the colours became more intense. The collection ends with brilliant, jewel-tones similar to what we find in our gardens. By the time summer hits, we are awake and ready for these bold flights of fancy.  View the whole collection here until June 8th.

My abstract paintings often branch out from a landscape I'm painting, as was the case with this pair.  'Ongoing Admiration' (left) is an ode to one of my favourite West Coast hikes.  You'll find portions of this cool colour palette carried over to 'Lying in Wait'.  The pops of magenta and fresh green begin to poke through the cool tones in this painting.

This Spring I've been branching out to wood panels as a new substrate.  'Stuck in Your Head' (left) and 'Floating Toward You' are both West Coast landscapes on wood panel, real and imagined. 

In this pair below, 'Perennial Optimism' and 'In a Swirl' capture the full spring fever with both playful and expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colours.  The final three shown below reach max saturation: Bijou- Sapphire, Night Crept in Before We Knew It, and Bijou- Magenta.  Check out the full collection here on Artwrk.ca

It may take three ferries to get there, but Hornby Island does not disappoint.  I've been there a couple of times in the summer and it has so many memorable landscapes that I can envision many more paintings to come.  Here is a little behind the scenes timelapse of 'A Worthwhile Journey' which features Helliwell Provincial Park.  I have painted a smaller version of this view already, but I really wanted to tackle it in a larger size.  This is 36"x36" and will be available March 3rd on Artwrk.ca.  If you'd like the early access to the release, Join my Subscriber list.   

I'm excited to share my upcoming exhibition news, Of Restorative Nature, which opens November 23rd at the Silk Purse Gallery in West Vancouver.  I'll be showing some of my Regeneration paintings alongside the work of Lynda Fownes and Eileen Walsh. 
This series depicts the constant renewal of life emerging on the old growth stumps of North Vancouver.  The paintings attempt to convey the combination of energy and calm found in the forests as well as the lush layers of vegetation surrounding the strong foundation of the stumps.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, being at home with restless children necessitated several walks each day in the surrounding woods to release our pent-up energy.  The Seymour valley has many beautiful trails which are a source of creativity and entertainment for us all.  While my children were imagining space settings, castles, and forts in the stumps, I began to picture these sculptural giants in other colours, with personalities and moods, animating them as well as contemplating them as they once were.  Shown here are Class Clown (or the joker), The Rebel, and The Seductress.  The rest of the cohort will be available Nov 23rd - Dec 19th.  Visit the West Vancouver Community Arts Council event listing for more information about the exhibition.