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June is Membership Month at the Niagara Artists Centre. We asked NAC members about art in Niagara and the number one reason to join the NAC. Artist Marinko Jareb tells us about his favourite Niagara artists, how he became a NAC member, and why he’s “making new NAC memories all the time.”

Sign up for your very own NAC membership online or stop by NAC at 354 St. Paul Street in St. Catharines during gallery hours to get your membership in person. Sign up in June, and your name will be entered in a draw for a Special STRUTT Wearable Art Weekend package that includes a pair of Curator’s Row tickets (front row seats) to the Saturday night runway show.

Marinko Jareb makes all kinds art and lives in Niagara. He is a NAC member and has shown his work all over the globe. While you were watching Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, Marinko was making art and DJing. Marinko’s website is www.thediscogallery.com and on twitter, he is @discomarinko, so hit him up one the international information superhighway via your home computer. Marinko will be showing physical artwork in non-virtual reality at NAC in June 2014 and at Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement in Toronto during July, August and September 2014.

When did you become a NAC member and why?
I became a NAC member after meeting Tobey C. Anderson on Bond Street and seeing the amazing warehouse space that he was willing to rent for an all night “rave” party. This was in the mid ’90s, maybe summer of 1996.

Are you an artist, an art appreciator or both?
I live it and I love it, you know how it goes….

What’s the best thing about being an artist in Niagara?
The best thing about being an artist in Niagara is that it’s “home” and it’s lovely to be at home.

Name a Niagara artist whose work knocks your socks off.
I really like Maggie Groat‘s “fences will turn into tables” and Jimmy Limit‘s “recent advancements”. Carolyn Wren was transcribing art history into a century old Bible and I’m transfixed by that piece and her woodcuts. John Smoke‘s dreamachine project is inspiring and breathing new life into Brion Gysin‘s work. Lindsay Cahill‘s “homer’s odyssey” Simpsons poems, Eric Schmaltz‘s “avatar” poem and Gregory Betts all inspire me. Deanna Jones‘s Keith Richards “one woman show” is amazing. Fourgrounds Media and their film works are so nice. Jonathan Culp‘s film and video work are inspiring and so is his T-shirt quilt. Katie Webb‘s work is totally awesome. Brittany Brooks‘s approach to animation and projection is really great. I saw her doing live painting at Amuse and it was a delight to watch her work. Deadweight, Coopman, Chris Langosten and the streetart crew from Welland BLX are doing great, community-oriented work. The list goes on…. Myself too, Marinko Jareb, I’m a HUGE fan of my own work.

Tell us about a memorable NAC experience.
I have too many NAC memories to single out just one. But the point is that I’m making new NAC memories all the time because it’s an “ARTIST RUN CENTRE” which means that YOU can make things happen at NAC.

What’s the number one reason to become a NAC member?
NAC is THE HUB for contemporary art. The number one reason to become a NAC member is because NAC is NUMBER ONE! Straight up!!!

Check back for more Member of the Moment interviews throughout June.

 

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