photo-based multidisciplinary artist & purveyor of curiosity
Grant Withers
Artist Statement
Art, in all its forms, is an expression, a question, a provocation. Art delights, sparks reflection and invites engagement. Art turns ‘Whatever!’ into ‘What if?’ and such heightened curiosity can enrich every part of our lives. Even small shifts in perspective and awareness can alter our thoughts and our actions. All artists and those who create contribute to these shifts.
Bio
Grant (he/him) is a self-taught artist of settler ancestry with an interdisciplinary art practice ranging from photography and lens-based experimentation to immersive, performance art installations. This curious and playful creative challenges conventional definitions of photography and art and strives to be a leader in the Canadian contemporary arts scene. He also strengthens connections in his own community through the arts as the co-founder and co-director of both the StrideFest arts festival and bLINK Visionary Arts.
Grant and his family live in Burnaby on Canada’s beautiful west coast.
Artist CV - Grant Withers
Solo Exhibitions
2018: AMP Studio, Vancouver, BC - Vocal Point during Capture Photography Festival
2017: North Burnaby Neighbourhood House, Burnaby, BC - New Photographic Heights
2017: AMP Studio, Vancouver, BC - Bending Light
2017: G&F Financial, Burnaby, BC - Local Abstracts
Group Exhibitions
2022-2024: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby, BC - STRIDEFEST Art at the Shadbolt exhibition
2022-2023: Burnaby Heights, BC - STRIDE Burnaby Arts Festival Art Walk
2021: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Luminescence V
2020: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Burnaby Arts Council 50th Anniversary Exhibition
2020: Living Room Art The Heights (Virtual Edition), Burnaby, BC - Online presentations
2019: UBC Robson Square, Vancouver, BC - PPOC-BC PHOTOGraphie Festival and Exhibition (first stop in 2019-2020 the Best of BC - PPOC Travelling Print Exhibition)
2019: North Burnaby Neighbourhood House, Burnaby, BC - Art Crawl Burnaby Heights
2019: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Luminescence IV
2019: 100 Braid Street Studios, New Westminster, BC - UnderExposed
2019: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Transition
2019: CityScape Community Art Space, North Vancouver, BC - On the Same Page: Transforming Paper
2018: Gallery Café, Port Moody, BC - PPOC-BC Image Salon exhibit (first stop in 2018-2019 the Best of BC - PPOC Travelling Print Exhibition. The collection travelled to Nanaimo, Castlegar, Prince George and Vanderhoof, BC.)
2014 - 2018: Pop-up arts events in various private residences in Burnaby, BC - Living Room Art in the Heights
2012 - 2019: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby, BC - Burnaby Photographic Society Showcase print and multimedia exhibition
2017: North Burnaby Neighbourhood House, Burnaby, BC - North Burnaby Photo Connection Local Lens - connecting your community through photographic art
2017: Encore Café, Burnaby, BC - Burnaby Photographic Society member exhibition
2017: North Vancouver Community Arts Council, North Vancouver, BC - Anonymous Art Show
2017: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Luminescence II
2017: Creative Co-Workers gallery space, Vancouver, BC - the Best of BC - PPOC Travelling Print Exhibition during Capture Photography Festival
2016: North Burnaby Neighbourhood House, Burnaby, BC - North Burnaby Photo Connection member show
2016: VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, BC - Light and Form
2016: No. 3 Road Art Columns Public Art (How Art Works) Program, Richmond, BC
2016: Encore Café, Burnaby, BC - Burnaby Photographic Society member exhibition
2016: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Luminescence
2016: Roundhouse Community Arts Centre, Vancouver, BC - PPOC-BC PHOTOGraphie festival and exhibition
2015: Anvil Centre, New Westminster, BC - PPOC-BC PHOTOGraphie festival and exhibition
2014: Anvil Centre, New Westminster, BC - PPOC-BC PHOTOGraphie festival and exhibition
Public Art Production
2024: StrideFest 2024 workshop - Alchemy Room hands-on arts workshop
2023: bLINK Visionary Arts created Burnaby Art Calling (Free Little Art Gallery)
2023: Founded bLINK Visionary Arts with co-founder Yunuen Perez Vertti
2023: Braid Studios, New Westminster, BC - Now Boarding installation @ Stuntwood Skateboard Art Exhibition2023: artCUBE - Adventures in Feedback
2023: Burnaby Festival of Learning - artCUBE: Adventures in Feedback
2023: Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces performing arts residency, New Westminster, BC - artCUBE: Adventures in Feedback
2022: artCUBE - Art After Dark popup video projection collaboration w. Yunuen Perez Vertti during STRIDE Burnaby Arts Festival, Burnaby, BC
2022: No Answer QR code installation in STRIDE Burnaby Arts Festival Poetry Zone, Burnaby, BC
2021: NB24 (North Burnaby 24) film - Co-directed collaborative documentary project
2021: Re-Framing the Window to the Soul, for STRIDE Burnaby Arts Festival collaboration w. Yunuen Perez Vertti, Burnaby, BC
2020: Assistant Director, Living Room Art The Heights - Virtual Edition, online community arts event collaboration w. Yunuen Perez Vertti, Burnaby, BC
2014 - 2018: Assistant Director, Living Room Art in the Heights community arts event collaboration w. Yunuen Perez Vertti, Burnaby, BC
Volunteer Roles
2020-2024: Event Co-Chair, STRIDEFEST Burnaby Arts Festival, Burnaby, BC
2020: Photography Workshop Leader, online Back2Basics Photo Group, Burnaby, BC
2019-2020: Visual Arts Committee Co-Chair, Art Crawl Burnaby Heights, Burnaby, BC
2019: Co-Director, UnderExposed photo-based group exhibition, 100 Braid Street Studios, New Westminster, BC
2018: Exhibition Director, the Best of BC - PPOC Travelling Print Exhibition during Capture Photography Festival, Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC
2015: Print Exhibition Coordinator, Burnaby Photographic Society Showcase event, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby, BC
2013 - 2015: Projected Images Co-Chair, Burnaby Photographic Society, Burnaby, BC
Presentations
2024: Burnaby Photographic Society presentation to members - Speaking Abstractly
2022: PechaKucha Burnaby (‘the Art of Curiosity’), Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby, BC
2019: UBC Robson Square, Vancouver, BC - Event kick-off speaker (‘Don’t think outside the box. Make a new box!’), PPOC-BC PHOTOGraphie festival and exhibition
2019: Deer Lake Gallery, Burnaby, BC - Feature Artist Talk, Transition exhibition
2019: 100 Braid Street Studios, New Westminster, BC - Salon Panelist during UnderExposed exhibition, a Capture Photography Festival event
Awards and Accolades
2019: Earned PPOC Craftsman of Photographic Arts (CPA) designation
2019: PPOC-BC Image Salon - 4 of 4 images accepted (three Awards of Merit)
2019: PPOC-BC Image Salon - Best in Class Award - Architecture
2019: PPOC-BC Image Salon - Finalist for Photographer of the Year award
2018: PPOC-BC Image Salon - 4 of 4 images accepted (one Award of Merit, two Awards of Excellence)
2018: PPOC National Image Salon - 3 of 4 images accepted (two Awards of Merit with one Merit image added to PPOC National Loan Collection)
2016: PPOC-BC Image Salon - 3 of 4 images accepted (three Awards of Excellence)
2015: PPOC National Image Salon - 2 of 4 images accepted (one Award of Merit)
2015: CAPA Crescent Beach Black & White Print Challenge - Bronze medal
2014: PPOC National Image Salon - 3 of 4 images accepted (one received an Award of Merit and was added to the PPOC National Loan Collection)
Clubs, Groups and Associations
Accredited member of Professional Photographers of Canada (2013-2023)
Member Burnaby Photographic Society, joined 2013
Member North Burnaby Neighbourhood House steering committee (community-building through the arts) (2019)
General Member Burnaby Arts Council, joined 2016
Member North Burnaby Photo Connection, 2016-2017