A familiar face of many talents is embarking on her next adventure, celebrating the opening of her art gallery/studio this Friday, July 5 in the heart of Historic Downtown.
Sarah Clark will open the doors to Art Beat this weekend – filling the former Home Quarter space on Main Street with a now trifecta of complimentary businesses: her art studio, next to natural skincare/soap/cosmetics store Pure Anada and Amaryllis Crystal Garden, a sound healing/holistic wellness/crystal and gem outlet run by her mother, healer Martha Birkett.
"Art has been with me my whole life," laughed Clark, who spent her formative years as a world traveller, immersing herself in other cultures and learning of alternative artistic and lifestyle modalities – which all fused to shape her artistry in the years to come.
Now the multi-media artist, whose work conveys strong spiritual elements and a deep connection and respect for nature, will showcase her photography/illustrations/painted works in a 460 square-foot space at 216 First Street West where she will test the waters with her own pieces at first and then look to develop the space as demand sees fit.
"I walked in there and it felt right. It's starting off with my work entirely ... it might become a compilation of other stuff," said Clark, who is keen on collaborating with other artists and to offering classes for both adults and kids – workshops that will be about fostering "intuitive, unique and authentic" artists to help them learn how they see the world and how to channel it onto canvas.
It was while backpacking in Australia in the early 2000s that Clark journeyed into her art career – becoming the head scenic working on the set of hit reality show Survivor from season 2 to season 11.
Returning back to her hometown of Cochrane in the mid 2000s to rest her gypsy soul, Clark started a family and continued to work in the television/film industry in Calgary as an artist before opening up Alchemy Yoga (formerly Amaryllis) in 2009 – a space donned with her own artwork, which became home to annual art shows and displays by local artists.
Clark spent nine years building the healing health space before selling to fellow instructor Jody Dicastri and her husband Kyle Schreutelkamp in 2018, who continue to build and grow the business.
"It was like a nine-year cycle ... I did it and it was time to do something else," she explained of her decision to sell Alchemy, where she continues to teach classes three days each week. "I just wanted to do art and I didn't have time for it ...the scale had tipped to (the yoga studio) being the only thing."
The grand opening for Art Beat this Friday will run until 6 p.m., followed by a private celebration with friends and guest.
Art Beat will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Learn more at artbeatab.ca.
