Connect Four

Connect Four
Darren Petersen, Todd Safronovich, Leah Petrucci, James Lavoie

Alberta Craft Discovery Gallery, Edmonton

November 9 – December 21, 2024 

Reception: Saturday, November 9, 2024 

This exhibition is all about work created through the collaboration of 3 glass blowers and 1 kiln former; 6 different synergistic pairings. Working together over physical distances and disparate techniques the artists of Connect Four have come together in the spirit of experimentation to create new and exciting works in glass. The resulting work is surprising, whimsical and unique, arising from unexpected technical encounters and fresh perspectives.

Participating artists:

Darren Petersen, Red Deer
Darren Petersen grew up in Alberta, ​“close to the land and wild things”, and feels this landscape has a very strong influence on the objects he creates. He is an avid outdoorsman, spending summers fly fishing, photographing and wading along foothills and Prairie Rivers.

Todd Safronovich, Edmonton
​“I love colour combinations, shapes and textures that stand out an demand to be noticed, whether it be in nature or in our created worlds. Artistic objects are all around us. I feel my work preserves and appreciates these everyday forms.”

Leah Petrucci, Calgary
The concept of ​‘home’ serves as a constant influence in Leah’s life and work. As a mother of five, her strong sense of community and connections to family serve as a constant source of inspiration. Leah’s work explores identity, and how it relates to childhood, memory, and home. She utilizes colour and pattern to evoke memories of toys and games and imbue a sense of play into her work.

James Lavoie, Edmonton
​“Though I have dabbled in other media, I have never worked in one as fulfilling and fascinating as glass. There is something in the weight and the qualities of light and depth that have always attracted me.”