Standard Library showcases local art talent

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

The Standard Municipal Library has recently decided to take on a more active role in showcasing local art and talent.
The library started off this new venture by displaying canvas prints produced by local photographer Adelle Ellis from Adelle Ellis Photography over the last few weeks.
Adreena Harder, librarian at the Standard Municipal Library, said the library’s board chair suggested Adelle have her showing at the library, “which I thought was fabulous.”
Harder added that the library has space for local artists to use, including a display case in the middle of the room.
Ellis was born and raised on a farm just north of Standard and has been involved with photography over the last 10 years. She took the two-year SAIT journalism program from 2012 to 2014 and majored in photojournalism.
“I think living in the area has kind of helped me develop my style,” said Ellis.
The photographer said she likes doing western shots and anything country or outdoors. However, Ellis also does a wide variety of other photography.
“My absolute favourite thing to take pictures of is people, so that’s where definitely my niche is,” she said. “I’m able to help them create something that they can keep for years and years.”
Ellis said this is the first time she’s really tried showcasing her photographs. She was getting a lot of Facebook messages about her prints so she decided to “blow up the prints and see how people react to them.”
Ellis started seriously taking pictures when she was 16. At that time, she talked with the principal of her high school about setting up a photography program for the school and this idea eventually became a reality.
Since finishing the photojournalism program at SAIT, Ellis has been working on photography projects for a few different companies and has also been freelancing. However, with a slow oil patch, photography work for the steel construction company she worked at dried up so she has since decided to go in another direction.
“I decided to try and [photograph] more people and see if I could sell some prints,” she said.
Ellis moved her prints out of the library on Oct. 14 and showcased them at the Standard Municipal Library’s 28th annual ham and oyster supper fundraiser and silent auction, held that same evening. She donated one of her prints, featuring a crocus, at the silent auction, with proceeds raised to go towards the Standard Municipal Library.
Harder said the library wants to continue to try to bring in several different artists of all different types.
“They want to get the word out that we have a lot of talent in our community,” Ellis said. “It’s good to bring people into the library to come and see what they have and maybe get people into visiting more, and it’s good for the artists too.”
Harder noted the library is able to showcase a wide variety of different local artists.