09/29/2026
Trinity Western University’s Department of Art + Design is pleased to present Recess, an exhibition of new work by TWU students and alumni Rachel Kehler, Oli Nicholson, Yesom (Ben) Kim, Isaiah Baek, Zoe Towne, and Letong (Pink) Chen on display at the SAMC gallery from October 3 to November 1.
Recess presents works created during Trinity Western University's inaugural Artist-in-Residence program, which hosted two current students, two new graduates, and two alumni. These six artists occupied TWU’s Art + Design studios for ten weeks over the summer months. Working across media and exploring community and collaborative practices, the artists-in-residence embrace humour and play through the works presented in this exhibition.
The Artist-In-Residence program was created with the goal of fostering community and mentorship relationships amongst artists. Alysha Creighton, SAMC Gallery Curator and Art + Design Dept Chair, noted the lack of studio spaces in the Fraser Valley, saying, “We saw this residency as a way to use the resources we have–our studio spaces– to support emerging artists as they establish their practices. We believe we have a responsibility to continue to support alum after graduation and to nourish the art ecosystem in the region.”
The title Recess invokes ideas of play and rest, as, for many of the artists in the exhibition, the studio became a place to relax and connect over the summer. Some works feature imagery from childhood vacations or invoke the saturated colours and imagery of early life. While works in the exhibition have light-hearted and playful overtones, they also touch on serious themes, such as AI and what makes us human, fears, relationships to home, and memory. For example, the collaborative project Organic Intelligence by the Third Space collective invites viewers to “insert a prompt to generate a picture.” Collective artists then swiftly generate a drawing in response to the prompt, inviting us to consider the difference between human and AI responses to image generation.
Engaging with diverse media from pastel drawing, painting and sculpture to performance and video, the artists of Recess invite viewers to laugh, reflect meaningfully on their lives, and even consider their perception and understanding of reality.
Recess runs from October 3 to November 1 at the SAMC Gallery on Trinity Western University’s Langley Campus. Exhibition and events are free and open to the public.
Opening Reception + Artist Talk: October 8, 7-8:30pm
SAMC Gallery Location: Alloway Library, Trinity Western University, 22500 University Drive, Langley
Exhibition Opening hours:
Monday-Thursday 7:45am-11:00pm
Friday 7:45am-6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday 1:30pm-5:00pm
ABOUT THE SAMC GALLERY
The SAMC gallery was founded in 2017 and is the main exhibition space for the Department of Art + Design at Trinity Western University’s School of Arts, Media and Culture. It hosts exhibitions of 2-3 professional artists and designers per year as well as two student exhibitions. The gallery is an important pedagogical space for the department of Art + Design, exposing students to diverse professional art practices while also serving the wider campus community and the Langley public. The gallery is located in the Norma Marion Alloway Library building, directly adjacent to the Learning Commons, positioning it as an important learning space for the entire campus community.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Alysha Creighton, SAMC Gallery Coordinator
[email protected]
604.440.5236
Exhibitions Website: https://www.twu.ca/life-twu/arts-media-music/samc-gallery-exhibitions
Social Media: .at.twu
