Saturday, September 28, 2019

Kim Danio; Re-Purposer Extraordinaire!,"Kimz*Met" exhibition continues to October 1

For as long as she can remember, Kim Danio has been a maker and a collector.

Her pieces are all made from second-hand footwear and other recycled materials. The process of using materials that have lived out their useful life sparks her creativity. She finds inspiration for her pieces in everyday objects, animals, people, and surroundings; her interests and memories are reflected in the work she creates.

As part of the gallery's "Kimz*Met" exhibition, Kim has provided us with the before and after photos of some of her most recent creations;

You can view the exhibition in its entirety online, HERE

Kim Danio, Kitchenmaid Mixer, re-purposed shoe, mixed media, 9 x 9.5 x 4 inches

“As a lover of thrift shop, antique stores, and vintage shops I come across so many pieces that speak to me. Because of my fascination with vintage electronics and my love of collecting vintage kitchen dishes and appliances this new series was close to my heart. It was a pleasure to use secondhand shoes and purses to create artistic replicas of vintage pieces; while employing my collection of vintage appliances as models for the work..."

Kim Danio, Kim Danio, Osterizer Blender, re-purposed shoe, mixed media, 11.5 x 9.5 x 5 inches

"...Not only was I able to make use of my collection of worn footwear and purses, these pieces allowed me to sort through my bins and drawers of other collected items. I find it hard to throw out a bit if twisted metal, a interesting plastic container top, corks and bottle stoppers, beaters from a broken mixer, foam from an old chair. You wouldn’t believe the things I was able to make use of in each of these works.” - From the Artist Statement by Kim Danio, 2019.


Kim Danio, Kodak Instamatic, re-purposed shoe, mixed media, 7.5 x 8 x 3.5 inches


Kim is the fourth generation on her mother’s side to live between New England and Nova Scotia. She spent every summer of her childhood on the shores of the Bay of Fundy in the Annapolis valley, and in 1986 she left western Massachusetts to go to Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She has called Nova Scotia home ever since.