Image: Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George
Two Rivers Gallery in Prince George will open ‘The Self Portrait: Reflections of an Artist’ on August 7, 2026, bringing together work by 14 artists in an exhibition centered on self-portraiture as both image-making and self-examination. The show runs through September 20 in the gallery’s Galleria and is presented in collaboration with the Central Interior Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA).
The exhibition’s framing text places self-portraiture in a long art-historical line, from Rembrandt to Picasso, but focuses on what makes the genre distinctive now: the way artists use their own likeness to narrate identity, memory, emotional state, ideology, and desire. Two Rivers describes self-portraiture as autobiographical by nature, noting that it gives artists unusual control over perspective, materials, brushstrokes, and colour palettes. The gallery says the exhibition is intended as an invitation to get to know each artist on a deeper, personal level.
The participating artists are Laura Chandler, Melanie Desjardines, Wendy Framst, Andrea S. Fredeen, Pat Gauthier, Lesley Kuhn, Megan Long, Jan McEachen, Jeanette Orydzuk, Fred Paulson, Keith Prestone, Micheline Snively, Karma Vance, Maureen Wheeler, and Lesley White. Among the featured works listed on the exhibition page are Andrea S. Fredeen’s ‘When I Knew Everything’ (2026), Jeanette Orydzuk’s ‘L’il Rockin’ Roller’ (2026), Keith Prestone’s ‘Contemplation of the Divine’ (2026), Karma Vance’s ‘Cherry On Top’ (2025), and Lesley White’s ‘After Warhol’ (2025).
The FCA’s Central Interior Chapter says it was formed in 2018 and now includes 28 members from Prince George and surrounding communities including Mackenzie, Quesnel, Williams Lake, Lac La Hache, Fraser Lake, Fort St. James, and Terrace. Its page explains that work is juried by the parent body in Vancouver before it can be shown under the FCA title, and that the chapter aims to stage a show each year and move it around to the towns where members live. The group also notes that some supporting members are included in non-juried exhibitions called ‘Joined By the Brush’.
Two Rivers Gallery identifies itself as a centre for contemporary Canadian art and creativity in Prince George and the Central Interior, on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. The gallery’s exhibition page lists ‘The Self Portrait: Reflections of an Artist’ in the Galleria, while an accompanying newsletter says the opening reception will take place Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 pm. That reception will begin with a short introduction by an executive member of the FCA’s Central Interior Chapter, followed by light refreshments. The newsletter describes the event as free and open to all ages.
The exhibition arrives alongside other gallery programming scheduled later in the season, including a September 19 to October 24 run of SmArt (Saturday Morning Art) for children, but ‘The Self Portrait: Reflections of an Artist’ is the gallery’s next named exhibition on the calendar. At the centre of the show is a question posed on the gallery page itself: what makes self-portraits so special?
