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Lowery, w h o g r e w u p in M o n t r e a l , w a s f a s c i n a t e d by art at a n early a g e . W h e n s h e w a s t w e l v e , her f a t h e r t o o k her t o N e w York. They visited t h e f a m o u s G u g g e n h e i m Gallery w h e r e she saw her first J a c k s o n Pollock. She said t o herself, " W e l l I'm just going to g o h o m e a n d d o that. A n y b o d y can d o that." Fortunately, her h i g h s c h o o l art t e a c h e r e n c o u r a g e d her artistic pursuits a n d she w e n t o n t o study at t h e Ecole d e Beaux A r t s in M o n t r e a l . Lowery m o v e d w e s t in t h e early 1 9 7 0 s a n d f o r a w h i l e left her art b e h i n d . But w i t h i n a f e w years, she f o u n d herself a p p l y i n g her artistic flair t o interior d e c o r a t i n g . W i t h her k e e n sense o f c o l o u r a n d d e s i g n , s h e h e l p e d o t h e r s m a k e t h e m o s t o f their living spaces. A l w a y s an innovator, w h e n asked t o decorate the lobby of the Arts C l u b Theatre for its 25th anniversary, she created 1 0 0 0 tiny h o l o g r a m s that h u n g f r o m t h e ceiling like stars. But Lowery f o u n d herself i t c h i n g t o g e t back into s o m e studies in art. In t h e early 1 9 9 0 s , she a n d a f r i e n d d e c i d e d t o enrol in the F o u n d a t i o n c o u r s e at L a n g a r a C o l l e g e . L o w e r y t o o k t h e printmaking o p t i o n w h i l e her f r i e n d h e a d e d o f f t o t h e ceramics classes. A f t e r t w o years at L a n g a r a , s h e w e n t t o E m i l y C a r r where she c o n t i n u e d t o study p r i n t m a k i n g as w e l l as p a i n t i n g , design, d r a w i n g a n d art history. S t i m u l a t e d by h e r s t u d i e s , L o w e r y t h r e w h e r s e l f i n t o h e r artwork. She w a s i n f l u e n c e d by t h e w o r k o f t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y American artist J i m Dine a n d French post-impressionist Edouard V u i l l a r d , a m o n g o t h e r s . Like V u i l l a r d , s h e c o n s i d e r e d herself an ' i n t i m i s t ' . A l t h o u g h she c o n t i n u e d t o paint, L o w e r y f o u n d that she especially e n j o y e d t h e process of p h o t o transfer a n d b e g a n u s i n g e v e r y d a y s u b j e c t s like v e g e t a b l e s f o r h e r w o r k . "I like w h a t h a p p e n s w h e n t h e c o l o u r o f t h e p a p e r gets transferred o n t o s o m e t h i n g else. It's like a g h o s t , a m e m o r y o f what w a s once there." T h r o u g h o u t t h e 1 9 9 0 s , L o w e r y s t r e t c h e d h e r artistic abilities, trying o u t d i f f e r e n t m e d i a , e x p l o r i n g n e w p o s s i b i l i t i e s , a n d f i n d i n g o u t w h a t w o u l d h a p p e n if s h e t r i e d this o r t h a t . " W h e n I d o a piece of art, it's f o r m e , n o t f o r a n y b o d y else. A t the same t i m e , I w a n t t h e viewer t o b e c o m e e n g a g e d . " Lowery's art is e n g a g i n g . Her creative m i n d a n d spirit are fertile g r o u n d . "I'm an ideas p e r s o n . I think outside the b o x t h e n w o r k m y w a y back t o t h e b o x . " Soon Lowery w o u l d expand her talents b e y o n d her personal art a n d f i n d a n e w a v e n u e f o r her creativity a n d innovative t h i n k i n g . In 1 9 9 9 , Lowery j o i n e d t h e N o r t h Shore A r t s C o m m i s s i o n , n o w the A r t s a n d C u l t u r e C o m m i s s i o n o f N o r t h V a n c o u v e r . Here she b e g a n h e l p i n g o t h e r artists realize t h e i r p o t e n t i a l . S h e p a r t i c i p a t e d in v a r i o u s c o m m i t t e e s a n d sat o n art juries. "It was t h e best j o b I ever h a d in m y w h o l e life. It w a s c u l t u r a l , collaborative a n d interesting. I w o r k e d w i t h great p e o p l e . " From the Arts C o m m i s s i o n , Lowery s o o n slid over t o t h e FANS Society. She has just b e e n elected f o r her f o u r t h t e r m as chair of that vibrant o r g a n i z a t i o n . A s a c o m m i s s i o n e r a n d t h r o u g h her w o r k w i t h F A N S she has d i s c o v e r e d h o w effective she c a n b e . " I ' m a p r o d u c t o f t h e Sixties," s h e says. "It's i m p o r t a n t f o r m e t o be able t o m a k e a positive c h a n g e in t h e w o r l d . " L o w e r y b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e N o r t h S h o r e arts c o m m u n i t y is a s h i n i n g e x a m p l e o f w h a t c a n be d o n e in t h e w o r l d of arts a n d culture. She a c k n o w l e d g e s the help of both the City a n d District of N o r t h Vancouver. The C i t y S c a p e C o m m u n i t y A r t S p a c e is o n l y o n e e x a m p l e o f that s u p p o r t . The u p c o m i n g Underwear s h o w has b e c o m e a delightful a d v e n t u r e f o r L o w e r y . Little d i d s h e k n o w w h e r e t h e f o r c e s w o u l d t a k e h e r t h e d a y s h e c a s u a l l y s h o w e d L i n d a Feil h e r f a n c y b r a . "I never d r e a m t it w o u l d t u r n into a n art s h o w . A n o r d i n a r y t h i n g like u n d e r w e a r . But I believe in serendipity a n d try t o g o w i t h t h e f l o w . " Underwear is o n v i e w at C i t y S c a p e C o m m u n i t y A r t s S p a c e @ 3 3 5 L o n s d a l e ( b e t w e e n 3rd a n d 4th) f r o m F e b r u a r y 3rd - M a r c h 6 t h , o p e n i n g reception Feb 3 @ 7 p m f e a t u r i n g an u n d e r w e a r f a s h i o n s h o w . C i t y S c a p e is a c c e p t i n g s u b m i s s i o n s f o r t h e s h o w u p until 4:00 o'clock o n J a n u a r y 8 t h . Underwear