Nestled in between the bases of the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the bustling outdoor adventure mecca of Whistler is one of the world’s most sought-after enclaves for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and nature-communing. In the heart of this vibrant community north of Vancouver, British Columbia, is Whistler Contemporary Gallery, a one-stop shop for established and emerging contemporary artists from around the world.

Although the ongoing health crisis has all but halted travel to resort areas, Whistler Contemporary is one of many outposts that have pivoted online in order to maintain communication with clients, offer insight into the artistic process, and provide a steady stream of new content for viewers.

Right now, a show filled with winter-themed works is on view online, featuring offerings by Paul Rousso, Blu Smith, Max Steven Grossman, and Desiree Patterson, among others.

Jay Kelly, Seamless (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Whistler Contemporary Gallery.

Venice, California-based artist Jay Kelly began his career as a graphic designer, but throughout his journey to learn about art history, the self-taught artist began clipping passages of texts from books, which then became the material for his layered and collaged canvases, including of wildlife. Alternating between explosively colored works and tenebrous, monochromatic studies, the works appear to be hyperrealistic from far away—but reveal themselves as intricate collages up close.

John Joseph Hanright, Blackcomb Boogie (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Whistler Contemporary Gallery.

Other standouts on view include John Joseph Hanright’s vintage-inspired works Blackcomb Boogie (2020) and What’s all the excitement about (2020). Hanright’s pop-inflected tableaux incorporate vintage ephemera from magazines like Look, Saturday Evening Post, and vintage travel and movie posters.

Gloria Estefenell, Skier and Stripes (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Whistler Contemporary Gallery.

Finally, Gloria Estefanell is a Spanish-born and based artist who transferred her lifetime hobby of photographing mountains and skiers from a perch on a chairlift into art. The works retain a bird’s-eye view, but are detailed microcosms of individual athletes created from globs of paint shaped as downhill skiers.

Whistler Contemporary’s winter-themed exhibition is on view through December 31, 2020.