“I would spend my days walking through dense forest often stumbling upon forbidden spaces where men went to escape and to drink”
-Ali Nickerson

Beer Tent for Girls evokes the excitement of discovery – the discovery of forbidden spaces, the discovery of autonomy, and the discovery of youthful rebellion. Nickerson’s beer tent – handwoven with thick, burlap twine and off white and pink strips of fabric – hangs precariously from the ceiling and is held down temporarily by rocks collected from local gardens. A hidden drinking camp for women and girls, this musty beer tent beckons rebellion and gives the finger to the often stringently patrolled gender roles that position “good” girls in domestic settings.

Ali is a recent graduate of the MFA program at the University of Alberta and is currently the artist in residence at the Harcourt House Gallery. To see her work, why not check out www.alinickerson.com or read an interview on Curious Arts, the University of Alberta’s arts blog.