No hibernation for local artist

Check your Coolopolis Calendar! Saturday's your last chance to check out artist Talleen Hacikyan's latest show, titled Animal Instincts, at the Alain Piroir Gallery.

Here's her bio: Born in Montreal. Played with dolls, but never owned a Barbie. In her mid-teens she lived in Geneva for two years, where she rode a motor bike, listened to Pink Floyd, and dyed all her clothes purple. Got a BA in Anthropology at McGill, had visions of becoming the next Margaret Mead. BA in Fine Arts at UQAM. Printmaker, art teacher, writer, mother of a boisterous boy, wife of an illustrious illustrator.

She also writes Talleen Hacikyan's Art Blog. Hacikyan's shows make news on the grapevine, which says something about the art in question. About 100 attended opening night earlier this month. Here's a picture of Talleen not playing accordion for Coolopolis at her December, 2006, show at the National Library which featured her painstakingly well crafted art pieces, loads of fellow gawkers, untallied quaffs of wine and memorable filo hors d'oevres.

While Saturday event is not a vernissage, you can meet the artist from 2 p.m. until close-down at 5 p.m.

The Alain Piroir Gallery is at 5333 Casgrain Street (2 blocks east of St. Lawrence, one north of Fairmount Avenue). They say if the main door is closed, your supposed to use the grey door at 5334 de Gaspé Street - right after the garage doors. How Mile-Endey.