Art of the Peace | Issue #5

www.artofthepeace.ca
A Publication for the Visual Arts
Fall / Winter 2005
Issue 5
of the Peace
EDNA MCPHAIL:
Inspiring Spirit
3rd ANNUAL ARTS SYMPOSIUM
ARTISTS as teachers
art of the peace 1
Congratulations to Art of the Peace for your
wonderful initiative in the publishing of these
excellent magazines.
You are invited
to visit
Room6
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Showroom
Stop in or call Al for his wine expertise
(780) 532-5945
Located in The Beer Box
art of the peace 2
10012 - 101 Street Grande Prairie
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~ weddings
~ conventions
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contents
art out there...
4
PRAIRIE NORTH review
8
the artbox
9
the BUSINESS of art
10
SYMPOSIUM speakers
12
EDNA MCPHAIL: inspiring spirit
14
ARTISTS as teachers
18
artists directory
where it’s all at
education & opportunities
Enduring Moment
26
Editor: Jody Farrell
Editorial Commitee: Karen Longmate, Dale Syrota, Carrie Klukas
Design, Layout & Advertising: Image Design
Contributors: Jody Farrell, Sarah Alford, Brenda Mansfield
Publisher: Art of the Peace Visual Arts Assoc.,
c/o The Prairie Art Gallery,
10209 99 St., Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 2H3;
Ph: (780) 532-8111; art@artofthepeace.ca
Printing: Menzies Printers
Cover: Edna McPhail at home with her painting Persistent Poppies
Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association acknowledges the financial assistance of:
City of Grande Prairie Arts Development Fund
Peace Country Canada
19
22
24
26
©All rights reserved Art of the Peace
2005
Reproduction in whole or in part is
strictly prohibited.
Art of the Peace makes every effort to
ensure the accuracy of the information
it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising
from errors or omissions.
A Toast to Art Teachers
D
evoting an issue to art
education seemed a
logical plan for a magazine
that wants to raise the profile of the arts. There were
many arts teachers to write
about, and a wide range of
programs and
services through which to
explore and advance our
own arts knowledge. We realized soon enough that this
will not be our last foray into
helping people lead fuller
lives through learning art.
For our teacher profiles, we
sought those who had not
only taught but practised
art, and who had influenced
students in different areas of
the Peace. We found these
people to be enormously
humble: Each suggested
we choose someone else,
who, in their mind had had
a wider influence, and was,
if not a better artist, a more
worthy teacher specimen.
Yet, there are still elementary, junior and high schools
where arts instruction is not
available, despite a concerted effort on behalf of
parents, and the availability
of outside programs offered
through non-profit arts organizations.
With ever-growing evidence
of the need for developing
the part of the brain that
houses creative thinking,
arts programs continue to
struggle for recognition in
many of our schools. Hiring
teachers who actually have
fine arts backgrounds to
teach art is very important
in addressing the issue.
Arts educators everywhere,
this issue salutes you.
Jody Farrell, editor
art of the peace 3
art out there...
In Memoriam
he Palette Pals Art Club in
Grande Cache dedicated its
June exhibition to the memory
of Esson Gale, a beloved and
respected resident artist and
lifetime honorary member of
the group who passed away last
March. The exhibition space
in the Grande Cache Tourism
Centre will be named after
Gale, who had taught oil and
acrylic painting for many years.
In July, The Palette Pals won
first place in the area’s Canada
Day Centennial Celebration parade.
T
“Prairie Finds” Exhibition
Charity Dakin, Fairview Sky
M
anning artist Charity Dakin featured eight of her works in
Edmonton’s Agricom during its annual Klondike Days festivities. About 20 artists were part of the Prairie Finds exhibition
in July. The show, which depicted rural scenes, was curated by
Phil Alain. Also on show was the Alberta-Saskatchewan centennial mural mosaic Buffalo Twins featuring 336 paintings, many
rendered by Peace Region artists. The mural can be viewed online
at www.muralmosaic.com.
Sweetwater 9/05
R
olla, BC, artist Emilie
Mattson and her family recently hosted some 200 guests
at an arts event dubbed Sweetwater 9/05, in honour of their
acreage street name and the
date of the show. Emilie and
artist sons Dean and Karl. along
with other Dawson Creek area
artists featured works in what
became a multi-faceted celebration including music and song.
Karl’s wife Inge-Jean also included written impressions of
the couple’s recent canoe trip
from Rolla to the Arctic.
Dean Mattson, Untitled - Acrylic on canvas
On the Road with Art
he Peace Region’s art community was the focus of a recent road trip organized by the Prairie
Gallery. On the Road with Art, a tour which took place on June 11, 2005, was an exploration of
the diversity and skill of the artists working in the region. Exhibits, demonstrations and open studio
visits were included in the tour, allowing participants the opportunity to view first hand some of
the processes involved in the creation of the artists’ work. Raku firing, printmaking, photography,
metal sculpture and painting were among the disciplines showcased on the tour through Fairview,
Whitelaw, and Peace River.
T
Kristine McGuinty, So as in autumn - Acrylic on canvas
art of the peace 4
Wanted: Travelling Teachers
T
he Prairie Art Gallery is
looking for arts teachers
who are interested in visiting
Peace Region schools as part
of a pilot program. Transportation costs and distance have
many local and rural schools
requesting that arts instructors
come into their area for workshops.The programs would follow a lesson prepared by Gallery staff. If you are interested,
please contact Lynn LeCorreDallaire at The Prairie Art Gallery, 532-8111.
Multi Media Exhibition
G
rande Prairie Regional
College fine arts instruc tor Ian Forbes’ recent exhibition at Fringe Gallery in Old
Strathcona, Edmonton, combined multi media installation
with storytelling. Forbes’ initial
inspirations for the exhibition
Morbid Anatomy - one being
an image involving a drowned
girl emerging from a wheatfield
- were disturbing enough to
warrant something that helped
“remove them from reality.”
He purchased a few old photos from a Grande Prairie secondhand store and developed a
fictional scenario around a poet
he named “William T. Morris.” In an interview with Edmonton Journal writer Gilbert
Bouchard, Forbes explains:
“I’m looking ultimately at how
fiction makes truth more palat able and how important storytelling is for all of us as human
beings...” The website portion
of the work is still available at
http://homepage.mac.com/bolundin/menu1.html. Go to Morbid Anatomy.
The Prairie Art Gallery featured artists and funky chairs in its annual summer arts
celebration
McNaught Celebrated
reparations for The Prairie Art Gallery’s third annual McNaught Celebration arts festival were almost as fun as the
July weekend event itself. A plein air paint-a-chair saw a number
of practising and newly initiated artists meet at Bob and Eleanor
Andrews’ acreage west of Dimsdale in June, to artfully dress a
series of adirondack-style resin chairs. These, as well as amazing,
original chair designs were assembled on Main Street throughout the arts festival, whose logo this year was “Come Sit With
Art.” An estimated 10,000 people visited the downtown during
the combined arts program and Street Performers Festival. They
were able to dabble in a bit of painting, pottery, and collage, while
watching the likes of ceramicist Bibi Clement and other artists do
their thing.
P
Husband and wife teacher-artists John
Kerl and Laurel Rohne’s paintings Muskeg Scene (above), and Untitled (below)
will tour with a future TREX exhibition.
TREX
popular visual arts program
is organizing a northern
Peace tour of some work of the
Grande Prairie Public School
District’s teacher artists. The
Alberta Foundation for the Arts
travelling exhibition program
(TREX) sends original artwork
out to the remote parts of the
province. Its Peace Region coordinator Sue Millar, of The
Prairie Art Gallery, is working
with Grande Prairie Composite
High School art instructor and
artist Steve Burger to curate a
show of selected works from
teacher artists in the Grande
Prairie Public School District
#2357. This Teachers as Artists
exhibition debuts at The Prairie
Art Gallery in September 2006,
and will include both artworks
and documentation of artistic
techniques and classroom applications
A
Come Sit With Art chairs were painted for the McNaught Celebration on Main
Peace River artist Miriam Gair’s painting depicting the last raft race held on the Peace
River, (shown above), won a gold medal at the August seniors games in Wetaskiwin.
art of the peace 5
Carol Adrian-Clark
realistic
renderings of
nature in
coloured pencil
and oil painting
(780) 532-0846
9338 - 69A Ave
Grande Prairie, AB
T8V 6T3
Suzanne Sandboe The Peace River at
Dunvegan - Watecolour
Peace Watercolour
www.adrianclark.ca
Art@adrianclark.ca
T
Forbes & Friends
Grande Prairie
Domino the Seeker Oil on Panel 5’6” x 16”
he recent Peace Watercolour Show and Sale at Picture Perfect Gallery showcased
the work of 11 artists from
Grande Cache, Grande Prairie,
Beaverlodge, Dawson Creek,
Buffalo Lake, Spirit River and
Fairview. The PWS has annual
fall shows that rotate amongst
galleries in the peace region.
Its next show will be at the
Small Gallery in Beaverlodge
in the spring of 2006.
Scott Gallery
Edmonton
WallaceGalleries
Calgary
Jim Stokes
Call for viewing 780-539-4483
www.carmensimages.com
mall
9506 77 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB
T8V 4T3
mataylor@telusplanet.net
Everyone’s Lake
(780) 532-0355
Marj
Taylor
Gerda Duiverman with her Untitled lake
painting.
Willock & Sax
Waterton Lakes
Quality Original Art
allery
PICTURE FRAMING
Barry Hommy Out of the Blue
Box 298, Beaverlodge, AB, T0H 0C0
Ph. (780) 354-8117
erda Duiverman, whose
recent Dawson Creek Art
Gallery exhibition one of paintings entitled Land and Sea featured both Canadian and Dutch
landscapes, says that of her
paintings stood out for many
viewers as a “familiar Alberta
lake.” She had planned to name
the painting for its Dutch location, but decided it should
remain Untitled and represent
whatever personal memory it
evoked in those who saw it.
art of the peace 6
Janet Enfield Pretty Women
G
(780) 538-7585
Lower Level, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital
10409 98 St. Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2E8
Exhibition Opportunities available - Contact Karen
Original Expressions in Art
LOCAL
ALBERTAN
CANADIAN
ARTISTS
Grande Prairie's
largest selection
of pottery
9929 - 100 Ave,
Grande Prairie, AB
(780) 538-2771
Painting by local artist, Marjorie Taylor
•
•
•
•
Pottery by Alberta artist, Noboru Kubo
By Donation
Artists Run Centre
Year Round
Gift Shop
• 13 Exhibits Per Year
• Art Rental
• Education Programs
Hours
Sept. - May
10:00 - 5:00
101 - 816 Alaska Avenue Tuesday - Friday
Dawson Creek, BC
V1G 4T6
12:00 - 4:00 pm
Saturday
www.dcartgallery.ca
Tel: (250) 782-2601
art of the peace 7
PRAIRIE NORTH review
by Sarah Alford and Jody Farrell
Three takes on GPRC’s summer art residency.
Lori Czoba
ori Czoba, installation artist from Fairview, admits to being overwhelmed “by being in the midst
of such talented artists” during the first few days at the Prairie North Creative Residency. How ever, as the days unfolded, it became apparent “that there was a genuine spirit of sharing among the
artists,” and she remembers that for two weeks most of her conversations began: “What do you think
if I…?” “How did you…?”
L
In the place of formal instruction, the residency, which takes place at the Grande Prairie Regional
College in May, offers two weeks of intensive studio time with fellow artists. Czoba found herself
learning not only about different materials and processes, including casting, performance art and digital media, but the experience confirmed for her that “when you bring so many people together from
various regions and backgrounds, you take with you a new perspective in all things.”
Marilyn Gourlay
Lori Czoba with Other I - Fabric
or Grande Prairie artist Marilyn Gourlay, who has participated in and offered retreats all over the
world in many mind-expanding practices, including yoga, aromatherapy, colour therapy, and shamanism, Prairie North offered a local space to explore and sythesize all that influences her art.
F
“It was a huge gift,” she says today. “It was well-organized, fun, and intellectual.” Gourlay praises
the work of GPRC fine arts staff and community support - Murray Quinn’s end-of-residency gallery
show is an example - as part of what made Prairie North so invaluable an experience.
“My intent was to show up and play with all of these forms of creativity, and see what came of it,” she
says. “Together, we fed off of one another, reflected with and connected with each other. What I came
away with was a better sense of how the daily practice of art - take
painting - can be every bit as important to self-preservation and the
care of the soul as is yoga.”
“Together, we fed
Marilyn Gourlay, Sacred Play - Mixed
Ann Manuel, Untitled - Ink on mylar
Along with a painting she calls Sacred Play, Gourlay created a
multi media shrine that embraces the importance of the multi-sensory aspect of her work.
Ann Manuel
off of one another, reflected with
and connected
with each other.”
Marilyn Gourlay
nn Manuel travelled from Fredericton to attend Prairie North
and found that it had “the right mix of informal and personal
attention…a cross-pollination that gave the experience even more
breadth.” Manuel, who set herself up at the printing press, was delighted not only by the prodigious
amount of work she created in such a short time but by the growing number of fellow painters who
had begun to etch and ink their own prints. She joked that she had converted them “to the dark side!”
“When you are surrounded by support and encouragment, along with buckets of fun, the work does
develop more quickly and has a depth and reasonance not possible without it.”
A
art of the peace 8
the artbox
by Jody Farrell
why workshops on art?
F
or all the studies that identify its inherent ability to
develop the brain, art is still
struggling to gain a serious nod
in most schools in North America. Still, it’s general knowledge that art education accesses
and develops a part of the brain
that otherwise may go unused,
and that more and more, we are
seeing creative thinking as essential in today’s world.
According to the Ottawa Board
of Education: “Research shows
a direct correlation between
arts experiences and enhanced
student achievement, in writing, reading and mathematics.”
Let’s look at some of the evidence that points to its importance and benefits for not only
children, but adults, who can
access art education through
workshops and courses.
American psychobiologist Roger W. Sperry published research
findings in 1968 that the human
brain uses two fundamentally
different modes of thinking, one
verbal, analytic, and sequential,
and one visual, perceptual, and
simultaneous. His work earned
him a Nobel Prize. Ten years
later, Betty Edwards published
the first edition of her still popular book Drawing on the Right
Side of the Brain, in which she
instructs in how to switch from
the predominant, left-mode
thinking to the right-mode. It’s
a process which until about 10
years of age is easily accessed,
but afterwards, requires practised and guided efforts to shift
into the right-mode thinking
that “gets” the questions aroun
spaces and perception.
As Betty Edwards says in her
famous drawing manual, drawing itself automatically engages
that spacial side of the brain in
a way that will never again be
lost once it has been re-taught.
She focuses primarily on teaching adults to draw. One of her
many students was a 68-yearold woman, who, having suffered a lifetime of depression,
learned to draw and went on
to gain national recognition for
her work and story.
The desire to access the arts as
an adult may begin with a need
to find out what creativity resides in us. Too often, we hear
people saying “I haven’t got an
ounce of it in me,” when, the
fact is, we have never been exposed to the kind of exercises
that open that side of the brain.
Many adults seek out art once
they’ve sat through a class
with a child, and discovered
that they really do have a desire to learn more in this field.
The more we expose ourselves
to the multitude of arts-related
activities available through leisure centres, galleries, colleges,
and private courses, the more
likely we are to find that very
individual mark that is ours.
For some, it becomes the very
reason to get up every day.
Menzies
See the directory at the back
of this magazine for more information regarding arts exhibitions and classes. Also, visit
galleries and centres for pamphlets on private courses in
painting, drawing, pottery and
other media.
art of the peace the BUSINESS of art
by Jody Farrell
what’s your brand?
T
he Art of the Peace Society
has representatives from
the Dawson Creek, Grande
Prairie, Fairview and Peace
River areas, and not only boasts
the magazine and directory, but
a website, and an annual symposium for artists and arts enthusiasts.
Art of the Peace has received
support from and worked with
The Peace Region Economic
Development Alliance (PREDA). This provincially funded
program is responsible for the
Branding the Peace initiative,
in which different sectors of
the region’s industry define and
package their key selling features. The notion of “branding”
sometimes raises questions by
artists, whose personal goal
is to render a work authentic
through its differences. Does
“branding” or packaging under a single umbrella somehow
compromise the artist? Here’s
what PREDA’s Nicole McMullan says of promoting art under
its newly-adopted logo Peace
Country Brand: “Image is important. Artists of the Peace
don’t need to be selling their
wares internationally to worry
about branding.”
“Whether you are just embarking on art as business, or headed
to the New York Affordable Art
Fair, adopting the Peace Country Brand is to your advantage.
A brand is the impression that
consumers share about a product. It’s what we think about a
product when we hear its name.
Branding the Peace influences
the consumer to perceive quality assurance, best practices, environmental stewardship, and
art of the peace 10
made in the Peace Country.
“Your product is not what you
say it is,” McMullan continues.
“It’s what the consumer says
it is. All you can do is try to
influence their perception. By
joining the marketing advantage called Branding the Peace,
artists benefit from regional,
national and international media campaigns and regular
press coverage. Above all, adding the Branding the Peace logo
to your product will make sure
your brand image is recognizable, consistent, and repeated
often.”
Still, with artists being the nonconformists that they sometimes
are, the notion of unifying under
a brand doesn’t always sit well.
Vancouver’s Adbusters magazine, the Burning Man festival
in Nevada, and Naomi Klein’s
famous “no logo” campaign are
artist-driven ideas that look for
alternatives to the market economy to spread the goods. They
eschew branding and logos
partly because the hype around
these tends to be so insidious as
to create a compulsion to buy
without awareness of what it is
we’re buying.
marketing & promotional
materials for artists
Fairview Fine Arts Centre
Gift Shop
Unique.
Local Art.
No GST.
Open Noon to 5 pm, Tuesday to Saturday
10812 103 Avenue
780-835-2697
Some of us have come to be
able to use our name alone to
sell our art. This is still a brand
of sorts. Others, who have not
achieved, but wish for exposure, must decide if we choose
to come under a bigger umbrella.
For more information about
the Peace Country Brand, visit
http://www.communityfutures.
biz/branding.html.
www.InstantImages.ca
'Spring in the Sub-Alpine' Robert Guest
now
‘The Foothills
& Rockies’
Fall Show & Sale
by Robert Guest
October 8th to 29th, 2005
showing
‘Harmonies’
'Of Days Gone By' Louise Lissoway
Grande Prairie
guild of artists
soon
November 3rd to 26th, 2005
Opening reception at 7:00pm
‘kakwa falls’
giclee Prints
by Robert Guest
Only 30 (22 x 30”) Canvas $395
100 (16 x 22”) Paper $185
Signed limited editions
Portion of Proceeds to support
the Living Christ Youth Mission at
the Gaiety Theatre.
coming
Presented by:
9934 100 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB
(780) 539-4091
www.pictureperfectfineart.com
'Kakwa Falls' Robert Guest
Picture Perfect's
Robert Guest
Gallery
now
available
art of the peace 11
SYMPOSIUM speakers
by Ellen Corea
The Third Annual Art of the Peace Arts Symposium brings together four guest speakers representing a variety of visual arts media. With
topics ranging from painting and sculpting to
filmmaking, photography and marketing, this
two-day event, hosted by The Dawson Creek
Art Gallery, promises to address everyone’s
creative palette.
Laine Dahlen
F
or more than 28 years, Laine Dahlen has taught visual art at Northern Lights College. He sees himself
as a painter on a lifelong mission to master the skills that
allow him to interpret the world creatively. His work reflects traditions of the masters in both their symbolism
and imagery. The process through which we deliver
such creations is another main focus for him.
Sharon Moore Foster, Bone Goddess
- Clay
Dahlen’s work and teaching look at the role of the artist,
who, by definition, is a student of the arts who creates
works. He ponders questions like: Can all works, including what is discovered or rendered in the sciences
or math be considered art? Where practical
application and understanding of the arts are
taken care of by the muses, Dahlen sees the
chemist as possibly channelling a similar
muse to create elaborate crystal trees.
Laine Dahlen, Untitled - Oil
For Dahlen, people address these questions as they, in turn, explore their own creativity.
As the painter develops his skills, and the sculptor masters his medium, they, as do all of
us, ask: “Am I an artist?”
“We tend to be uncomfortable with the definition,” he says. “Perhaps the titles painter,
sculptor, dancer, poet, give boundaries and are thereby more comfortable to wear.”
Sharon Moore Foster
To what the eye can see, the artist adds feeling and thought. He can, if he wishes, relate for
us the adventures of his soul in the midst of his life.
Kilmon Nicolaides.
S
haron Moore Foster is one of those artists humbled by the term. Whether drawing or
painting the graduate of the University of Alberta’s main goal is acquiring knowledge,
connecting all her senses through the manual labour of art.
In an essay entitled Ground Zero, Moore Foster shared her thoughts around her choice of
career as visual artist.
“What is ground zero? It is the place where I begin again, much like the Boy Scout campfire songs sung in rounds. Finneghan begin again? Ground zero is the Maginot Line where
art of the peace 12
I hold loosely organized chaos at bay. Ground Zero is where I regroup and
recharge and re-illuminate my heart. In this space I draw and sculpt.
After I struggle to show up, past the barbed-wire fences and random foxholes, I engage in the most perilous battle of all, extricating my self from
my mind and repositioning her physically in this moment. It is said that
the battle of the spiritual warrior is always with the self, building and
shaping one’s character through action, trusting the process and remaining unattached to outcomes. In Ground Zero, my arena for self-conquest,
awarness, single-mindedness, discrimination and perserverance are called
upon. The weapons used for recovery and reconnection with my self are
drawing and sculpture.” Moore Foster will explore more of the visual arts
and her work at the symposium.
Don Pettit
F
or over 30 years, photographer Don Pettit has travelled the rich landscape of the Peace River Region of Northeastern BC and Northwestern Alberta exploring and documenting his unique vision of this beautiful
Canadian Frontier. His lifestyle and images express his active concern for
the natural environment.
Pettit loves photography, with its finely crafted cameras and lenses and
the way the film is kept cool until just the right moment. Experimentation is important in his work; making little discoveries, strange accidental
images that no amount of skill could ever reproduce. The techniques and
technology offer some of its richest rewards. Like other technical crafts,
Don Pettit at work
photography provides the satisfaction of creatively applying acquired
tools and knowledge, won after years of study and practice. Pettit loves
its magic and crisp reliable reality. He appreciates its usefulness, its ability to precisely record, but also to reveal strange, unseen worlds:
The infrared and polarized, stopped motion and blurred time, the almost invisible made manifest. Precise focused pulses of light making
images. Petit will tell symposium guests about the process of taking an artistic product to the next level, through publishing, marketing
and distribution of varied art wares.
Aaron Sorensen
Aaron Sorensen, writer/director of Hank Williams First Nation
aron James Sorensen is an award-winning feature film director from Dixonville
Alberta. His first feature Hank Williams First Nation was the first Canadian film
to ever open in competition at the American Film Institute’s AFIfest in Los Angeles.
There, it premiered with such films as Hotel Rwanda and Merchant of Venice. The
same film has gone on to play several US festivals and recently won
the “Best Music in a Feature Film”
at the Nashville International Film
Festival. The Village Voice in New
York City recently cited Sorensen’s
film as the Best Undistributed Film
of 2004.
A
Just out of university, he began his
working life as a small town school teacher and newspaper reporter in 1989. Sorensen’s
varied career include stints as president of the oilfield company CompuTorque Canada
Ltd. and elected municipal councillor. As a musical composer and performer, Aaron
travelled much of North America with a variety of ensembles. He also worked with
the Loose Moose Theatre Company while studying acting at the University of Calgary
under visiting director Keith Johnston.
As President of Peace Country Films, Mr. Sorensen is currently overseeing the Canadian theatrical release of Hank Williams First Nation, which opened in Toronto on five
screens this September. He is also involved as writer/director and co-producer on a
script called Meet Pamela with Paramount pictures.
art of the peace 13
by Jody Farrell
E
dna McPhail greets you at the door with
an energy that defies her 82 years. She’s
got a handshake and a look that somehow puts
you both at ease and attention. This is one firecracker of a woman.
Winters Edge - Acrylic on Canvas
“Never downsize,” she advises as she moves
swiftly through her brightly lit condo unit in
the heart of Dawson Creek. “I’ve had to get rid
of so much, and now I can’t find a thing.” She
easily removes a heavy, framed watercolour
from above her bed for better viewing, then is off to dig out little mementoes of her abundant career
of giving to the arts.
The few scrapbooks and photo albums she still has document over half a century of service to the community. She pours over them wistfully, sometimes stopping to laugh at
a memory, or share it with Jim, who sits quietly nearby reading the newspaper. Asked
what it’s been like to live all these years with an artist, her husband pauses, and, with
a smile that says more than he’ll betray, simply replies, “Interesting.”
McPhail came to Dawson Creek in 1950 as a teacher. Born in Medicine Hat in
1923 and raised in British Columbia, she wanted to experience the province’s more
northern reaches. By 1970, she and Jim had already given enough of themselves to
be awarded Dawson Creek’s Citizens of the Year, and still, nearly 35 years later,
she’s the person most will credit with continuing to shape and support the visual
arts in this South Peace city.
While McPhail left full-time teaching to raise her family shortly after her marriage
to Jim, she never stopped teaching art to children and adults, and still runs the
Wednesday seniors art program at The Dawson Creek Art Gallery. These
experiences would keep any single human busy, let alone a mother of four,
and yet, Edna has done much more than teach. She’s been part of the
development of many civic projects, including a library, and in 1985
was awarded a lifetime membership to the local curling club for her
work at local and district levels. Other awards have recognized
her out-
art of the peace 14
standing contribution to cultural heritage. Still, it’s the visual arts she feels
most passionate about.
One of her proudest achievements came while serving a second term as president of the South Peace Art Society in 1982. The Society ran a public art gallery in a space it shared with the area museum. Cramped quarters and a desire
for something grander spawned an idea to save one of the remaining Alberta
Wheat Pool grain elevators.
“I was standing there (near the grain elevators), thinking about what we could
do, and it just came to me,” she says today. It all happened fairly quickly, as
the committee wishing to save and move the elevator and its annex from its
original location to its current site five blocks east, learned that the sale was
conditional upon their moving the buildings in 40 days. The elevator was renovated and opened as The Dawson Creek Art Gallery, and now, 20 years later,
attracts as many history buffs as arts enthusiasts throughout the year.
“It was really interesting to watch,” McPhail says of the hours-long relocation
of the elevator. “Here it was, this big building slowly moving down the street,
and hardly a person batting an eye. The pigeons came right along with it, never
moving off.”
McPhail was instrumental in rescuing, relocating, and refurbishing an
Alberta Wheat Pool grain elevator that became the Dawson Creek Art
Gallery and annex.
We laugh about how blasé we tend to be about the oddest sights:
Entire living accommodations are rolling down the Alaska
Highway bound for some unknown destination we presume has
to do with the oilpatch. “Who really knows what they’re doing
out there?” Edna titters mischievously. That’s the true artist’s
imagination at work; the one that inspires awe and a sense of the
wildest possibilities.
McPhail’s own art - several watercolours and acrylics hang
alongside those of such well-known friends and relatives as
Robert Guest and Allison Forbes - is primarily landscape and
still life. Her mixed media and collage works are housed somewhere else. McPhail’s compositions are playful, and her style
loose and happy. The titles reflect not only a keen eye for everyday miracles, but a sly sense of humour: She has named a
watercolour of ravens feasting beneath a restaurant garbage bin
Breakfast at Smitty’s.
It’s the desire to share this sense of wonder that keeps McPhail
teaching. “I try to teach them to look at things their own way.
Nothing should be a forgone conclusion.” Then, looking up
from her fat, weighty scrapbook, with not a whiff of pretense,
McPhail adds, “I have also always thought you should leave
something to show you were here.”
Watercolours from a series McPhail painted following a visit to the Galapagos
Islands.
art of the peace 15
Designs
Beadnik
Fun, Funky, Fresh Jewellery
Carol Thompson
At the GP Farmers’ Market
Friday 4pm - 8pm,
Saturday 10am - 2pm
780-513-6774
scthomp@telus.net
Handcrafted Using:
• Sterling Silver
• Freshwater Pearls
• Glass & Crystal Beads
• Gemstones
Custom Framing & Gallery
Original Work
Prints
Photographs
Cards
9903 100th Ave
Peace River, AB
P: (780) 624-1984
art of the peace 16
www.clearbags.ca
HOME N’ HANGIN’
tr gallery
Custom Picture Framing
Authentic Arts and Crafts
Made in Peace Region, BC
Canada
• Artwork
• Photographs
• Needle Work
• Conservation
Framing
• Sketches
• Shadowboxes
Lloyd Bast acrylics, watercolours
Darcy L. Jackson fine art portraits
Mila Landsdowne silk art
Robert Church fine wood art
Photos by Fraser Hounsell
Sharpshooter Photos
Donna Seller
Ph: (780) 835-3308
Fax: (780) 835-9279
Call For Appointment
11840 102 Ave. Fairview, AB
Quilts by Karin
Jeanne Smith pressed flower pictures
Vicki Bye polished rock art
Nick's Custom Leather
Handcrafted Body Care Products
Local authors' works
tr gallery
212 Main Street
Tumbler Ridge BC V0C 2W0
Phone: 250 – 242 - 0035
e-mail: moslog@pris.ca
PICTURE FRAMING
October 21 • November 27
• Eric Cameron • Peter Deacon • Edward Bader
December 2 • January 8
• Art of the Peace • David Casey • Lori Czoba
January 14 • February 19
• Laura Vickerson • Frank Grisdale • Lorraine Beggs
February 24 • April 2
• George Sawchuk • Reinhard Skoraski • Alberta Society of Artists
April 7 • May 14
• Limitless Potential • GPRC • All Schools/All Art
www.
P: (780) 532-8111
F: (780) 539-9522
10209 99th Street
Grande Prairie, AB
T8V 2H3
prairiegallery.com
2005/2006
Exhibitions
The Prairie Art Gallery
art of the peace 17
ARTISTS as teachers
by Jody Farrell and Sarah Alford
Students learn to see things differently thanks to art educators.
Greg Gourlay
G
rande Prairie artist Greg Gourlay has spent the last six years of a varied education career teaching art at Beaverlodge Regional High School. While he’s humble about his own contributions,
others say the path he cuts in exposing students to all facets of the arts is wide open.
He’s been known to delve into anything he feels might create excitement around self-expression.
Once, he brought in an aromatherapist to help students explore the link between scent and creation.
As an artist, he’s focusing these days on metal sculpture and design in his recently-acquired studio,
a log homestead he moved from Huallen to his backyard.
First
Gourlay spent years touring remote Northern Alberta, including Fox Lake, Jean D’or Prairie, and
Wood Buffalo Park, as the arts coordinator for the Northland District Board, helping new teachers
design and carry out programs that these
days, hardly exist.
He looks back fondly on the “heyday” of
art education, when provincial funding in
the eighties allowed for some innovative
programs. Gourlay and (Grande Prairie Regional College fine arts instructor)
Ken Housego once loaded up a twin engine Islander with bandsaw, wood, tools
and paint for a community workshop in Chipewyan Lake.
Greg Gourlay with his Pile of Steel sculpture.
“If a math teacher looks for the
same 25 answers to a problem,
the arts teacher looks for 25 different ones.”
Gordon Perret
One real coup for him involved bringing the late Ojibway artist Arthur Shilling
to the Peace. A biography published following the
Nations painter’s death
noted the trip to Northern Alberta as having been particularly important to him.
“My idea is to give kids the opportunity to make something with their hands,” Gourlay
says of his role as teacher. “It’s sad when they don’t want to take it home because “Dad
will laugh.” I guess just the process has been good though.” Teaching students to use
their imagination, to think on a different level is important for him as well. “It really is
one of the higher things in life,” Gourlay says of visual arts.
Gordon Perret
G
ordon Perret is famous in these parts for his clay sculptures depicting rural life, in
all its glorious layers. His farmers and grain elevators, pickled gophers and country store clerk have made for incredibly vibrant and popular exhibits.
Gordon Perret, right, and Store Clerk from his Prairie Preserves exhibition.
What many don’t know is Perret has taught art at Montrose Junior High School, in
Grande Prairie, for 27 years. His students’ works are always a high point in the year
end “All Schools, All Art” exhibitions at The Prairie Art Gallery. The mixed-media
sculptures, featuring fake fur animals or papier mache oversized cereal bowls or
backpacks, hint at the humour that has to come through in his example.
“I give them the concept of being original. I want to see something that is about the person.” Perret tries to encourage efforts at being
genuine, and discourages what is less so. “If the math teacher looks for the same 25 answers to a problem, the arts teacher looks for 25
different ones,” he explains.
art of the peace 18
“It’s harder to get kids to take craftsmanship seriously,” Perret says
of today’s culture. The immediacy of computer clip-art, while effective for research, sometimes replaces the desire to make one’s
own mark, he comments. Still, the new technology makes for new
tools, and his teaching now includes courses in video and digital
art.
“It’s an important part of training your mind,” Perret says of teaching visual arts. “It leads to creating and understanding what is good
art.”
Fay Yakemchuk
F
ay Yakemchuk’s courses, offered in Peace River through the
Grande Prairie Regional College, have attracted a loyal following. She attributes the success of the program to her passionate
students. Her students attribute their success to their creative, challenging instructor. Yakemchuk says that becoming a teacher was
a natural step for her as she was completing her Master’s degree at
the University of Lethbridge.
“Why Peace River? People always ask me that!” She laughs, “I
wanted to go home to teach, I wanted to give people an opportunity I didn’t have, and honestly, I can’t leave the program, it would
have to shut down. It’s the students, they stretch like rubber bands,
they have heart, desire, they ask questions, and they challenge me.
It’s everything you want as a teacher. Why leave?”
Yakemchuk urges her students to see the details, not only in their
work, but also in their lives. In doing so, both their art and their
From Fay Yakemchuk’s installation Gestation of Thought.
lives change. “It’s not how you draw, it’s how you see things,
when you can really see things, you can’t help but draw well.”
She asks her students to see what gets missed in our busy lives.
Yakemchuk’s influence extends beyond the classroom. She recalls
that her husband found one of their cat’s whiskers on the floor and
saved it for her.
artists
directory
ART CLUBS
ARTISTS NORTH
Box 399
Sexsmith, AB T0H 3C0
780-568-3334 Barb
Exhibit original artworks. Each
artist has their own style.
GRANDE PRAIRIE GUILD OF
ARTISTS
c/o 9329 - 47 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB T8W 2G6
780-538-0616 Louise
mlissowa@telus.net
Meet weekly to paint at The Prairie Art Gallery, Sept - May, 7 - 10
pm, Tuesdays. Annual membership
fee. Opportunities for instruction
and exhibition.
PEACE COUNTRY SPINNERS
& WEAVERS
780-532-1472 Shannon
carlshom@telusplanet.net
Representing guilds from the British Columbia and Alberta Peace
River region.
PEACE WATERCOLOUR
SOCIETY
c/o Box 825
Spirit River, AB T0H 3G0
780-864-3608 Judy;
780-568-4124 Suzanne
Peace Country artists focusing
on transparent watercolours.
Semi-annual shows throughout the
Peace Country.
PRAIRIE FIGURE DRAWING
GROUP
c/o 10209 - 99 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2H3
780-532-8446 Karen
780-532-2573 Jim
Non-instructional, informal group
meets weekly at The Prairie Art
Gallery, Sept.-May, Thursdays 710pm. Drop-in or monthly fee.
ARTISTS
ADRIAN-CLARK, Carol
9338 - 69 A Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6T3
780-532-0846
www.adrianclark.ca
art@adrianclark.ca
Realistic renderings of florals,
landscapes and still life, in coloured pencil and oil painting.
ASHTON, Ed
#37, 8910 - 122 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB T8X 1P8
780-532-6803
eashton@telusplanet.net
www.edashton.com
Original artwork in watercolour;
Alberta grain elevators, rustic
scenes, barns.
BIBI POTTERY (Bibi Clement)
P.O. Box 144
Hythe, AB TOH 2CO
780-356-2424
bibipot@telusplanet.net
www.bibipottery.com
Studio Potter/Sculptor specializing
in wood fire and raku techniques.
Director of BICWA Society, International Residency Program
The thing about art, says Yakemchuk, “is that there is no right or
wrong answer. No one is the same. I tell my students that this
is a free for all; it’s the one time you get to take off your hat and
be yourself. And then,” she exclaims, “They never see things the
same way again! They can never go back. My gosh! I could never
go back. You mean I get to make art, use my brain, and my heart?
This is what it’s all about!”
art of the peace 19
BROWN, Judy
Box 825
Spirit River, AB T0H 3G0
780-864-3608
judybrown@robbtech.com
My paintings reflect the peacefulness and serenity of our landscape.
BROWN, Dennis A. J.
408 McNiven Road
Ladysmith, BC V9G 1W7
250-245-9918
djabrown@shaw.ca
www.northstarartstudio.com
Colourful landscapes and seascapes in acrylics and watercolours.
CLOAKE, Sue
9927 - 86 Park Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0C9
780-539-7405
Mixed media collage - a combination of mediums creates an intricate abstract textural surface.
COWAN, Corinne
RR3, Site 2, Box 6
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 5N3
780-532-6643
den_cor@telusplanet.net
Because watercolour lends itself
to a wide range of values and
freedom of movement on paper, it
is my choice of medium.
CRAIPLEY, Sheila
Box 569
Sexsmith, AB T0H 3C0
780-568-3754
Landscape, acrylic and oils in local landscapes and historic sites.
inez@pris.ca
Teacher/Artist specializing in creative watercolour and handbuilt
clayworks.
DICKSON, Yvonne
10015 - 89 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2Y9
780-532-1629
Watercolours with a Peace Country theme.
DITCH, Valerie
Box 882
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3Y1
780-538-9238
serendipiditygirl9@yahoo.ca
Primarily working in watercolour
with attention to light and detail.
Originals and giclée prints and
cards available.
DIXON, Suzanne
Box 124
Pouce Coupe, BC V0C 2C0
850-786-5582
Folk art paintings, pictures, cards.
DRONYK, Dymphny
11306 - 102B St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2Y2
780-402-3280
dymphny@telus.net
www.dynamicdatagp.com
Photography, writing, grants, proposals, screenwritting and video
production.
DUPERRON, Frances
9909 - 92 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0H7
780-532-2753
Acrylic/oil paintings, landscapes,
still lifes.
CRICHTON, Holly
General Delivery
Grovedale, AB T0H 1X0
780-538-9264
holly_crichton@hotmail.com
www.nightofartists.com
Watercolours, graphite. Varied
subject matter. Commissions
welcome.
FARRELL, Jody
8508 - 100 A St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3C3
780-538-1499
jody.farrell@gmail.com
Paintings, oil, acrylic - mostly
landscapes, flowers.
CURRIE, Gordon
1512 - 113 Ave.
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2Z5
250-782-6388
gcurrie@eldoren.com
www.watercolorpainting.info
Watercolour and mixed media artist - scenic nature works of art.
GAIR, Miriam
Box 7211
Peace River, AB T8S 1S8
780-624-8528
miriamg@wispernet.ca
I use semi-abstract form, light,
and simplification to create oneness with spirituality and nature.
Work in any media but prefer
watercolour.
DEMUYNCK, Inez
11121 - 16 St
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4A1
250-782-6363
art of the peace 20
GILJE, Lena
Box 252
Wembley, AB T0H 3S0
780-505-0873
lkgilje@hotmail.com
Corporate, wedding and portrait
photography, original artwork,
fabric art.
GOURLAY-MORGAN, Jocelyn
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0H9
780-532-8105
vgorgan@telusplanet.net
Original jewellery, sterling silver
and semi-precious gems. Custom
designs.
GOURLAY, Marilyn
Grande Prairie, AB
780-539-3992
mgourlay@telus.net
Mixed media, life drawings. I enjoy the creative process. Facilitate
art retreats and teach yoga.
GUEST, Robert
Box 1784
Grande Cache, AB T0E 0Y0
780-827-2346
Painter in the Symbolist Landscape tradition preferring wilderness and nocturnal subject matter.
HAAKSTAD, Carmen
8012-99 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3V1
780-539-4483
carmen@evergreenpark.ca
Original art.
HART, Louanne
4611-94 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8W 2G7
780-532-6457
hartlr@telus.net
Watercolour originals, prints and
cards of local and international
subjects.
HEIMDAL, Tim
9804 - 102 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2V2
780-532-1995
indigo@cablerocket.com
Murals (interior and exterior)
commissions, portraits. Acrylic on
canvas. Impressionistic.
HENN, K. Marjorie
Box 262
Beaverlodge, AB T0H 0C0
780-354-2165
ghenn@telusplanet.net
Countryside and wilderness
themes are my inspiration, watercolour is my main medium.
HERBISON, Janis
PO Box 126
Hudson’s Hope, BC V0C 1V0
250-783-5534
www.hummingbirdfineart.com
Watercolour, pen and ink realistic
paintings. Portraits, landscapes
and wildlife. Workshops available.
HOLLER, Colleen
Box 363
Wembley, AB T0H 3S0
780-766-2567
choller@telusplanet.net
A variety of watercolour subjects
with a view to contrast, light,
colour and form.
HOMMY, Barry
Box 298
Beaverlodge, AB T0H 0C0
780-354-8117 (w)
780-356-3741 (h)
Artist in watercolour - local
landscapes.
HOTTE, Vicki
11405 - 97 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 4K9
780-538-1947
svhotte@telusplanet.net
www.vickihotte.com
Acrylic paintings and drawings
- rural subject matter.
KAUT, Donna
Box 675
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3A7
780-532-6468
ddakaut@telus.net
www.nightofartists.com
“I focus on oil paintings of wildflowers and berries of Alberta.”
KLUKAS, Carrie
10818 - 95 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 1Z5
780-532-0102
carrieklukas@yahoo.ca
Acrylic paintings on board, abstract expressionism.
LAURIN, Ray
9637 - 113 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 1W4
780-532-5232
With acrylics, I can capture what
nature has to offer us which is a
panorama of colour.
www.artofthepeace.ca
LE CORRE, Lynn
11110 - 95 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 1Z7
780-538-4046
skyrock@telusplanet.net
Painting in miniature simplifies
the landscape to colour and painterly forms.
MAGNETIC NORTH IMAGES
(Brian Don Hohner)
Box 104
North Star, AB T0H 2T0
780-836-0021
info@magneticnorthimages.com
www.magneticnorthimages.com
Landscapes and skyscapes of
the north. Pastels. Commissions
welcome.
MANHOLT-HOTTE, Sherrie
PO Box 626
Wembley, AB T0H 3S0
780-766-3183
sherriemh@cablerocket.com
Mixed media painter. Abstract.
MCGUINTY, Kristine
12813 - 92 St.
Peace River, AB T8S 1R9
780-624-2605
Harvest Moon Studio: Contemporary photographic images, polaroid emulsion transfers, acrylic
paintings and drawings.
MULLIGAN, Helena
8709 - 98 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2C7
780-538-2009
Insights, expressions of everyday
life in sculptures, drawings and
paintings. Commissions welcomed.
PALMER, Valerie
‘Spores n’ More’
Box 6512
Peace River, AB T8S 1S3
780-624-8589
donval@agt.net
Mushroom spore prints: images
created from natural spores of
fungi.
PETERS, Rika
10514-103 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 1C7
780-814-7430
rugur@telusplanet.net
Oil paintings; impressionistic
landscapes.
PRESTONE, Keith
Grande Prairie, AB
780-532-1803
snobear_777@hotmail.com
Snow, ice and sand sculpture/coordinator. 2D and 3D work in a
variety of mediums.
SANDBOE, Suzanne ASA, PWS
Box 28, Site 9, RR1
Sexsmith, AB T0H 3C0
780-568-4124
ssandboe@telusplanet.net
Realistic landscapes, portraits
and scenes from everyday life.
Original work and commissions in
a variety of mediums.
SHILKA, Marian
Grande Prairie, AB
780-532-7562
mshilka@telusplanet.net
Primarily watercolour, capturing
the essence of brief, unforgettable
moments in time.
SMITH, Len
9110 - 100 St
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2K5
780-539-4608
Relief wood carving, 3D carving,
intarsia, woodburning. Custom
artwork and instruction.
ST. ANDRE, Vivian
Peace River, AB T85 1E7
780-624-4701
iriverdr@telus.net
Acrylic and watercolour, abstract
and traditional, sculpture and
digital imagery.
STEFANNSON, Wendy
10509 - 81 St.
Peace River, AB T8S 1M7
780-624-8522
wstef@telus.net
Working conceptually, employing
photography, acrylic paints and
sculptural techniques.
STEINKE, Vi
Box 10
Silver Valley, AB T0H 3E0
780-351-2174
vsteinke@telus.net
“My paintings of scenery and
florals are done in oils, acrylics or
watercolour.”
STOKES, Jim
10417 - 110 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 1S8
780-532-2573
Quality, original paintings, drawings and prints. Contemporary
representational work.
STROM, Brenda
10205 - 76 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8W 1Y6
of the Peace
Members
Exhibition
Opportunity
The Prairie Art Gallery
Dec. 2nd, 2005 - Jan. 8th, 2006
Opening - Saturday, Dec. 3rd
• Must be current work created
between 2003 - 2005
• Maximum of 1 piece
• May be offered for sale
• Works must be framed (if
applicable) and ready to hang
• Work has to be at The Gallery
by Friday, Nov. 25th.
CONFIRM YOUR PARTICIPATION
Doug Wills, Curator
The Prairie Art Gallery
(780) 532-8111
doug@prairiegallery.com
780-532-8930
strombrenda@hotmail.com
Watercolors, oil, monoprints of
florals, intimate landscapes and
hockey players.
SWANSTON, Nan
RR3, Site 4, Box 6
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 5N3
780-532-6745
nan@imagedesignpros.com
Watercolours of landscapes,
florals, people and close-ups of
nature and still life.
SYROTA, Dale
7601 - 102 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8W 1Y7
780-539-4046
hsyrota@cablerocket.com
Traditional transparent watercolour painting rendered in a true
and unique style.
PHOTOGRAPHY
MCKENZIE, Cheryl
9102 - 105 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8X 1H7
780-532-6353
cheryl@imagedesignpros.com
www.instantimages.com
Stock photography site for Peace
Country photographers and
graphic artists to promote their
work.
PETTIT, Don
1204 - 103 Ave
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2G9
250-782-6068
1-866-373-8488
don@peacephotographics.com
www.peacephotographics.com
Peace Region nature photography,
graphic design, publishing, marketing, product development.
art of the peace 21
where it’s all at . . .
galleries of the Peace
Peace Region Gallery Events and Exhibitions
Out of the Woods
Regional Woodworkers
October 24 - November 13, 2005
Fort Nelson
South Peace Art Society Annual
Christmas Show and Gift Fair
November 19th, 2005 - January
7th, 2006
Manning
Hudson Hope
Art Auction
April 28th, 2006
St. Isidore
49
Chetwyn
Falher
43
43
Tumbler Ridge
Valleyview
Grande Cache
Please check our website or phone
the gallery for a complete schedule of 2006 exhibits and events.
FAIRVIEW, ALBERTA
• Fairview Fine Arts Centre
10801-103 Ave.
Fairview, AB T0H 1L0
780-835-2697;
fax 780-835-5561
www.fairviewfinearts.com
finearts@telusplanet.net
Hours: Tues. - Sat.
12 pm - 5 pm
Gallery, fine arts gift shop and
education programs.
Exhibits & Events
BEAVERLODGE, ALBERTA
• Beaverlodge Cultural Centre
512 - 5 Ave.
Beaverlodge, AB T0H 0C0
780-354-3600 (phone & fax)
Hours: Tues. - Fri.1 pm - 5 pm
Sat. & Sun. 1 pm - 4 pm
Gallery, gift shop and tea room.
Exhibits & Events
Dave McRae
‘High Browns & Stetsons’ Show
October 2 - October 28, 2005
Marjorie Henn
Show and Sale
October 30 - November 25, 2005
All Artists
Show and Sale
November 27- December 23, 2005
art of the peace 22
Thomas Krejcar
January 2006
Grande Prairie Regional College
Art Students
February 2006
Beaverlodge Art Club Miniature
Show and Sale
March 2006
13th Annual Quilt Show
April 2006
• The Small Gallery
917 - 2 Ave.
Beaverlodge, AB T0H 0C0
780-354-8117
Pottery, fine art, framing & wood
turnings.
DAWSON CREEK, B.C.
• Dawson Creek Art Gallery
101 - 816 Alaska Avenue
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4T6
250-782-2601
www.dcartgallery.ca
Winter Hours at the Gallery and
The Northern Treasures Giftshop
are 10am to 5pm Tues. - Fri. and
12am to 4pm Sat. from September
through to May.
Year round, artist run centre; gift
shop; 13 exhibits per year; art
rental; education programs.
Exhibits & Events
Body Double
Commemorating Breast Cancer
Month
September 27 - October 22, 2005
Heather MacNair
A New Leaf
Show and Sale
October 1st - 15th, 2005
Paula Fiorini and Erin Stelmaschuk
The Space Between
Show and Sale of new works
October 22 - November 12, 2005
Midnight Madness Craft Sale
November 25th, 2005
Lee Ann Jones and Kerry-Ann
Schatz
Vertu
Show and Sale
November 18 - December 3, 2005
Members Christmas
Show and Sale
December 9th - 31st, 2005
Midnight Madness
December 16th, 2005
Fairview Fine Arts
• McCaffrey’s Art Gallery
New Year Open House and Silent
Auction
January 21st, 2006
10017B 100 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6W7
780-832-0146
www.desmccaffrey.com
Open 10:00 am - 5:30 pm,
Tuesday to Saturday. Wildlife art
originals and canvas giclee by artist Des McCaffrey.
Youth Art Show and Sale
March 2006
• Forbes and Friends
Funky Furniture
Travelling Show
January 7th -25th, 2006
FT. ST. JOHN, B.C.
• Sonlight Gallery
9312-100 St.
Ft. St. John, B.C. V1J 3X4
250-785-9799
sonlight@telus.net
Art, framing and home decore.
Get the Big Picture
GRANDE CACHE, ALBERTA
• Grande Cache Tourism &
Interpretive Centre
Home of the Palette Pals Art Club
Highway 40 South
Box 300
Grande Cache, AB T0E 0Y0
780-827-3300
tourism@grandecache.ca
www.grandecache.ca
Winter hours October - May
Weekdays 9 am - 5 pm
Weekends 1 pm - 4 pm
Wildlife and historical displays,
art gallery and gift shop.
Exhibits & Events
Palette Pals Art Club
Annual Show & Sale
November 4th & 5th, 2005
GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
• Centre for Creative Arts
9904 - 101 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X8
780-814-6080
Education programs, drop-in studios, artist run studios and cafe.
Lower Level, QEII Hospital
10409 - 98 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2E8
780-538-7585
Original works by local artists.
In affiliation with the QEII Foundation.
Exhibits & Events
9918A - 100 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0T9
780-513-1933;
fax 780-513-1949
Gallery of Alberta crafts. Pottery,
glass, jewellery, accessories, hand
painted silk, home decor.
SHOWCASES
Pearl Wilson
Collection of Cats
October - November, 2005
Jocelyn Gourlay-Morgan
Collection of Angels
December 2005 - January 2006
• Picture Perfect Frame
& Gallery
9934 - 100 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB
780-539-4091;
fax 780-539-4554
picperf@telusplanet.net
www.pictureperfectfineart.com
Robert Guest Gallery, main floor
gallery, original art, reproductions, framing & art supplies.
Representative for www.fineartprint.ca.
Exhibits & Events
Kakwa Falls by Robert Guest
Limited Edition prints available
Celebrating Alberta’s Centennial.
Robert Guest
The Foothills and Rockies
Show and Sale
Oct. 8th - 29th, 2005
Grande Prairie Guild of Artists
Harmonies
November 3rd - 26th, 2005
1st Annual Christmas Art Show
& Sale
December 2005
14th Annual Capture the Beauty
of the Peace in conjunction with
Artists North
Spring 2006
Be Included!
• Queen Elizabeth II Hospital,
The Courtyard Gallery
Sue Menard
Collection of Pottery
February - March 2006
4th Annual Tempt Your Palette
- In Paris theme
Trumpeter Hotel and Meeting
Centre - October 28th, 2005
Art of the Peace
David Casey
Lori Czoba
December 2nd, 2005 - January
8th, 2006
Laura Vickerson
Frank Grisdale
Lorraine Beggs
January 14th - February 13th 2006
George Sawchuk
Reinhard Skoraski
Alberta Society of Artists
February 24th - April 2nd, 2006
Limitless Potential
GPRC
All Schools/All Art
April 7th - May 14th, 2006
GALLERY
Art Auction
April 2006
Janet Enfield
October, 2005
• Unique Gallery
Dale Sales
January - February 2006
9929 - 100 Ave.
Grande Prairie, AB
780-538-2771;
fax 780-538-2790
Original artwork, pottery, jewellery, glassware, giftware.
• The Prairie Art Gallery
PEACE RIVER, ALBERTA
Ed Ashton
November - December, 2005
10209 - 99 St.
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2H3
780-532-8111;
fax 780-539-9522
info@prairiegallery.com
www.prairiegallery.com
Class A gallery, education programs, art rental and gift shop.
Exhibits & Events
Eric Cameron
Peter Deacon
Edward Bader
October 21st - November 27th,
2005
• Frameworks Custom Framing
& Gallery
9903 - 100 Ave.
Peace River, AB T8S 1S4
780-624-1984;
fax 780-624-1984
Custom framing and ready-made
framing supplies. Original
artwork, prints, posters, photographs, pottery, and other local
handicrafts.
• Your name in the gallery directory and on the website
• Exposure for your events and exhibits throughout the region
• Magazines for your gallery visitors and customers
visit www.artofthepeace.ca for more information
art of the peace 23
BEAVERLODGE, ALBERTA
Beaverlodge Cultural Centre
Ongoing programs in pottery,
stained glass, batik, weaving,
acrylic, oil and watercolour painting classes for a variety of ages.
Please call Sue, 780-354-3600 for
dates and details.
Gallery exhibition and gift shop
sales opportunities are available.
Please call Sue at 780- 354-3600
for further information.
DAWSON CREEK, B.C.
Dawson Creek Art Gallery
Adult Courses
Watercolour, sculpture and stained
glass classes are being held October to December 2006.
Time Out for Seniors
Every Wednesday 1:00 - 3:00 pm
starting in October.
For details and registration information phone 250-782-2601 or email dcagchin@pris.bc.ca.
Opportunities for exhibition in the
gallery are available. Guidelines
for exhibitions can be viewed at
www.dcartgallery.ca
Northern Lights College
The College offers a one-year program, leading to a graduation certificate in the Visual and Graphic
Arts, to prepare the student for a
wide variety of career opportunities. In addition, a two-year program is also offered leading toward
an Associate of Arts Diploma. The
primary focus is to build a portfolio
for job preparedness or to continue
education in another institution.
Phone 250-782-5251 for information.
FAIRVIEW, ALBERTA
Fairview Fine Arts Centre
Art-Themed Parties
Come and join in on a ‘Friday Night
Wine & Cheese Party’ or ‘Saturday Afternoon Coffee and Biscotti
Party’. During the party you will
complete a project and get to learn
and try out new techniques.
art of the peace 24
Fairview Fine Arts Centre offers
courses in pottery, stained glass,
fabric and fibre, painting and drawing and children’s programs.
Call the Centre at 780-835-2697 or
email finearts@telusplanet.net for
program details and registration
information.
Visitor in the Arts
Guest lecturers, who vary from our
own faculty to professional artists
and musicians, speak to the students
on topical areas related to their profession and practice. The lectures
are scheduled throughout the year
during the college community hour
on Wednesdays 11:45 am - 12:45
education &
opportunities
GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA
Centre for Creative Arts
The Centre offers many classes including:
- Decorative Arts
- Fine Arts
- Practical Arts
- Physical Activity
- Business
- Art & Craft Club
- Children’s Programs
- plus many more!
For more information and updated
class information, check out our
website at www.gparts.org or contact us at info@gparts.org. You can
also call us at 780-814-6080.
Courtyard Gallery, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital
For information about showing
contact Karen at the QEII Foundation office 780-538-7583. Display
cubes (showcases) are available
for collections or 3-dimensional
art.
Grande Prairie Regional College
The Fine Arts Department
Offers students a wide range of career and learning opportunities in
the Fine Arts. These include Diploma, University Transfer programs,
and courses in Music, Art, and
Drama. Students in all programs
may also fulfill their Fine Arts option requirements with FAD credit
courses. Non-credit Visual Arts
courses include drawing, painting,
digital arts, and photography.
pm in the Fine Arts Recital Hall,
Rm. L106. These lectures are open
to the public, everyone is welcome.
There is no admission charge. Lectures this season include:
- Peter Deacon - Mixed Media
- Eric Cameron - Sculptor
- Jennifer Bowes - Printmaker
- Scott McFarland
- Tanya Sehn
- Sean Caulfield
- Clay Ellis
- Isla Burns
- JP Decosse
Women in the Arts Symposium
2nd annual symposium focussing
on the role of women in the arts.
Two full days in March 2006. Call
Lena at 780-539-2215 for information.
Prairie Art Gallery
PD Days
These great hands-on workshops
will allow the teacher or art lover
to learn a new technique to teach or
enhance their own work.
sculptures which are kiln fired.
Call 780-532-8111 for furthur
information on these and other
programs or check our website at
www.prairiegallery.com.
Art of the Peace Exhibit
Exhibition opportunity at The
Prairie Art Gallery for Art of the
Peace members. December 2nd ,
2005 - January 8th, 2006. Opening
Saturday, December 3rd. Confirm
your participation with Doug Wills
at 780-532-8111 or doug@prairiegallery.com. (see ad page 21).
TREX
The Prairie Art Gallery is compiling a bank of artists throughout the
Peace Region. This is a great opportunity for the Gallery to become
more familiar with the artists in the
region and what they are doing.
Submit your name and contact information with a brief artist statement ,no more than 150 words, and
a maximum of 3 images which gives
an overview of your work. Please
note that this is not considered an
exhibition proposal.
Artist Bank Files
The Prairie Art Gallery
10209-99 street
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2H3
Attn: Sue Cloake Millar
Red Deer College Visual Arts
Series
Series in Grande Prairie is returning in summer 2006! Watch for
details in April’s issue. For information call Wendy Meeres at 403342-3504 or wendy.meeres@rdc.
ab.ca
Robert Guest Gallery, Picture
Perfect Frame & Gallery
Masters in the Classroom
Jody Farrell, artist and teachergives a history and easy workshop
on some of the great artists including Matisse and Picasso.
Capture the Beauty of the Peace
contest. Amateur and developing
artists of the BC and AB Peace.
Works must be of local subjects and
completed since Spring 2005.
Art After Dark
A great program where the public
is welcome to take in a session on
an art. The ninety minute sessions
cover everything from art history
to art demonstrations.
Robert Guest Gallery is available
for exhibitions - call Dan Kameka
at 780-539-4091 for information
and available dates.
Colourful Characters
Full Figure Clay
A hands-on workshop where participants will build full figure clay
Dale Syrota
Watercolour Artist
Ph: (780) 539-4046
PWS, CSPWC
Exhibits with the Grande Prairie Guild of Artists and the Peace Watercolour Society
ssandboe@telusplanet.net
(780) 568-4124
Marjorie Henn
P.W.S
Picture Perfect
Grande Prairie
Small Gallery
Beaverlodge
Beaverlodge
Cultural Centre
780-354-2165
art of the peace 25
E
Enduring Moment
Working
with
a
threedimensional art form has many
facets, which require constant
attention. I love the challenge of
unveiling the secrets from within
the stone. Each piece is unique
and original.
Stone, being a masculine
medium, is contrasted by my
personal style of incorporating
feminine characteristics into my
pieces. I am most recognized for
my interpretation of the swan. I
appreciate their natural grace and
serenity and try to bring this out
through my work.
Colour, type and shape of the
stone, all play an important role
in my final sculpture. The
process begins first with the
selection of the raw material.
My favourites are soapstone and
alabaster. Each is very different
and allows me to explore alternative styles of carving.
Soapstone is a softer stone,
which is easier to carve and
enables me to create very
detailed pieces. The process of
sanding, staining and waxing
helps me to highlight different
aspects of the pieces by creating
natural colour changes and
textures.
Alabaster has a beautiful opaque
quality to it and I like to explore
creating more abstract, less
detailed pieces. The translucency of this stone makes it a
challenge to create pieces which
work with different lighting
situations. Part of the beauty is
the way the light shines through.
I try to allow natural elements to
be drawn out of each piece I do.
Petula Pettman
Enduring Moment
Green Brazilian Soapstone Carving
15” tall
art
the peace
peace2626
art of
of the
Dawson Creek
visit downtown.
Simple Pleasures
Home Decor & More!
Ph: (250) 782-7920
10301 Unit B, 10th Street.
Custom made jewelry with
Digital Goldsmith™, a one of
a kind computer design system.
Lothar Triebel Jewellers
Ltd.
Over 40 years of expertise
Ph: (250) 782-4114
932 102nd Avenue
... you’ll love it!
art of the peace 27
P U R E Photography
Distinct portraits on location or in studio.
• Weddings • Pregnancy • Children • Family
THE CENTRE FOR
CREATIVE ARTS
For an appointment call
Lori-Ann Brough at 780-832-8626
The Centre for Creative Arts offers a number of unique and
interesting programs for all ages and skill levels, for artists
and those yearning to develop the artist within.
Trinity Massage Therapeutics
Stacey Coppens R.M.T 780-832-1012
• Drop In Studios
• Swedish Relaxation Massage
• Therapeutic Assesment & Treatment
• M.L.D. • T.P. Therapy • Sports Massage
Pottery, stained glass, photography
• Decorative Arts
Interior decorating, feng shui, fused glass, pottery,
stained glass, photography
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Catering
• Fine Arts
Drawing, watercolour painting, oil painting
• Practical Arts
Horticulture, cooking
• Physical Activity
CAFE COMPANY
8am - 4pm
Phone: 780-539-3131
2nd location 10136 101 Ave. 780-513-8554
Yoga, fusion, dancing, taekwon-do
• Business
Store layout, merchandising, displays, lighting
Shards of Glass Studio
• Art & Craft Club
• Offering stained glass and fusing supplies
• Custom Design Work
• Birthday Parties
Phone: 780-513-0913 or 780-538-4760
Different topic each week, for children or adults
A variety of activites
• Kid’s Club
After school club for children ages 6 +
• Summer Program
Multi art camp for children ages 6 +
• H.A.P.I. Healing Arts
Program Initiative
Healing mind, body and spirit through
creativity and self-expression . A program
for groups or organizations
Contact Us
9904 101 Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X8
Ph 780-814-6080
Fax 780-814-6084
info@gparts.org
www.gparts.org
art of the peace 28
Vela Gifts
Scented Candles & accessories
• Highest Quality Fragrances
• Best Burning Candle on the Market
Phone: 780-832-7999 or 780-831-8074
.the color box.
HAIR STUDIO
Kim Milliken
Phone: 780-933-9339
www.thecolorbox.net