STREETS TO GALLERIES
Donald Bird spent years living on the streets. Now he’s making waves in the local art scene. His paintings and drawings are on display in the Art Placement gallery.
For years, Donald Bird was homeless, living on Saskatoon’s streets. He is not the kind of person who usually turns heads, but now his art is making waves.
“It’s kind of cool,” Bird said, touring his recent installation at the Art Placement gallery in downtown Saskatoon.
He’s been painting for about 11 years, with no formal training, and no schooling or tutoring on proper technique.
With the help of the Lighthouse Supported Living and Art Placement, Bird’s work is being showcased to the world.
“I thought some of them weren’t good enough, but they took them and sold them,” he said.
Bird grew up near Prince Albert. He said he left home when he was very young and spent years on the street without a place to live before coming to the Lighthouse in Saskatoon.
Now he has his own apartment and some spare money to spend on art supplies.
Levi Nicholat first met Bird when Bird visited Art Placement to buy those supplies three or four years ago.
Later, Bird returned with paintings.
“Immediately, we liked the work,” Nicholat said. “There is something interesting, beautiful, engaging, surprising about it.”
Nicholat said Saskatchewan has a tradition of embracing self-taught artists and “folk art” like Bird’s. He said Bird’s work is original and interesting and has captured the attention of the art scene.
He’s already sold nine paintings, many of them to other local artists.
“We think the work is really good and that’s why we show it,” he said, adding there is a second motivation for showing Bird’s work — the Lighthouse is doing good for people like Bird and it’s helping people in Saskatoon.
Nicholat said he wanted to help tell a good story about the place, which has been the subject of controversy in recent years.
“Donald Bird seems to be a success story ... what (the Lighthouse) are providing for him is making a real difference in his life … it would be a lot harder for him to make his paintings if he didn’t have somewhere to live.
Nicholat said he thinks Bird has a raw natural talent and will have a future in the art world, if he keeps at it. “He will only get better.” Bird’s show at Art Placement runs until Aug. 11.