Five Artists in Residence to arrive in Val Marie
INmagine a village of artists in a remote community, population approximately 100, inspired and supported by that community and each other. Imagine Val Marie, where the per capita artist population stands at over 12 per cent. ( And where many of these talented people work in more than one field.) ow imagine that the community reaches out to other artists in multiple disciplines, hosting them as artists in residence from July to the end of September. Imagine that the artists in residence work to create lasting legacies, with people who live in and around Val Marie and who visit Grasslands National Park.
This is what Prairie Wind and Silver Sage, Val Marie’s provincially recognized ecomusem, is doing in partnership with Grasslands National Park, beginning on July 28 and continuing to the end of September.
Five artists with Saskatchewan connections, including a poet, a musician, a multi- media visual artist, a photographer, and a playwright, will each spend between 10 days to four weeks in Val Marie, working on artistic activities that en- rich visitor and resident experience of Grasslands National Park, while also enriching the artist’s own practice.
It’s a pilot project, an initiative funded by the Saskatchewan Arts Board and SaskCulture. PWSS and the funders want to find out how an annual Art in the Park residency program might happen in this area.
After the proposal process, during which there were many excellent applications, a selection committee chose five artists in residence.
Rhonda GallantMorari, a poet and musician who lives in Saskatoon, will be in residence from July 28 to August 7, with a poetry project.
You’ll find write- ityourself Poetry Stations in and around Grasslands National Park, guided poetry hikes, poetry flags appearing on the fence at the PWSS grounds, and maybe even poetry readings. This isn’t the kind of poetry that’s hard to write or understand. This is your own words and impressions, with a skilled writer and teacher offering support.
Dave Cyca comes next, from August 29 to September 12. Cyca is a wellknown songwriter and guitarist from Swift Cur- rent. He’ll start off his residency in a concert with his band Creek City at the Val Marie Hotel on August 29, then move through a series of sing- alongs, songwriting workshops, open stages, and maybe even a school program, based both in the Park and the town.
Regina- based Gerri Ann Siwek, whose encaustic monotypes on paper were exhibited at Prairie Wind and Silver Sage in 2013, in an exhibition called Imprint: Birds and Creatures of the Summer Prairies, will be in residence from September 17 to 28. Siwek will create a mixed- media collaborative art project on the rare and fascinating greater short- horned lizard, found in Grasslands National Park, as well as hold a registered workshop called Mixed- Media Approach to Nature. Registration information will be available as the summer progresses.
James R. Page, a widely exhibited photographer with his own book Wild Prairie, won’t have to travel to Val Marie for his artist residency from September 22 to October 2, since he already lives in Val Marie.
Page will lead creativehorizons photography field trips with teens in Grasslands National Park, in cooperation with the Prairie Learning Centre, as well work with the group to host a digital slide presentation celebrating the participants’ accomplishment.
Throughout the month of September, writer Terry Jordan will be in residence. Jordan is also from Saskatoon. He’s going to be writing text and sound-theatre, interviewing area ranchers and townspeople, visitors to the park and park employees about their experiences of this place. He’ll even talk to some historical figures no longer living. If you’ve ever wanted to see how a radio play is created, this is your chance.
Not only will these artists give their talents and skills to the community, they’ll also have a real opportunity to spend time on their own artwork, inspired by the Grasslands experience.