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Gallery featuring new spring exhibits

When the Trees Crackle with Cold: pīsimwasinahikan by Miriam Körner and Bernice Johnson-Laxdal, which has been touring the province since 2019, and Context is Everything by Monique Martin are now available for viewing at the Humboldt and District Gal
Context is Everything
Context is Everything by Monique Martin showcases the dandelion weed as a symbol for healing from emotional pain, physical injury and surviving through all life’s challenges and difficulties.

When the Trees Crackle with Cold: pīsimwasinahikan by Miriam Körner and Bernice Johnson-Laxdal, which has been touring the province since 2019, and Context is Everything by Monique Martin are now available for viewing at the Humboldt and District Gallery.

Both exhibits will be on display until May 22. 

 

Context is Everything

Context is Everything is an installation exhibit which showcases various paper dandelions highlighted plant through the atmosphere of the pieces. 

According to Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Humboldt’s director of cultural services, the display showcases the weed as a symbol for healing from emotional pain, physical injury and surviving through all life’s challenges and difficulties.

“I think it’s a message of resilience, it’s a message to be strong no matter who you are or what happens to you,” she said. “

I think it’s a beautiful springtime show because people have had a really challenging year and we want to encourage everyone to look at things in a different way.”

The spots for the pieces were chosen personally by Martin throughout the exhibit.

“One of the strengths of Monique is she can come into a space and create an exhibit that works in that space,” Fitzpatrick said. “She brought many pieces with her so she would have that flexibility to kind of create something that works in the space.”

The result is dandelion seed heads encased in display cases and viewable ornaments, others yellow and prime with display cases or having their nectar drained out by an artificial butterfly.

Martin has had her previous bee-based display, Continuous, shown in 2018 at the Humboldt and District Gallery.

Other shows Martin has been featured in include Austria, Kootenay Art Gallery in B.C., ODD Gallery in Dawson City, Yukon, The Athens Printmaking Art Center in Greece, and several galleries throughout the prairie provinces.

 

When the Trees Crackle with Cold: pīsimwasinahikan

When the Trees Crackle with Cold: pīsimwasinahikan by Miriam Körner and Bernice Johnson-Laxdal is visiting Humboldt as part of an Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) tour.

The touring pieces are watercolour originals which were printed in a children’s book of the same title.

The art was inspired by the traditional Cree moon calendar and Johnson-Laxdal’s childhood memories of growing up with her thirteen siblings in Ile-a-la-Crosse, celebrating northern Saskatchewan and its people.

“It is homage to a unique place, where we can all learn important lessons about respect for the land, each other, and move towards a common understanding of northern Saskatchewan’s history and our personal place within,” Körner said.

Fitzpatrick said the museum has some videos with Körner explaining how she does the painting and the language which was involved in the paintings. These are being shared to all public schools.

“We’re just working on getting the education packages together, but with Zoom we can obviously go a fairway out,” Fitzpatrick said. “So the staff will be able to work with the students to create some watercolour and the students can read the book.”