Somewhere in Between John Henry Fine Day / Sean Woodruff Whalley June 28 to August 25, 2006 Sean Woodruff Whalley and John Henry Fine Day are two Regina artists who come from very different cultural backgrounds yet their work shares many common themes and concepts. Both artists combine natural and man-made elements to critique the widening gap between culture and nature. Drawing from his Cree ancestry Fine Day combines rawhide and steel to create animal-like forms inspired by legend; Whalley sculpts tree-like structures from recycled wood that reference both architecture and the body. This installation is a cross-cultural collaboration featuring hybrid works (created separately and joined together) that explore their common ground. Entering the gallery the viewer will encounter a massive wooden sculpture with legendary animals (like gargoyles or totems) emerging from tall spire-like structures. The transformation of both material and concept here addresses the rejuvenation of the discarded, bringing the past to the present for re-examination. David Dreher ~ NOSTRA AETATE (Our Times) May 18 to June 24, 2006 Nostra Aetate looks at the contradictions that lie between human faith and human actions within the context of religion. While all great world religions teach love, compassion, tolerance and hope, faith is often the source of hostility and fear among people. In this body of work, David Dreher uses symbolism and classical techniques to confront the paradoxes between theory and practice. In these shrine-like paintings religious icons are juxtaposed with shiny, brightly-colored candy symbolizing human lust, desire, and greed. While the visual combination of candy and icon conflict, the elements are structurally inseparable implying the same relationship between religion and human weakness. THE MOVING HAND: Drawings from the permanent collection of the Mendel Art Gallery April 7 to May 13, 2006 Drawing, by its very nature, conveys an immediacy and unselfconscious quality often lacking in other art forms. This exhibition explores the traditional definition of drawing as well as its role in preliminary sketches for work in other media, such as architecture and sculpture, and more experimental practices that blur the line between drawing and painting . The show features a wide range of media and styles by some well known artists including Molly Bobak, Ruth Cuthand, Marcel Dzama, Ernest Lindner, Michael Snow, Ester Warkov, and Patrick Traer. Curated by Dan Ring. Sponsored by the City of Regina. Marguerite Smith, "Parktown Waitress", graphite on paper, 1995 IAN RAWLINSON: Nightwatch January 25 to March 2, 2006 In his small luminous paintings, Saskatoon artist Ian Rawlinson explores a familiar habitat - the landscape of suburbia- as seen in the stillness of night. Under the cover of darkness the familiar becomes uncharted territory. Rather than being merely descriptive, Rawlinson’s work is distinctly contemporary in its concern with notions of voyeurism and the ambiguity of representation. Organized by the Mendel Art Gallery. Curated by George Moppett. © Ian Rawlinson, "Spring Thaw", acrylic on canvas, 15"x13", 2004 STUDIO FURNITURE IN SASKATCHEWAN November 30 to January 21, 2006 This exhibition introduced a new generation of designers and furniture makers who are beginning to make their mark in the Regina region. Producing energetic work with a forward looking relationship to contemporary design and material culture, their work ranges from one of a kind pieces in the craft tradition to limited production work positioning itself in relation to contemporary industrial design. Guest curated by Brian Gladwell. ERIK NORBRATEN: Studies October 12 to November 19, 2005 This exhibition featured 80 small paintings of faces from the artworld. Painted in a loose, expressionist style Norbraten’s studies capture the character and personality of both local and international artists including Marcel Duchamp, Jasper Johns, Henry Moore, Henri Matisse, Ernest Lindner, and Frieda Kahlo. These works inventory artists, teachers, former classmates and others who have had some influence, either directly or indirectly, on the artist’s life. Curated by Karen Schoonover. ALISON NORLEN: Mirage September 1 to October 8, 2005 Much of Alison Norlen's work has explored the notion of cultural spectacle and fanfare as seen in agricultural fairs, provincial roadside attractions, tourist events and carnivals. This latest body of work represents somewhat of a departure. The three mural-sized drawings in this show feature ghost-like montages of places and events that no longer exist. Based on old photographs of bridges and the Brighton piers, this work combines disparate images from the past and autobiographical references in strange, dreamlike scenarios. These works speak of memory, melancholy, and utopia. Curated by Karen Schoonover. CONTESTED HISTORIES June 29 to August 27, 2005 This special centennial exhibition, curated by David Garneau with assistance from Janell Ranae Rempel, features work by First Nations and Métis artists that expresses some of the Aboriginal histories of this region. The paintings, sculpture, and video on display reflect on the colonial period and its effects through a contemporary lens. The works are individual efforts of commemoration, rebuttal, healing, and interpretation. All try to make sense of colonial histories and attempts to adapt to new, inherited realities. Included are artworks by Neal McLeod, Ruth Cuthand, Gabriel Yahyahkeekoot, Sharon Lee Pelletier, Michel Boutin, Sheila Orr, Valerie Kinistino, and John Henry Fine Day. This project is a collaboration between Sâkêwêwak Artists’ Collective and the Art Gallery of Regina sponsored by SaskTel, SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Culture, Youth & Recreation and the Community Initiatives Fund, and the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Alberta-Saskatchewan Centennial Initiative. Image: video still from Gabriel Yahyahkeekoot’s "Mayasitiw" JIM GRAHAM "mETROPOLIS" May 19 th to June 25, 2005 Jim Graham's Photo-Realist paintings capture the urban landscape, mainly Saskatoon and Regina, in the tradition of artists like Chuck Close and Richard Estes. Working from still photographs, Graham is fascinated by the transformation of a mechanically derived image into a static painted form capable of evoking the flux of time. As an artist he is not so much interested in just matching the painting to the photograph as he is in the ambiguity which occurs on a perceptual level in the transformation process. Jim Graham's meticulous paintings capture a particular place and time while offering a human response to the urban experience. The show was organized by the Mendel Art Gallery and curated by Dan Ring. Sarah BECK: Öde April 15 to May 13, 2005 Öde is Swedish for waste and fate. This multi-media installation by Saskatoon-based artist Sarah Beck satirizes global militarization, consumerism, and waste. The show features a 30-foot long 1997 South African 105 "Tank Killer" constructed entirely from white plastic coated particle board which Beck assembles on site with a simple Allen key in the IKEA tradition. Related marketing ads, a consumer catalogue, and her shopode.com website promote "easily accessible, affordable, technologically advanced equipment" to start your own arms race. Beck’s clever and witty installation takes a biting look at social and political values, consumerism, and the commodification of security. Curated by Karen Schoonover 28th Annual Salon Show & Sale March 14 to April 9, 2005 This popular members' show is an annual fund raising event for the Rosemont Gallery. Each year participating artists donate a portion of their sales to support the Gallery's operation.
ERNEST KLINGER ~Night Paintings~ February 2 to March 11, 2005 Ernest Klinger's work celebrates the very nature and process of painting. His labor intensive technique involves building up layer after layer after layer of paint to create visually dense surfaces that appear to pulsate with energy. Klinger views his slow repetitive process as a form of quiet meditation consciously undertaken in the still of the evening to serve as a counterpoint to the busy working day. Working with a standardized form allows the artist to concentrate on the "journey of painting". This work is about balancing the spiritual and the physical, the internal and the external, acceleration and deceleration, the noise and the silence. Like sacred mandalas, these paintings ultimately speak of the ineffable.
SOPHISTICATED FOLK December 1 - January 26, 2005 "Sophisticated Folk" features the work of two highly individual artists whose work takes a sophisticated approach to the folk art genre. Both Man Woman (Cranbrook) and Michel Boutin (Prince Albert) create accessible works that bridge the gap between the artworld and the worlds of everyday people. Their unique, brightly coloured paintings combine elements of Folk and Pop art. Folk art is a flexible form that can combine the private and the social, the high and the low, the sacred and the profane. It is particularly conducive to the expression of a personal vision of faith and spirituality The works in this show wrestle with religion, authority, sexuality, and each artists' place in the world. Guest curated by David Garneau.	©Man Woman
VISAGE: Self-Portraits October 20 to November 21, 2004 The self-portrait is one of the most enduring genres in Western art. In many cases, these works are among the most compelling pieces in an artist produces. Self-portraits reveal an intimacy and depth of understanding that goes far beyond the usual artist/subject relationship. Here the artist is both voyeur and subject - forever conscious of the viewer yet revealing of the self. Some faithfully record what they see while others project an image of how they see themselves or rather would like to be seen. All are ultimately revealing. This exhibition looks at how contemporary Saskatchewan artists portray themselves. Included in the show are Robert Bos, Michel Boutin, Joe Fafard, Charley Farrero, Barbara Goretzky, Iris Hauer, Zach Hauser, Antointette Herivel, Zhong-Yang Huang, Zhong-Ru Huang, David Johnson, Jana Kutarna, Sara Kuziak, Christine Lynn, Debby Potter, Ward Schell, Leesa Streifler, Wendy Struck, and Wendy Weseen.	David Johnson Acrylic on Paper ©2003
MARSHA KENNEDY~ Mapping the Land and Body September 7 to October 16, 2004 Marsha Kennedy's work deals with man's impact on the environment and the effects of pollution, chemicals and industrial waste on humans and animals. In this exhibition she explores the many complicated relationships between human experience, human culture, the natural environment and non-human species. The series draws particular attention to the early European settlement of Saskatchewan with the intent to incite questions concerning colonization and land use in relation to current socio-economic, cultural, environmental and ecological concerns. The show includes 15 oil paintings of life sized nude figures each holding the bones or remains of a Saskatchewan plains species which has been extirpated, endangered, or threatened. Each figure is covered with scientific and cultural information and surrounded by a gold leaf background reminiscent of historical religious art.	Marsha Kennedy "Elk Wapiti" ©CARCC 2004
Intangible June 23 to August 28, 2004 Organized by the Mendel Art Gallery This exhibition examines works from the Permanent Collection of the Mendel Art Gallery that characterize aspects of the late-Modern world: loss, ambiguity, uncertainty and recuperation through catharsis and memory. The exhibition examines the way that contemporary artists paradoxically give shape to the intangible and formless realms of memory, feelings, and loss through their material production. Featured are national and international artists including Chris Cran, Toni Onley, Otto Donald Rogers, Maxwell Bates, Mo Reinblatt, Edward Poitras, Taras Polotaiko, Brenda Pelkey, Jane Turnbull Evans, Joanne Bristol, Margaret Vanderhaege, Marcel Dzama, Janet Warner, and Attila Richard Lukacs. "Consulting Mirror" Attila Richard Lukacs Oil on Canvas 1992 Collection of the Mendel Art Gallery
"Bred in the Bone" May 12th to June 19th, 2004 by Linda Duvall Linda Duvall's work explores the issue of identity - particularly the hereditary factors that lie beneath the surface and contribute to who we are. By juxtaposing traditional family photographs with contemporary MRI images, Duvall reveals evidence of that which exists inside. While contemporary medical technology is able to unearth highly specialized information about one's body, individuals within a family and community context also have valuable anecdotal information to contribute about one's genetic history. In these works the physical interior of the body is seen along with its ancestral and genetic history. These works interrogate the sources of information - science and medicine vs culture and anecdote - giving equal weight to the subjective and the objective.
Picturing Regina 100 Years Later April 7 to May 8, 2004 The City of Regina Civic Arts Collection Committee (CACC) coordinated a photography project, in recognition of Regina's Centennial. The project entitled Picturing Regina 100 Years Later, consisted of sixteen artists/photographers commissioned to take photographs within the City limits, from January 1st to December 31st 2003. Through this project, participants interacted with Regina citizens and businesses, portraying a City where we live, work and play. Their photographic work expressed their personal reflections of and about Regina, which was presented to the public in early 2004.
	The participants (artists/photographers) are:   ~ Tom Bartlett ~Lorne Beug ~ ~ Sandra Butel ~ Jason Cawood ~ ~ Patrick Close ~ Camilla Fraser ~ ~ Don Hal l ~ Julie Heinrich ~ ~ Patricia Holdsworth ~ Amanda Lang ~ ~ Carolyne Lehmann ~ Bradley N. Olson ~ ~ Darrel Prohor ~ Fawn Redwood ~ ~ Bryan Schlosser ~ Sean W. Whalley ~
27th Annual Salon Show & Sale March 10 to April 2, 2004 This popular members' show is an annual fund raising event for the Rosemont Gallery. Each year participating artists donate a portion of their sales to support the Gallery's operation.
John Hall & Alexandra Haeseker PENDULUM / PENDULA February 4 to March 4,2004
Prominent Canadian artists Alexandra Haeseker (Calgary) and John Hall (Kelowna) are both well known for their distinctive realist paintings. Over the last ten years the two have collaborated on a unique series in which both artists have shared equally in the conception and production of each individual painting. This highly unusual process challenges some of the issues that are central to contemporary art: the notion of "art as self-expression" and the "sanctity of authorship". This show provides an opportunity to experience the shared visions of these two remarkable artists.

Jeff Nachtigall "The Evolution of Pollution" December 17, 2003 to January 31, 2004
HOLLY FAY " PLAIN " November 12th to December 13
A true understanding of place extends beyond the simple physical knowledge of an environment to the subtle relationships formed between our bodies and the spaces we inhabit. Holly Fay's non-objective images provide a subjective impression and physical understanding of place rather than a picturesque overview of the world around us. Her work explores the intricate physical and psychological relationships between the individual and the environment suggesting that an understanding of place is an integral part of our self-identity.

This special Centennial Exhibition sponsored by the City of Regina celebrates the Civic Art Collection. This show features a selection of paintings by a wide range of artists including Greg Hardy, Clint Hunter, Ruth Pawson, Inglis Sheldon-Williams, Wilf Perreault, Dennis Evans, Brian Volke, and Martha Cole.

This exhibition introduces a group of new young Saskatchewan artists just beginning their careers. The show reflects some recent approaches to the figure in contemporary art. Each of the works in this show embodies a meaning greater than the simple representation of the body or portrait. Included are works by David Dreher, Aaron MacLean, Jennifer McRorie, and Rick A. Pilling.

~Ryan Arnott: JUMP~
May 15 to June 21, 2003

Regina artist Ryan Arnott takes a playfully serious approach to art. With roots in prairie landscape and an interest in pop and conceptual art, he creates thought-provoking images and objects in a variety of materials. Arnott's exhibition JUMP will be an eclectic selection of drawings, paintings, photographs and objects - all in black and white. Viewers can expect the familiar unexpected.

INSTALLATION VIEW ENTERING AND LEAVING THE GALLERY

Judy Chartrand

July 11 to August 28, 2002

Kathleen Houston is a sculptor, performance and installation artist whose work is an expression of what she calls eco-spiritual awareness -- an interface between the natural and the spiritual worlds. Working on site in nature, she creates sculptural objects and ephemeral interventions using indigenous materials. These interventions are videotaped and integrated into multi-sensory installations of sound and sculpture which represent and recreate the artistís dialogue with nature.

June 5 to July 6, 2002

This exhibition of symbolic paintings by Saskatoon artists Laureen Marchand and Honor Kever deals with the experience of grief and loss and the issues raised by a death in the family. Marchandís paintings examine the role of family in the construct of personal identity and the impact of such a loss on one's sense of self. Kever's work focuses on the emotional experience of loss. Her quiet  dream-like images are charged with feeling, emanating moods that range from foreboding to transcendent.

March 6 to April 5, 2002

This exhibition includes two inter-related bodies of work by Vancouver based photographer Susan Bozic that explore the complex relationship between man and nature.  One series challenges the stereotypes surrounding gender and nature by fusing the male body with dried flora displacing the myth that a sensitivity to nature is part of the female domain.  A second series features mounted birds placed within theatrical settings far removed from their natural environment.  Here the dead are resurrected as mere decorative objects suggesting man's domination of nature.

January 30 to March 2, 2002

Artists Grant McConnell (Saskatchewan ) and Will Forrestall (New Brunswick) share an interest in conceptual still-life, creating images which open outward beyond the object to suggest greater possibilities in their reading.  Using traditional subject matter like flowers and vases, Forrestall's paintings reference the conventional still-life genre yet his works go beyond this to suggest time, space, and geography.  In this way the subject moves outward from its own stillness.   McConnell's still-life paintings of historical objects use the material worldly goods of the past to reflect and suggest the values and priorities of the owner and the inheritor.   The show will include a series of paintings and related work.  McConnell works in acrylic on standard grade plywood.  Forrestall works in egg tempera on panel.

December 12, 2001 to January 26, 2002

Winnipeg based artist Andrew Valko is known for his disarming photo-realist paintings of the seemingly mundane.  At first glance, his images of dimly lit drive-ins and motel rooms seem like benign snapshots of the familiar, yet there is something disquieting about these images that drags the viewer into the uncomfortable realm of the voyeur.  As small unexpected details capture the imagination, still pictures suddenly take on a much larger narrative and transform ostensibly generic scenes into private, intimate situations.

November 7 to December 8, 2001

Just as writers use words to paint visual images, narrative is a key element in the work of many contemporary visual artists.  This exhibition explored the nature and limitations of both languages, providing an interdisciplinary examination of semantics and the dynamics of communication.  The show featured narrative works by visual artists and visually evocative works by writers.  Included in the show were artists Bruce Anderson, Christa Donaldson, David Garneau, Antoinette Herivel, Zhong-Yang Huang, Marsha Kennedy, Jefferson Little, Laureen Marchand, Connie Mitchell, Sheila Orr, Wilf Perreault, and Ward Schell and writers Anne Campbell, Sally Crooks, gillian harding-russell, Dave Margoshes, and Andrew Stubbs. This project was cosponsored by the Rosemont Art Gallery and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild.  Curated by Karen Schoonover.

September 5 - 29, 2001

This exhibition offered the public a rare view of some of some of the contemporary art treasures held in private collections in Regina.  The show included prints, small paintings and various objects by internationally renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Francesco Clemente, Eric Fischl, R.B. Kitaj, Mimo Paladino, Roger Smith, Nicola Hicks, David Hockney and Jeff Koons among others.  This was indeed a rare opportunity as work by some of these artists had never been publicly exhibited in Regina before.  Curated by Jack Anderson.