ALLEY DOOR ART & ARTISTS 

Andy Fenwick lives wherever her feet will take her, gaining inspiration with every step she takes. 

Many of her works focus on animals in nature, and connecting the creature and the land with its feminist spirituality. She is a self-taught artist who works with mixed media and continues to explore alternate mediums. Her works have been included in exhibits in Ontario and British Columbia, including, Whistler’s State of the Art. Andy’s work can now be mainly viewed in corporate and private collections. She is currently working in her studio in Bethune, SK.

Through her art, Andy wants people to experience nature, as if they were standing there next to her, listening to all the sounds and seeing all the colours.  “I want my art to make people look at nature differently,” Andy says. “When we are present in nature, we will experience special moments. I want to share these moments with everyone to help encourage their own.”

Stephanie Bellefleur is a Contemporary Visual Artist who was born in Venezuela, South America. She has created a style embodying both elegance and grit, creating colorful projects incorporating bold graphic line work for the likes of Street Art Toronto, Facebook, Skechers, K-Swiss, and Baycrest Foundation. Stephanie’s high impact projects include contributing to the 8-story Phlegm mural at Yonge and St.Clair. Most recently, Stephanie contributed to the unique 23-story “Equilibrium Mural” alongside International Muralist, Okuda San Miguel. Stephanie’s personal pledge to positively stanchion diversity, inclusion, and equity in order to create space for sustainability in the art sector is what led her to her field of choice. Stephanie is humbled to serve the public in order to continue to progress in a spectrum of unity and colour within the art sector.

GrowUP speaks to chaos in motion. Here the artist took the opportunity to transform her pain into triumph. Here we allow for deep self love and introspection. The artist is excited and thrilled to share this work and hopes to inspire others to continue to use art as a catalyst for both positive and sustainable social change. 

Originally from the rural community of Mankota, Saskatchewan, Amber Armstrong is a resident of Regina, SK. Many of Amber’s works focus on the juxtaposition of nature and mankind with pieces looking at the starkness of life in the 21st century. Amber’s works often have a deep texture which comes from a sometimes aggressive use of paint coupled with frequent mixed media experimentation. Self taught, save for some local classes, Amber works predominantly with oil but integrates acrylic, collage and resin with many of her pieces.

This piece is a representation of the Land of the Living Skies; my favorite part about Saskatchewan is the ever changing, often breath-taking skyline.  The contrasts of the vibrant colors of our beautiful Saskatchewan sunsets against the silhouette of urban city life remind me of one of my favorite summer activities: evening bike rides around Regina. 

Brianne Urzada lives and works in Regina, Saskatchewan, CA. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Education and a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) from the University of Regina. At the age of 23, she was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and underwent a rigorous but ultimately successful treatment program. As a response to her experience Brianne’s work explores how trauma affects identity, specifically her experience as a woman and mother. Using abstracted figures she documents the healing journey and conveys powerful messages of hope.

In 2015 Brianne opened Arthouse, a local arts business, where she works primarily as an artist, but also offers cooperative arts-based team building and private painting lessons. Her experience with cancer allowed her to develop a deep appreciation for the therapeutic and meditative properties of art. With private funding, Brianne now offers free therapeutic art classes to cancer patients and survivors. The participants of the classes are often the subjects of her paintings.

Brianne recently revealed her latest body of work at her solo show, Someone You Know. She was featured on CBC as an emerging artist. Brianne received an award of excellence from the 34th Chelsea International Fine Art Competition (2019). She is currently the University of Regina’s Michele Sereda Artist in Residence.

My work, as seen in Daphne, explores life after trauma, specifically life after cancer. After completing chemotherapy I started a journey to reconcile the disconnect between my body, mind and spirit.

To gain context outside my personal experience, my work features twelve women in the community who are living life post cancer. Interviews, photo sessions and time spent with these women gave me new perspectives as I learned about each woman’s beautiful, resilient spirit. All of them were trying to move forward, recognizing they have been changed by the experience.

Through these interactions my role as the artist became abundantly clear – An artist looks deeper. An artist lingers on life’s hard or tragic questions. Instead of moving past the experience, I want tomove within it and transform it. 

My practise usually begins with research, where I conduct interviews, photo sessions and drawinspiration from others experiencing healing. Before healing begins, I have found that there’s aduality between the physical self and the non-physical self, that is often contradicting, especially insituations where trauma has occurred. I use abstract methods to help reflect that duality in mypaintings.

My work with others going through traumatic experiences can only inform my own. The work is not atrue representation of their healing, only my interpretation of it. Daphne, has come out of a darkplace, but is now a vibrant display of healing and hope.

Cyril Chen (陳嘉雯, he/they/hers) is an animator and expanded media artist who was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory with family from the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions of China. Cyril’s work stems from the exploration of migration, separation, and the ways in which we are intertwined with cyberspace. @cyberspacevoid.

A celebration of Regina’s cultural and culinary scene, and an anticipation for what’s to come. Different languages and people are displayed in a fresh graphic style which borrows visual sensibilities from new wave animation and indie comic books. The door is vibrantly coloured and references street styles in a poppy and fun manner. This door provides BIPOC-inclusionary images as a way to welcome the many peoples and guests of Regina.

 Established in Regina in 2015, Rawry & Pohly is a business partnership between two Saskatchewan-born artists, Jamie Mason and Kevin Chow. The goal of their art is to celebrate the inner child and recapture the wonder of innocence. As artists, the co-founding partners strive to use pop-art minimalism to reconnect with and reflect on the nostalgia of youth. Their mixed medium approach uses line-weight, negative space, and bold, brilliant colours in a unique and eye-catching style. The artists have showcased and sold their artwork across Canada and the United States to hundreds of thousands of viewers, and their canvas artworks – all originals created through a mixture of both hand screen-printing and hand-painting – now hang in homes across the world.

Titled Choose Your Character, this mural was created using a collection of artworks originally designed and painted throughout 2015-2020. Across the top of the work are New Zealand kiwis (the animal, not the fruit) portrayed in a variety of outfits representing various professions. From top left to top right are Chef Kiwi, Business Kiwi, Dentist Kiwi, Dr. Kiwi; second row from left to right are Sask Kiwi, Speedwi, Safety Kiwi, and Liberty Kiwi. Liberty Kiwi is the single exception and represents Rawry & Pohly in their first adventure to New York City as artists. Each of these fictional kiwis lives as a canvas inside a home in Saskatchewan.

The kiwi collection was inspired by Kiwi, the artists’ beloved small parrot. The first in the series, Business Kiwi (second from top left), represented the two co-founding partners when they began their journey as Rawry & Pohly, while both working full-time in offices. The artwork resonated with customers and was followed by a series of requests for images of other kiwi professions, so the artists began to explore a collection with kiwis at the helm. This series grew in popularity as people saw themselves in each kiwi, just going about their day, doing their best. The artists played with the idea that the kiwi series was one kiwi trying out different professions to find their true passion and to experience more of life. The essential tenet behind the kiwi collection is experimentation, discovery, and exploration. When trying to find your purpose in life, or your passion, sometimes all you have to do is choose your character.

Prairie born and raised, Ingrid Van Opstal has been a part-time commissioned artist since 2004. Having just recently returned from nearly a decade ski-bumming on the West Coast, moving across inter-provincial borders back to her roots in Saskatchewan is a welcome change. 

Inspired by the simplicity of nature, surrealist dreamscapes, and the nostalgia of a bygone era, Ingrid has combined her love of rebellious pop art, interactive psychedelia, bold/high contrast colors, and traditional mediums, to be a well rounded illustrator and fine artist. She has produced and curated an Independent music magazine between 2010-2011, Profane Pit, showcasing local, regional, and inter-provincial artists and musicians. She was featured in an artist-run series at the Whistler Brewing Company and Prospect Hotel in Pemberton, British Columbia.

The main mediums she works with include acrylic, watercolor, UV reactive ink and pen.

Instagram: whiterabbitgraphics

There is a certain magic in the moment between dusk and twilight on the prairies.  Hyper-surreal color palettes paint the endless horizon. No matter what end of this beautiful country we live in, there is no comparable substitute for the tranquility of a Saskatchewan summer. 

Saskatchewan is a place of endless opportunity, with a vast sea of talented artists and visual creators. With arms open and a warm welcome for those of us who left and returned with a new found sense of gratitude for this province. 

The heartland of the country beats with fervor for its children.

Madison Pascal, born 1990, Regina SK, Canada, is an emerging artist of Saulteaux and French/Ukrainian ancestry working mainly in painting and drawing. In 2014, she studied abroad in Sunderland, United Kingdom where she was able to expand her skills in darkroom and digital photography. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree: International with a major in drawing and painting. She received many awards including: Academic Silver Scholarship (2014), Maurice Neitzel Award (2014), Elizabeth Blight Memorial Scholarship (2015), and the Kiley Carlson Memorial Scholarship (2015). 

Madison is an active board member of the Art Gallery of Regina, a non-profit, public gallery. Her works have been included in group exhibitions in Saskatchewan and Manitoba including, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Regina, and downtown Winnipeg and can be found in many private and corporate collections.

Madison works from her studio in downtown Regina, SK.

“I was inspired by two things that I love dearly, the rolling prairie and my family. I chose to personify our province as a woman, a symbol of fertility and comfort. The maiden proudly dons a wheat crown to pay homage to our farmers and is dressed in traditional Saulteaux regalia to honour my kokum. The figure is holding a bison skull to represent Wascana Creek’s early name oskana kâ-asastêki” (lit. “Bones, which are piled.”) When I think of our province, I see my most favorite wildflower, a prairie icon, the Western Red Lily. At first glance our province is hardy and unforgiving but, if you look close, it’s beautiful and fragile.”

Madison’s works are based on emotional experiences, which she uses to open a unique poetic vein. Multi-layered and finely detailed images seduce the viewer into a world of nostalgia and intimate moments. Art lets her immortalize objects and preserve feelings that are important to herself and that can easily relate to the viewer. The figure will never age, the flowers will never wilt, and the beauty captured will outlast the test of time.

Pepito Escanlar was born in Guimbal, Iloilo, Philippines and immigrated to Canada in 1975 after completing his degree in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas. He settled in Regina in 1983.

His early works, mainly in watercolours, have been included in annual juried art exhibitions such as the Arts Saskatchewan at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina; and the Saskatchewan Open at the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon. His entries consistently won awards at the annual SaskArt Exhibits in Regina.

His two-person exhibits have included “Pepito Escanlar / Gerald Jessop: Acrylics & Watercolours” (1984) and “Pepito Escanlar / Beth Gaffney: Regina Scenes” (1989) at the Rosemont Gallery (now the Art Gallery of Regina); and “Pepito Escanlar/ Ronald Davis Provincial Touring Exhibition” (1985-87), sponsored by the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Council. He was a recipient of a grant from the Saskatchewan Arts Board in 1987. Escanlar’s works have also been featured in several annual SGI Canada Art Calendars.

His time for creating artworks was reduced in the late 1990s and 2000s as priorities shifted to family responsibilities and full-time employment. He retired in 2016 after 41 years in the architectural field to pursue his passion for painting. He moved from watercolours to acrylics and from realism to semi-abstraction.

In 2019, he participated in artists talks organized by the Dunlop Gallery; and his artwork was among the pieces previously chosen for the 2019 Urban Canvas public art program in downtown Regina. His artworks were also featured in “Pamana: Sights and Sounds of Philippine Heritage” along with the works of Ella Brion, at the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa.

Pepito Escanlar’s commissions include artworks for the Government House Historical Society and SGI Canada; “Stations of the Cross, “a series of fourteen acrylic paintings for the Resurrection Church in Regina that he also designed; a mural project at the main lobby of the All Saints School (Swift Current); and “Saskatchewan Heritage,” a mural commissioned in commemoration of Canada 150.

Painting is part of how I call Canada home and how I maintain connection with my ancestral home and culture across distance and time. It is this duality, rooted in two cultural and artistic traditions, that inspires my work.

An immigrant from the Philippines, I was struck by the contrasts between the two countries: the climate, colours, history, and culture. My relationships with Canada, my adopted home, and the Philippines, my ancestral home, continue to evolve. Similarly, my artistic influences reflect the traditions of both homes. I am inspired by the works of Emily Carr and Lawren Harris just as I am by works of Botong Francisco and Nemiranda. In 2019, my paintings were exhibited at the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa to celebrate Philippine heritage.

After 41 years working in the architectural field, I am pleased to have more time to devote to painting. I am thankful for the continuing artistic inspiration that I find in my home here in Regina, and for the opportunity to share and celebrate my Philippine heritage through art.

Cristian Barreno was born in 1982 in Guatemala, a country known for its deep roots within Mayan culture.  This rich heritage has influenced and inspired Cristian since he first started painting using oils and acrylics back in the mid-nineties. Thanks to the help of his brother, Cristian moved to Canada in 2002 and pursued a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Regina. Since his first weeks in Canada he continued developing his passion for painting and drawing. His themes and colors have constantly evolved, maintaining vivid colors, nonetheless. In each work he tries to achieve storytelling or at least provoke a happy smile. During the past few years his wife Addy has been a great comrade in developing new ideas for art. He is honored to see the recognition he has gained in Regina, and plans to continue exploring this skill and encourage others to try creating art.

 Facebook & Instagram: @CristianBarrenoArt

 Website: www.cristianbarreno.com

This piece is a small tribute to the Indigenous culture and nature of Saskatchewan, the province that I now call home. 

Due to their historical and cultural significance, I drew the five major treaties signed in the province. I use Mayan numbers to distinguish each one of them. 

On the front part of the painting I depicted some of the common birds that make Saskatchewan/prairies their home at least for the summer.  

Seeing all birds together reminds me of a Powwow which is a yearly celebration to honor mother earth, life and family. 

I grew up on a small Saskatchewan farm overlooking Last Mountain Lake. There I discovered my love of art. Our small house was busy with my five siblings and often a few cousins that my caring parents took under their wings. My peaceful creating space was upstairs by a window that was often covered in an inch of frost during the winter months. Frosty winter months meant less work with only the cows to feed and milk. This gave me plenty of extra time to pencil sketch for hours.

Being a self taught artist in the digital era is beneficial and numerous online tutorials provided me with a wealth of knowledge. I have made it a point to teach myself in several different mediums. Presently my focus is mixed media collage, acrylic paintings with animal motifs and textured Metis beadwork. I also recently completed a woodblock carving of a buffalo for relief prints. The animal art is focused on animals Indigenous people subsisted on including my Metis family who are avid hunters. I have designed several Metis beadwork graphics with photoshop to incorporate into my artwork. My first few paintings were of beadwork canvas cutouts which gave my art a unique floral textured finish inspired by Henri Matisse. In addition to painting I enjoy photography which is mainly focused on the beauty of Mother Earth.

My Kokum’s creativity and determination inspired my art. She lived in a two room house on Jackrabbit Road on the road allowance in Lebret, Saskatchewan. There she brought up 11 children with her husband Gregoire Poitras. During the winter months she lived with us, as her home lacked amenities.

Lovingly we would string beads for her gorgeous necklaces. For our efforts a nickel per string, which would go full circle in an evening game of rummy. The sale of necklaces provided her with extra income for living expenses. The elders in my youth were positive role models and always encouraged my creative nature.

I have always celebrated life through art and in the past years created several backdrops for school musicals and community events. I was proud to donate art for silent auctions; one, recently, for the Early Learning Centre, of a turtle. During my career I helped organize and co-presented several workshops to integrate children’s Indigenous stories with art. I was fortunate and thankful to have the Saskatchewan Arts Board award me with the Indigenous Art grant in 2018 to create a 108”x48” triptych with mixed media techniques and my floral artwork. And at present a 2019 Arts Board grant to continue my painting. I have previously designed art for the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, including traffic boxes and door art — one of Turtle Island with several Metis beadwork designs within the turtle; you can view it in front of the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina. Also for Sask. Cultural Days 2019 and Articulate Ink, I carved a 2’x4’ buffalo running through the valley for their steamroller printing event, titled, “Where the Buffalo Roamed”. As well, Sakewewak First Nations Artists’ Collective Inc. accepted four of my paintings for the Art Now September 2019 call for artist submissions. I have sold several pieces of art on Ebay in its early years.

I have endless ideas and plans to continue my growth and drive to create art throughout my life. After being one of the first few individuals to graduate from an Indigenous teaching college, S.U.N.T.E.P., with a major in cross-cultural studies, I had a rewarding career as a teacher for 28 years in Regina. I am fortunate that I can now focus my time on creating art and enjoying more moments with my family. I sign my art P. Poitras-Jarrett honouring both my Metis mother and my Scottish-English father. I will always promote pride and positivity through art in the community and in Indigenous people.

Website: www.metisspiritart.ca

www.instagram.com/metisspiritart

www.etsy.com/ca/shop/metisspiritart

I am a Métis artist and I am presently working on a series of 20 mixed media acrylic paintings each 36”x40”. This series is highly textured and designed with my animal motifs and Métis beadwork art. My art depicts the connections the Métis people have with animals and nature. The traditional knowledge of the uses of plants and animals, as with all Indigenous people, continues to sustain the Métis to this day.

The environment is sacred and for humankind to be whole, Mother Earth must be healthy. The Métis people’s intrinsic connection to the land and animals is the focus of my “ Métis Spirit Animals.” Once completed, the animal spirit series will include a buffalo, moose, deer, bear, beaver, ducks, partridges, a squirrel, a goose, gopher, fish, wolf, turtle, rabbit, fox, badger, mink, owl, dog and horse. Each spirit animal description includes the Michif word, characteristics of the animal and its connection to the Métis people.

Métis Moose Spirit – Solitude

Moose – nariyanl (nariyael) are solitary animals and prefer to be alone. They have great stamina to travel across the Northern land that’s filled with muskeg and forest. My Spirit Moose art symbolizes solitude. It was likely during a time of solitude that the Métis people designed the Red River cart. It became the main source of transportation of goods and fur trading at that time.

Métis Buffalo Spirit – Strength

The Buffalo – bofluu (bufloo) was once the Métis people’s main source of substance. The buffalo has deep spiritual meanings to many Indigenous people across America. In my art it symbolizes strength.

Like the buffalo the Métis were forced off their homeland by land developers. The scrip given to the Métis to buy new land was unusable and had less value than their previous homes and land. Many had no choice than to settle on the road allowances and found the strength and resiliency to settle for much less.

Their combined knowledge with their Indigenous families that included backgrounds from Ojibwa, Cree and others, along with European ancestry contributed to their families’ survival after they were forced from their homeland and made to live on small parcels of land and live on road allowances.

Métis Deer Spirit – Friendship

The deer – shuvreu (shouvreu) is naturally social and often travels in groups, especially the females.

They appear gentle and peaceful with their large ears perked up. Some Indigenous people believe they are messengers of peace. In my art the deer spirit symbolizes close ties and friendships. The Métis people are a peaceful happy bunch, that love to socialize and dance to fiddle music.

Rosa Cruz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1982. She has a BA in the History of Art and Painting from the University of Puerto Rico. She also has a Juris Doctor and is a lawyer with a legal practice in Civil Law and Arbitration. Since 2016, she has focused on making sustainable artwork and art designs that explore the theme of social and cultural diversity and inclusion in our society, a theme that holds importance if we want to reach real social change and transformation of values in our countries. Eradicating racism from the roots using the arts is her motivation when making art.

The inspiration of the artwork Bubbles of Diversity and Inclusion is the social and culture diversity and inclusion that supports and encourages Regina Downtown and the neighborhood that surrounds it and that is inspirational to others.

Regina Downtown is distinguishable by its spirit of pride for its heritage cultures, always embracing cultural diversity as a way of consciousness. It does not matter what makes us different from each other – you matter, I matter, we all matter.  We are precious stones for [building] Regina, and together we can create a better future and real change in our society.

Nicole Chen is a student at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, where she is learning how to design sustainable built forms that inspire, nurture, and endure. Growing up as a minority in Regina, Saskatchewan, much of Nicole’s work is concerned with the unique experience of what it means to embody both Asian and Western cultures in one’s identity. She also takes inspiration from the natural world and hopes her work as an architect will serve to protect and cherish it. She has worked in Copenhagen, Vancouver, and Calgary, but her heart will always be with Regina, her hometown.

It’s common to hear, “Saskatchewan is flat,” or “all I see in Saskatchewan is grass and wheat.” While it may seem like our province is only made up of farms from afar, the prairie landscape of our province is actually rich with flora biodiversity. These beautiful and nuanced plants have served our people for centuries as food, medicine, shelter, and beauty. Many animals and insects depend on native species for habitat and food.

Today, 4 out of 5 species are declining on Saskatchewan grasslands. Saskatchewan has comparatively weak laws for endangered species and habitat protection, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Lands are primarily sold to make way for more monocultural farming and private property, leaving behind less habitat for native species. 

Protection of our natural landscapes is crucial for the preservation of native flora and fauna. We have the power to tell our governments what we think is best for our province. We can also take initiative to plant more local species in our own gardens. We have a responsibility to our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. 

Marilyn Nelson was born in the ranch land of southwest Saskatchewan.  After working many years as a Medical Laboratory Technologist, she switched paths and returned to university to attain her BFA with distinction (Visual Art) from the University of Regina in 2011. A proponent of social equity and social justice, she is a member of Amnesty International; many of her paintings reflect this theme in an abstract expressive style. She works out of her studio near Griffin, SK, has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout Saskatchewan, and has work in private collections throughout Canada and the United States.

This image is inspired by Michael Franti’s song “Good to be Alive Today”. I feel that Franti‘s lyrics describe a situation in which we all find ourselves: of reading/hearing the news of the day and feeling the unease and confusion portrayed by the differing opinions of the scientists, politicians, religions, media and the world’s population in general. He describes the resulting divisiveness, hatred and violence and the ways we as individuals try to cope. Finally, he helps us dream about a world where love has won over hate and where we can all say that “It’ s Good to be Alive Today.“

Greg Allen is best known for intensely coloured imagery of otherworldly elemental environments. Layered worlds that lay just behind the veil of perception. Dreamlike flora and faunal representations of supernatural narratives through vivid drawings and paintings.

Greg was born in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1982. Allen works in a variance of mediums ranging from graphite, coloured pencil, pen & ink, to acrylic paint and resin. Greg has studied drawing and sculpture at the University of Regina, but tailored his love for painting through self taught exploration and local classes. His body of work explores natural and supernatural themes with keen attention to precise mark making while maintaining an improvisational approach to each work.

Greg is represented by Slate Gallery, he works from his studio in Regina SK.

I am interested in the ethereal, the woo, the immeasurable aspects of life. I have experienced the unexplainable and therefore I am willing to listen to otherworldly reports and stories from people of past and present. I love the Sasquatch saga for its continuous mystery. A legend spanning over cultures and millennia. It’s the little correlations in the details from tale to tale that keep me interested. Reports of glowing red eyes, dematerialization, psychic ability and even interdimensional travel.

The paradigm in which we currently exist is based on a scientific understanding of something to gain truth. Empirical science will not accept the possibility that there could be a giant bipedal hairy humanoid beast hidden within the vast wilds of this planet. Countless anecdotal accounts and eyewitness encounters are put to the wayside until we have the physical evidence of a ‘Bigfoot’ body. It is my intention to visually bring forth the lesser known aspects of a deep mystery that continues to compel true believers and skeptics alike!

Infrasound is a massive wavelength of low frequency sound that is beyond our perception. It can be emitted by many megafauna such as Elephants, Tigers, Hippo’s, Whales and Crocodilians. Invisible waves of fear that can penetrate prey to paralysis. This nauseating twist of the tummy is often reported in eyewitness accounts of meeting the ‘Sasquatch’.

I’m bringing the most outlandish theories that I have collected over the years to the canvas, offering a rather deep glimpse into the abyss that is the ‘Bigfoot’ enigma

Artist Bio Kelly Cairns is a Saskatchewan born artist. She is better known for her role as part owner of local music venue The Cure. She has brought her drawings to her clothing brand W+S in past years and is currently working on a historical graphic novel project, incorporating her PhD in history with her love for portraiture and sequential art.

As a musician and music venue owner, she has a deep appreciation for Saskatchewanʼs local art and music scene and chose this piece of Buffy Sainte Marie as a nod to southern Saskatchewanʼs Indigenous heritage and the vibrancy and legacy of Reginaʼs music community.

Barbara resides in Lumsden, Sask. where she creates her ceramics, printmaking, and paintings. Barbara started her professional artistic career at the University of Saskatchewan studying printmaking and photography and eventually added ceramics to her repertoire. Barbara developed a wholesale line of ceramic art which she marketed to over forty galleries though out Canada. After moving to Lumsden, Barbara fostered a loyal patron base in the prairie provinces for her ceramics, while focusing on juried craft markets though out Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. 

For several years, Barbara owned and operated her own art gallery “The Clay Shop” in a beautiful heritage building downtown Lumsden, Sask., to promote local and international artists. Barbara returned to university in 2011 and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting. She received her BFA with Distinction form the University of Regina in 2014 and was awarded the Dean’s Medal in Fine Arts and numerous scholarships. Barbara recently, completed her second term of Artist in the Communities program funded through the Saskatchewan Arts Board. At present, Barbara is preparing her exhibition “Diggers” for a travelling tour to sixteen art galleries for the next three years with the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Council.

As a musician and music venue owner, she has a deep appreciation for Saskatchewanʼs local art and music scene and chose this piece of Buffy Sainte Marie as a nod to southern Saskatchewanʼs Indigenous heritage and the vibrancy and legacy of Reginaʼs music community.

As a musician and music venue owner, she has a deep appreciation for Saskatchewanʼs local art and music scene and chose this piece of Buffy Sainte Marie as a nod to southern Saskatchewanʼs Indigenous heritage and the vibrancy and legacy of Reginaʼs music community.

Brandie Rae Perkins is a local Saskatchewan artist. She is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist with a focus on acrylic painting and alcohol inks. Brandie has had an interest in arts since she was young and has focused on creating and adapting her art through a variety of mediums. She is an active member of a vibrant arts community, collaborating with and learning from her peers. Always enthusiastic to learn and accept new challenges, she brings fruition to ideas and projects of unfamiliar mediums.

Brandie draws her inspiration from travel and her time spent in nature. Colour theory and heavy textures define her work. She was a children’s art instructor for years at a local art studio, and has since developed workshops for children and adults. These workshops are available for private booking. Her most recent solo exhibition, Urban Absence, was well attended and received at the TAE Gallery in Regina in 2015. She has also shown in previous years in a variety of local gallery exhibitions and auctions. Herpieces can be found in an assortment of collectors showcases nationally, including Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Ontario.

As a musician and music venue owner, she has a deep appreciation for Saskatchewanʼs local art and music scene and chose this piece of Buffy Sainte Marie as a nod to southern Saskatchewanʼs Indigenous heritage and the vibrancy and legacy of Reginaʼs music community.

Jaynie Himsl is an award winning artist whose work has been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally.   She resides in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada with her husband.

Jaynie Himsl’s artistic focus is the landscape.   The lines, colour and simplicity of a prairie landscape are interpreted in an abstract way.  Using maps, leaves or other natural items as inspiration she works intuitively to create imaginary places.

Simon Feser is an artist based in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is a fourth year Bachelor of Fine Arts student at the University of Regina where he studies printmaking and photography. His photographic work is focused on abstract imagery and the landscapes of Saskatchewan, and his prints are themed around religion, death, and mental health, using psychedelic and abstract imagery. In the summer of 2017 Simon worked with the Museums Association of Saskatchewan to photographically document our province’s museums, and in the summer of 2018 he worked with Articulate Ink, both participating in the print studio and in student art sales. He has also participated in numerous shows at the U of R’s fifth Parallel gallery and in the 2017 Cathedral Village arts fest.

Mike McKenna is a Saskatchewan based artist with a life-long love of the fine arts and comic books. Mike discovered his love of comics early on in his life creating and selling his first comic in kindergarten. Since that day there has been no doubt what he wanted to do as a career. As time progressed, Mike further refined his art skills and started taking on art commissions in 2006, mainly drawing and painting portraits and prairie scenes.  

Michael attended the University of Regina Graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2014. Mike has a diverse work history in the visual art field. Mike has taught art workshops to children, adults and seniors, painted murals, provided illustrations for publishing companies, and much more!

Public art should reflect an understanding of our city, its values and character, and its evolving culture. My artworks aim to achieve that – the images of people capture ethnic and gender diversity, the community coming together, neighbourhood/downtown spirit, the pursuit of education and physical fitness.

The painting depicts the citizens and war veterans gathered in front of the cenotaph at Victoria Park in downtown Regina. Remembrance Day, held annually on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, commemorates the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers during wars, including World Wars I and II. 

Remembrance Day became more significant to the artist when his son, who is with the Canadian Armed Forces, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 for almost a year. This painting is his humble way of showing respect, admiration, and appreciation of our war veterans.

I have been a teacher for the past thirty years, mostly in Saskatchewan. I had been taking photos for years after taking a photography class at university. In the middle of my teaching career, I took a year off to return to university and took a painting class which opened another avenue for art making for me.

Jon Vaughn is a visual artist, curator, graphic designer, screenprinter, musician, dj and independent publisher. Born in Saskatoon, Vaughn also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from the University of Saskatchewan. Vaughn’s hybridic visual art works combine illustration, painting, collage elements mirroring the diversity found his music and sound art compositions and improvisations.

Working in both contemporary art and comic book communities, his visual practice balances projects for both the printed page and white cube. His artwork has published in 50 international anthologies and exhibited across Canada (Saskatoon, Regina, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Moncton, North Bay, Sechelt) and internationally (England, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Latvia, Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, Japan, China and the United States). Vaughn is currently enrolled in the MFA program at the University of Regina. http://www.jonvaughn.me

Winter works full-time as an artist in her Cathedral neighbourhood home studio.

Girl with Flowers was inspired by a photograph Wendy Winter took of her very sunburnt, tired and rather uncooperative granddaughter in a lovely flowered sundress upon returning from a morning at the Cathedral Arts Festival Street Fair.

It is important that Ms. Winter feel connected to her subject matter, and there is no subject to which she is more connected than her granddaughter. Consequently her granddaughter has found herself depicted many times in drawings, paintings and illustrations.
Although beauty is not much celebrated as serious subject matter in contemporary art, Winter has always been drawn to it. She remembers telling an art critic she wanted to make paintings that were excruciatingly beautiful, and he laughed. But she was serious.

Madison Rayne Pascal, born 1990, Regina SK, Canada, is an emerging artist of Saulteaux and French/Ukrainian ancestry working mainly in painting and drawing. In 2014, she studied abroad in Sunderland, United Kingdom where she was able to expand her skills in darkroom photography. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree: International with a major in drawing and painting. She received many awards including: Academic Silver Scholarship (2014), Maurice Neitzel Award (2014), Elizabeth Blight Memorial Scholarship (2015), and the Kiley Carlson Memorial Scholarship (2015). Madison is a member and an acting board member of the Art Gallery of Regina, a non-profit, public gallery. She is also a member of the Brushworks Art Guild of Regina. Her works have been included in group exhibitions in Saskatchewan and Manitoba including, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Regina, and downtown Winnipeg and can be found in many private collections as well as SGI’s collection.

Madison’s works are based on familiar emotional experiences, which she uses to open a unique poetic vein. Multi-layered and finely detailed images seduce the viewer into a world of nostalgia and intimate moments. Art lets her immortalize objects and preserve feelings that are important to herself and that can easily relate to the viewer. The figures will never age, the flowers will never wilt, and the beauty captured will outlast that of the real objects.

Just shy of being born with a pencil in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, Christine has been an artist for her entire life. Her love of visual creative expression has led her to explore a number of mediums throughout the years…from creating bespoke hand-painted wine glasses, to becoming a freelance make-up artist, to painting, drawing, and sculpting…and everything in between. But it is the classic, beloved, red-framed drawing toy that can be found in every child’s toy box which challenges and enchants her most. The Etch a Sketch is generally regarded as a frustrating toy upon which most people “can’t even draw a straight line or a square”, yet Christine is able to create full artworks using the “magic screen”. One continuous line, each finished work lasts until the next calls to her to come to life…which is when she shakes her red- framed Etch A Sketch to begin another masterpiece. In erasing each work, she is also learning another art form: the art of letting go and creating anew.

Melanie Monique Rose is a visual artist from Regina, Saskatchewan. She attended Kootenay School of the Arts with a major in the Fibre Arts in Nelson, B.C. Rose has exhibited her art work in both group and solo exhibitions Nationally. One of her greatest honors as an artist was accepting the award for ‘Excellence in Craft in 2013 from the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Dimensions exhibit. In 2016, Rose exhibited her first solo exhibition of study of The Flower People at Regina’s Creative City Centre’s Hague Gallery.

I’m a photographer/artist from Regina Saskatchewan. I am currently a student at the University of Regina, where I am finishing my degree in visual arts and creative technology. I like to work with photography in creative ways, like my layered abstract photography projects, but I also like all types of photography and I am up for any challenges or opportunities.

Since graduation from the U of R in 1993 with a BFA in Drawing and Film, I’ve been illustrating and designing non-stop: as a career in the promotional goods industry; on commercial freelance projects; and on more personal artistic pursuits. I’ve enjoyed forming relationships with many local businesses and bands, lending my skills to crafting their posters, billboards, logos, beer labels and album covers.

I’ve lived my entire life here in the Queen City (with the exception of a year learning animation in Calgary) and look forward to many more years as I raise my son here with my partner. We’re usually found downtown every weekend, making use of the library, buying comics, dining or taking in events. It would be a thrill to have my work incorporated into fabric of the city I call home.

By using colours of the rainbow Crystal brings awareness to the subtle yet vital role of plants and insects. She believes all people of our communities depend on this part of nature to sustain life. The inherent beauty and minutia of nature shows us how precious the health of our environment is for our own human existence.

“If all the insects were to disappear from the Earth, within 50 years all life on Earth would end. If all human beings were to disappear from the Earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish” Jonas Salk

Crystal is predominantly self-taught taking many workshops. She continues to further her education and abilities as an artist, most recently completing the Arts Entrepreneurship and Creative Endeavours Business Development Course funded through the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Creative Saskatchewan. She also recently received a Saskatchewan Arts Board Micro-grant to further support her creative endeavors.

She has had many solo and group exhibitions locally, regionally and provincially as well as receiving awards for her work.  

Cate is a printmaker and illustrator living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She holds a BFA from the University of Saskatchewan (2008), an MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (2014), and a Prairie Horticulture Certificate from the University of Saskatchewan CCDE (2015). Her recent practice focuses on combining her interests in art and ecology into collaborative, community-engaged art projects and public murals. The bulk of her public art is carried out under the umbrella of her Paper Wildlife Conservancy (PWC).

In 2016 she implemented a Saskatoon-wide wheat paste campaign, engaging residents with local ecology and architecture while fostering a positive awareness of street art in the city. The PWC has since undertaken several hands-on educational projects at: Street Meet (2016), Sherbrooke Community Centre (2016), Nuit Blanche Saskatoon (2016, 2017), and Centennial Collegiate (2017). A gallery component of the project was accepted into the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils’ touring program where it has been encouraging residents across Saskatchewan to engage with the work of the PWC. In addition to her public art practice,

Cate is an educator that delivers printmaking courses at a variety of institutions across Canada. Currently, she is a Silkscreen Instructor at Void Gallery and a Drawing Instructor for the University of Saskatchewan’s Certificate of Art and Design program.

Tania has lived on the prairies most of her life, with portions spent traveling and gaining experience and inspiration from the natural world and the patterns she sees. Tania has active sketch books filled with watercolours, pencil drawings, and lettering exercises. Tania graduated as a graphic designer from Red River College in Winnipeg in 1991. Feeding her love of typography she has attended Type Camp in India14, Japan16, and Las Vegas17. Tania Wolk a Graphic Designer whose specialties include working with type so words and thoughts are the stars of the pages to make ideas shine.

Tania has lived on the prairies most of her life, with portions spent traveling and gaining experience and inspiration from the natural world and the patterns she sees. Tania has active sketch books filled with watercolours, pencil drawings, and lettering exercises. Tania graduated as a graphic designer from Red River College in Winnipeg in 1991. Feeding her love of typography she has attended Type Camp in India14, Japan16, and Las Vegas17. Tania Wolk a Graphic Designer whose specialties include working with type so words and thoughts are the stars of the pages to make ideas shine.

My name is Meaghan Michalski. I am a Regina based multi-media artist. I like to create bold colourful artwork in a variety of mediums including watercolours, acrylic paint, pencil, ink plaster and papier-mâché. My influences include pop art, graffiti, street art and folk art.

“This concept was originally created while Regina was in the grips of a relentless winter. Spring seemed so far away. 

I thought of the Canadian goose and how their arrival heralds the spring. Their chorus of honks bring with them the promise of spring and warmer weather.

Included in this artwork is my rendition of the beautiful Saskatchewan scenery. Scenery we can take for granted living in the city. But take a drive through the country and you can see some of the most beautiful terrain around. Colourful fields, expansive blue skies and shining waters.

My concept was to bring spring, summer, colour and life to our downtown—which can be a whole lot of brick and cement. And possibly, this piece can bring a glimmer of hope to viewers during those long winter months.”

I am a Métis artist living in Regina, Saskatchewan and a farm girl at heart.

As I reflect on my art, I contemplate the many value connections that my Métis family and the Métis people have with animals, plants and nature. One example is how my Kokum’s creativity and determination inspired my art. She lived in a two room house on Jackrabbit Street on the road allowance in Lebret, Saskatchewan. There she brought up 11 children with her husband Grégoire Poitras. During the winter months she lived with us, as her home lacked amenities. Lovingly we would string beads for her gorgeous necklaces. For our efforts she gave us a nickel per string, which would go full circle in an evening game of rummy. The sales of necklaces provided her with extra income for living expenses. The elders in my youth were positive role models and always encouraged my creative nature.

I sign my art P. Poitras-Jarrett honouring both my Métis mother (Cree-Ojib, French) and my Scottish-English father. I will always promote pride and positivity through art in the community and in Indigenous people.

Website: www.metisspiritart.ca

www.instagram.com/metisspiritart

www.etsy.com/ca/shop/metisspiritart

“As a graphic designer, I’m always aware of colour, shape and texture in everything I see, even in the most basic elements of the urban environment. In Amalgamated and Aware, structures and shapes from around downtown Regina (most within a 5 minute walk of the alley) are constructed to form a sinister robot, emerging from the shadows, looking for trouble.”

“As a graphic designer, I’m always aware of colour, shape and texture in everything I see, even in the most basic elements of the urban environment. In Amalgamated and Aware, structures and shapes from around downtown Regina (most within a 5 minute walk of the alley) are constructed to form a sinister robot, emerging from the shadows, looking for trouble.”

Cyril Chen (陳嘉雯, he/they/hers) is an animator and expanded media artist who was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory with family from the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions of China. Cyril’s work stems from the exploration of migration, separation, and the ways in which we are intertwined with cyberspace. @cyberspacevoid.

“Regina Saskatchewan seems to have a quaint reputation for its simplicity and level horizons. But that isn’t something bad to look down upon — it gives us peaceful nights and clearer minds. Living Skies represents the beauty that we already have in Saskatchewan, and the need to preserve it for the future.”

Cyril Chen (陳嘉雯, he/they/hers) is an animator and expanded media artist who was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory with family from the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions of China. Cyril’s work stems from the exploration of migration, separation, and the ways in which we are intertwined with cyberspace. @cyberspacevoid.

“Regina Saskatchewan seems to have a quaint reputation for its simplicity and level horizons. But that isn’t something bad to look down upon — it gives us peaceful nights and clearer minds. Living Skies represents the beauty that we already have in Saskatchewan, and the need to preserve it for the future.”

“My latest work, Within Eden, is an exploration of an imagined space to place the subject in. Like with all my previous works, this is a piece that focuses mainly on technique and trying out a different watercolour style. I tend to have negative spaces in my works and that is with the intent that the viewers will fill in those spaces and in turn resonate with the piece. I continually explore new techniques and medium and try to better myself as an artist and hopefully to showcase what I learned through my future works.”

“This piece recognizes the hidden beauty of Wascana park during the summer and the wildlife that inhabit it. It showcases the Legislative Building as a familiar landmark, the familiar geese that nest along the lake, and the lively prairie skies behind it all. As a whole, it brings a bit of nature back into the urban neighborhood of downtown Regina.”

In my life, I crave colour, and joy and light.

In the concept for my artwork, I hoped to convey those sensibilities into a piece that would bring those same gifts to the viewer. I wanted something that would stand apart and be noticed while beautifying our city. I wanted something cheerful and bold.

I love my job as a graphic designer. I blossom a bit more as an artist every time I create art for my clients.

I love seeing my work pop-up unexpectedly all over Regina.

I love being a part of the city’s heartbeat. Regina is beautiful – always growing and changing – just like the people who live here.