We All 'need a minute'.

It did take us much more than a minute to walk through the Mackenzie Art Gallery today. We began with Miskwaabik Animiiki Power Lines The Works of Norval Morrisseau, paintings of Anishinaabe storytelling. We three longtime friends strolled through Saskatchewan’s impressive Art Gallery for the next two hours. My descriptions of the installations would not do them justice. Even though I knew I would be writing about them tonight I have still felt inadequate to describe them. I have taken short writings from the booklet At the Mackenzie, Fall/Winter 2021/2022 

Dawit L. Petros - Spazio Disponibile, living and working in Montreal and Chicago “….reflects his research into the complex layers of colonial and postcolonial histories connecting East Africa and Europe.”

The Community Watch

From local artists these works are a “….commentary on current challenges to community….” that includes  “….a hopeful image emerges of the possibilities of collective action…”

Beyond the Stone Angel

Twelve artists from various locations have their works exhibited in “…a poetic exploration that provides an entrance post to the grief that has affected so many of us, especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Joi Arcand Nēhiyaw from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation

This is one that I missed! I did notice it but did not recognize it as an art installation: “….installed both on the interior and exterior of the window, overlapping to create overlapping readings from the perspective of those….” outside and in.

After a final stroll through the gift shop, we went to lunch. At the Roots restaurant. In the community.

The Mackenzie Art Gallery installations can be seen online at mackenzie.art

“Everything you can imagine is real.”

~ Pablo Picasso

**Last evening I ended by edging myself into a corner. At least that’s the way it felt when issues were raised by truckers’ convoy. But I do tend to be rather stubborn. Armed with our vaccine ‘passports’ and our government issued ID’s, we had a great day. Risk assessment showed that we were safe. We had a great day!