HUMBOLDT – The Humboldt and District Gallery has a new exhibit by Bonnie Conly called An Uncomfortable Mess.
Catherine Harrison, cultural programmer, said, “Bonnie Conly is captivated by the nostalgia that surrounds tumbleweeds and intrigued by their individual fragility and collective strength. It resonates with her that tumbleweeds are moving objects that become tangled and stuck. She perceives tumbleweeds as metaphors for complex divisive social issues surrounding concerns of inequality and isolation. The challenge is how to tackle these uncomfortable, prickly, messy issues that require examination of deeply rooted beliefs, values, viewpoints and behaviours to initiate substantial change towards inclusivity.
Everyone is welcome to come check out the new exhibit on display April 1 - 25. There will be a opening reception and artist talk on Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. for this exhibit and another exhibit called Fleeting Beauty.
Conly was raised on a farm near Central Butte. She is a granddaughter of Ukrainian settlers and a great granddaughter of Scottish and British immigrants. Conly has lived most of her life on Treaty 6 and Treaty 4 lands. As a multi-disciplinary artist, Conly uses a variety of approaches to contemplate themes of place, identity, and immigration. Geography, history, and myth-telling are integral to her visual practice.
Bonnie has had solo and group exhibitions in several public galleries in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Ontario, including two touring exhibitions with the Organizations of Saskatchewan Art Councils (OSAC). There are two public installations of her artwork: a painted mural in Vegreville, Alberta and two streetlight banners in Pickering, Ontario.
The Humboldt Museum also has another exhibit called Fleeting Beauty to view. This exhibit showcases butterflies that can represent endurance, change and hope to many people around the world.
Artist Cheryl Andrist uses mixed-media textile works to explore the effect that the decline in their population has on the interconnectedness of the natural world, of which humans are a part.
Andrist comes from a creative family that taught her how to paint. She later attended the University of Regina and received a BFA with a major in printmaking under the instruction of Jack Cowin. Her work is in collections across Canada and internationally.
