Nicholas Donaldson
The grand opening of the Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls Moving Gallery will be held next Wednesday (June 21) at the Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre in Sioux Narrows.
The event will run from 3-5 p.m., with people invited to view the tiny studio full of original works of literary, audio, visual, and interactive art.
The gallery is based in a trailer and features a group of artists from across Canada who came together to explore the theme of water through stories, podcasts, paintings, photographic images, mechanical flipbooks, and more.
The project takes its inspiration from the “tiny houses” phenomenon and also acts as a celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Made possible by the support of the federal government and the Canada 150 fund, it promises to be a distinctive platform that will bring together artists and audiences in surprising ways.
“The Moving Gallery will be purpose-built, fun, and interactive, and the stories and art that we share will weave their way through our nation’s history, commemorating and celebrating 150 years by exploring the universal theme of water in a singular way that is quintessential NWO and Canada,” reads a statement on the Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls website.
“Each artist will develop their body of work, around the notion of water and, in the larger context, how it ebbs and flows, how it sustains planet Earth, how it informs a geography and a people, and how as Canadians it ties us all together, connecting time, places, and generations.”
The gallery will remain at the Sportfishing Centre until July 2, where it will be open daily from 1-4 p.m.
Then it will visit Vermilion Bay (July 10) and Matiowski’s Farmers’ Market in Kenora (July 12), before stopping in Nestor Falls for the annual Moose and Fiddle Music Festival (Aug. 18-19),.
Its final scheduled appearance will be at Broken Paddle Coffee in Keewatin (Sept. 7).
After the summer, the studio will be used for the Bridge & Falls Creative Residency program, as well as support local and regional artists.
The Moving Gallery will be made available to artists and crafters interested in travelling to communities across Northwestern Ontario to display and sell their creations.
In this way, it will live on and leave a lasting impact on rural and remote Northwestern Ontario.
The design team for the studio included:
•Erik Arnason (Master’s student, Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba);
•Eduardo Aquino (Professor, Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba);
•Chrissy Sie-Merritt (Interior Decorator); and
•Shawn Bailey and Shawn Sinclair (Architects, Boreal Studio).
The primary creators consist of:
•Nicola Cavendish (writer);
•Wanda Easton (photographer/ blogger);
•Gerald Laroche (soundscape artist);
•Kate-Lynn Paypompee (photographer/videographer);
•Ian Ross (story-teller); and
•Chrissy Sie-Merritt (visual artist).
More information on the moving art gallery, and its schedule, is available at www.snnf.ca
