Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
February 1-March 10, 2022
As our AKA residency ended, we were invited to be the inaugural artists-in-residence at the Saskatoon gallery, The Gallery/art placement. We began with the idea of working together on the protective plastic that covered a 35 ft x 12 ft wall—an art performance that visitors could watch evolve and our first truly collaborative piece. Our work began as the Canadian trucker siege was unfolding and late pandemic weariness had set in. It was February, the bleakest part of Saskatchewan winter. This drew us to bright colours and images from nature. A closer look revealed a less cheery reality. The birds, frogs, and insects hinted at habitat loss and environmental degradation. Discreet political messages proclaimed, “Are we post-democracy yet?” and “The pandemic is over according to our fearless leader.” Tired of truckers’ incessant honking, Dawna added signs with all of the text blocked out. Spanning the entire mural, a banner read, “If we were a TV show, we’d have a place to work,” a reference to our struggle to find affordable workspace. We sold pieces of the painted plastic for $10 per square foot to over 60 visitors, donating the proceeds to a local wildlife rehabilitation group. By the end of our residency not a scrap was left.
Owner/director: Levi Nicholat; manager: Linda Stark
