Vanessa Hyggen: ôma askiy âpacihcikâtîw (this land is in use)

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About

Gallery Exhibition - September 1 to October 23

This body of work highlights the diversity, beauty, importance and plight of northern Saskatchewan muskegs, land that is being threatened with strip mining. Peat mining involves draining the water out of the muskeg then mulch the cover vegetation (sundews, pitcher plants, Labrador tea, black spruce, birch, willows, alders, cranberries, bunchberries, cloudberries, bog laurel, leatherleaf, and dozens of species of mosses). Muskegs/peatlands are very old landscapes, it takes 10 years for one centimeter of peat to form. It is important to Vanessa’s culture, and to the survival of traditions and knowledge to keep wild areas intact and undisturbed by resource extraction. Many people are unfamiliar with these areas, and this is Vanessa’s way of bringing the muskeg to the public.

Vanessa is a Canadian artist of Woodlands Cree and Norwegian ancestry. She is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and her community is nemepith sipihk (Sucker River). She holds her Bachelor of Arts with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan. Vanessa is interested in utilizing memory, tradition and themes of nature in her work. Land conservation and land sovereignty are at the heart of her work, with her painting and beadwork focusing on the richness of the land, and in turn, the threats to the land.

Links

• OSAC Website osac.ca

Organizer

Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre

The Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre (GCHCC) houses a museum, art gallery and the Shaunavon Branch of the Chinook Regional Library.

Our museum collection is multi-disciplinary, including artifacts relating to the human history of Shaunavon, fine arts, and natural history specimens of the area.

Our art gallery hosts a minimum of six visual & media arts exhibitions per year featuring local artists and exhibitions available through the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils Arts on the Move touring program.

A variety of programs and tours are offered in association with our art gallery and museum collection, making us more than a collection of objects. Educational programs are offered on a regular basis throughout the year to school students and are provided to other groups upon request. Our public programming provides opportunities for our community to learn & enjoy the arts, as well as the natural history and the human history of our area. The GCHCC serves as a popular locale for many community gatherings and events.