ART EXHIBITS
PRESENTING PICASSO
BY JOELLE KIDD AND NINA BRYK
Artist
PETER SAWATZKY is an award-wining Manitoba artist who has earned international recognition for his lifelike bronze sculptures. A country boy raised in Southern Manitoba, Peter’ s passion evolved from watching wildlife and birds into a career of carving these animals.
Inspiration for Peter comes from field drawings made during his many years of observing and studying animal movements. These sketches are eventually transformed into life size sculptures that can reach up to 29 feet long. The foundry process— from creating a metal frame to the empty shell being filled with bronze— can take up to a year depending on the size of the piece.
Peter’ s sculptures have become iconic Winnipeg landmarks, like the sculpture of James A. Richardson at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, the monument of a mother polar bear and her cubs outside the Assiniboine Park Zoo, or“ Seal River Crossing,” which stands at the city’ s famed Portage and Main intersection. The impressive statue, which captures a herd of caribou crossing the Seal River, was inspired by a scene Peter saw from above while travelling to Churchill. While on the flight, he started to sketch the caribou and knew he had his next piece. The project, which took four years to complete, was commissioned by James Richardson & Sons Ltd. in commemoration of its 150th anniversary.
In addition to his public art, more than 25 pieces of Peter’ s work are on display at the Loch Gallery in May and June.
ART EXHIBITS
May-Jun— Graffiti Gallery presents a retrospective featuring works by artists involved with the gallery since its inception in 1998. To May 19— Matthew Gardiner explores modern society’ s relationship with the natural world in You Can Never Go Home Again( pictured) at aceartinc. To May 28— Through the Eyes of a Child exhibits the work of young artists at WAG @ ThePark inside the Assiniboine Park Pavilion. To May 30— Love of gardening and painting runs in the family for Gerd Behrendt and Angela Lillico. See Floral Frenzy: The Love of Father and Daughter at the Wayne Arthur Gallery. May 5-28— The MAWA( Mentoring Artists for Women’ s Art) Artist Mothers Group shows a mother-child collaborative exhibit. May 5-16— See Sari Habiluk’ s The Golden Hour, a collection of vibrant and abstracted acrylic paintings, at cre8ery. Jun 2-28— Turquoise Gem / Pale Blue Dot is a collection of mixed media works by Bonnie Taylor at the Wayne Arthur Gallery.
PRESENTING PICASSO
FROM MAY 13 A pair of exhibits give a rare glimpse at one of art history’ s most iconic figures at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Picasso in Canada features more than 30 paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and ceramic works drawn from collections across the country. Also on display is a collection of 100 etchings and drypoints, presented in its entirety for the first time in 60 years. Named Picasso: Man and Beast, this exhibit showcases the artist’ s preoccupations with the civilizing nature of art and the“ beast within”. Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Blvd, 204‐786‐6641, Map 1: P-3
PHOTOS: PETER SAWATSKY COURTESY OF LOCH GALLERY; LAKESIDE RITUAL( BC) BY MATTHEW GARDINER, 2013, COURTESY OF ACEARTINC; DOVE WITH OLIVE BRANCH BY PABLO PICASSO, 1962, LITHOGRAPH ON PAPER. 55.1 X 75.6 CM. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE ART GALLERY OF GREATER VICTORIA, 2007-067. PHOTOGRAPHER: STEPHEN TOPFER © PICASSO ESTATE / SODRAC( 2016)
8 where. ca MAY / JUNE 2017