Pick of the Day: Mind the Gap!

We've all heard the jokes I'm sure. My favourite is "the only culture in Saskatchewan is agriculture". Like any stereotype, I suppose, there's a grain (pun intended) of truth in the characterization of our province as a cultural wasteland. Lord knows, we struggle constantly at prairie dog to champion worthwhile cultural endeavours in Regina that reflect a true 21st century urban vibe rather than just pander to heavily romanticized notions of life in Saskatchewan. And believe me, it's not always easy. Just check our Facebook page. We have more "friends" outside Regina than we do here.

Maybe it's our fault. Maybe we need to do a better job of networking in the city. Or maybe Reginans need to think seriously about what it means to be a modern, cosmopolitan, sustainable city.

Regardless, Saskatchewan is not devoid of cultural excellence. In this ambitious show, Dunlop Art Gallery curators Amanda Cachia and Jeff Nye have assembled work by 30 emerging artists from 14 different cities and towns to counter the widely held perception of our province as a gap in Canada's cultural fabric where nothing much happens. It's common slang, by the way, in places like Alberta and Manitoba, to call people from Saskatchewan "gappers".

There was an opening reception for Mind the Gap! last night. This afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Central Gallery Wally Dion, Randal Fedje, Erin Gee and Tim Moore will speak on their work. Then on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. at the Sherwood Village Gallery Kyle Herranen, Rob Jerome and Stacia Verigin will present talks on their art.

Pictured above is a print by Amalie Atkins called Dress and Apple on a Tree (2008) that is in the show. Mind the Gap! runs at both galleries until Jan. 3.