By Alex McCuaig

Prairie Vernacular

Western Canadian folk art on display as part of Prairie Vernacular show

Nov 2, 2019 | 3:15 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – The newest art exhibition at the Esplanade features no shortage of painters who wouldn’t necessarily describe themselves as artists in the traditional sense. But the non-traditional folk art impressions by those who grew up and lived on the prairies depict the do-it-yourself attitude of western Canadians.

The Prairie Vernacular show opened at the Esplanade Friday night and as one patron put it, “it would be hard for someone not to find something they like.”

Curated from several collections, the exhibition includes many artists who had limited to no formal training but a passion to depict the prairie world around them.

One of those artists, Siksika-based Adrian Stimson, says while some may get stuck in the rut of categorizing types of artistic style, the Prairie Vernacular show strips that away as many of the artists are just people who wanted to express themselves.

“At the core, we’re all artists. And as artists, we create,” said Stimson. “For me, it’s that wonderful sense of seeing that diversity of creation.”

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And its appeal can resonate with those wishing to see the things they see and experience in a rural setting by artists sharing that vision.

“When you think about a lot of the artists in this show, for the longest time they were unknown but kept on doing what they beleived in and saw in their minds,” said Stimson. “It’s one of those things – never give up in the sense of following your bliss, following your dreams in making art.”

Prairie Vernacular runs at the Esplanade until Jan. 18, 2020.