Local artist Naomi Gerrard currently has an exhibit up in the Steinbach Arts Council that incorporates Manitoban grain.
Gerrard says that she has been working with materials from the prairies for quite some time.
“I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and as kids, we always played with the grains that dad was growing. We'd haul them around in our trucks.”
Moving to Manitoba then further connected Gerrard to the interest of agriculture.
“Then when we first moved to Manitoba, we were living rural among the farmers just on the south side of the Assiniboine River, and I again started getting excited about the business of Agriculture”
Gerrard says that she is excited about the energy of the grain itself.
“Through the season they grow many more grains, which then of course are harvested, and feed the world. I think it's that whole process that just excites me.”
The local artists' work is made up of painted canvas or boards with a gel that seals in the seeds to keep them from sprouting.
“I was always very interested in mixed media, so I soon quite quickly started incorporating a few of the grains into my work and then decided I would put together a whole show related to the grains and sort of emphasizing the energy of the grains and the value of this whole business in Manitoba.”
The local artist will be at the Steinbach Arts Council June 18th and 19th from about 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to discuss the exhibit.
Gerrard says this will likely feature an unfinished piece, so people can get a glimpse behind the curtain.
“You can kind of see the process that I use, and we'll talk about art, the value of art in our lives, and of course, the value of these grains in Manitoba. Not just the rural community.”
You can see Gerrards work in upstairs hallway gallery of the Steinbach Arts Council to get a closer look at the intricate details involved.
With files from Kenton Dyck