A new exhibition now open at Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment in Portage la Prairie is stirring fond memories for anyone familiar with summers at Delta Beach.
My Delta Experience by local artist Karen Braden is on display in the Portage Mutual Gallery until Sept. 4, featuring 42 detailed works inspired by her time at the lake between 1980 and 2010.
Lee Beaton, manager of gallery operations, says Braden has been a longtime contributor to the local arts community and it’s special to see her work on full display.
“She was on the board, she’s held many different positions within the arts community, as well as an art instructor for many years,” says Beaton. “It’s so nice to see her work on display.”
Beaton notes the Delta Beach connection resonates deeply with local visitors.
“Most people from Portage are familiar with Delta, and some of the cottages that she’s captured are no longer here after the flood that we had years ago,” she says. “It’s really nice to see how she’s captured some of those memories.”
Braden will be hosting an opening reception on Saturday, July 12 from 1 to 3 p.m., giving the public a chance to speak with her about the collection.
“She’s really captured the memories for people,” remarks Beaton. “Some of them are coming back again today to see the exhibit.”
Detailed work across multiple mediums
Braden’s pieces span several styles and techniques.
“She does a lot of pen and ink, so it’s really fine details,” Beaton explains. “Some of her pastels as well are just so beautiful and then she’s doing some watercolour, some pencils; it’s a combination of several different things.”
The works, many of which focus on buildings and landscapes, offer a realistic window into cottage life, campfires, beach strolls, and other classic summer scenes from the west beach area.
“Her style is very realistic looking in many of the drawings, especially the buildings and stuff in her pen and ink,” Beaton says. “It’s really beautiful.”
She encourages visitors to take their time exploring the collection.
“Take a moment and spend some time with each piece,” she adds. “Come back again and see it again, because you might have missed something the first time around.”
Two other exhibitions open for July
In addition to My Delta Experience, Prairie Fusion is also hosting the Peer 2 Peer exhibition in the Atrium Gallery until July 24.
“That’s a touring exhibition put on by the Golden Prairie Art Council in Carman,” notes Beaton. “Anybody in the central region can submit an entry and then it tours.”
This year’s Portage show features three local artists: Kelly Drew, Coral Pohl, and Melissa Woods, with works in mixed media, painting, and drawing.
Also on display in the Boardroom Gallery is Paper Gardens, a mixed-media collection by Prairie Fusion instructor Cathy Painter.
“She’s got some journals on display that were old books, and then she’s turned them into journals,” Beaton says.
Gallery hours are Monday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is by donation.
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