The latest exhibit at the Art Gallery of Swift Current hasn't gone to the dogs but the bees.
Between Us bridges art and nature together as Sandee Moore Curator of the exhibit explains.
Well Between Us certainly is unique. It contains artwork that is made by artists from across Saskatchewan in collaboration with honey bees.
In regards to the initial concept of the exhibit, Moore says it began when she first started her job as the Curator of Exhibitions and Programming at the Art Gallery of Regina. She knew that she wanted to work with artists who were either from or had connections to Saskatchewan.
World-famous artist Agathena Dyck had been making artwork with honey bees for over twenty years and spent time living in Prince Albert. Moore approached Dyck about doing an exhibition at the gallery in Regina and Dyck had an idea to pass along her ways of working to the next generation of artists. Two summer mentorships were held where Dyck talked with artists about her work and they worked with bee keepers. Those artists who participated in this are now part of the Between Us exhibit.
Moore says it's a very unique display composed of everything from drawings to music.
The amazing thing to me about the artwork in Between Us is that although they all apply basically the same method which is the artist makes something and places it inside the beehive for the bees to then respond by adding their honeycomb. There really is every artistic medium represented.
Moore adds there are 2D pieces that she would call drawings that bees have drawn with their honeycomb, there are sculptures and even music.
The process of putting the exhibit together took place over a great length of time and according to Moore, there was quite the dance back and forth between the artists and the bees as it happened over multiple years. She says in some cases the relationship was unexpected and sometimes artists had to scrape away some of the bee's honeycomb.
Unlike when artists have a human collaborator and they have a similar language, not only can the bees not talk but they are very inscrutable. What you think you would like a bee to do and present them with the opportunity or directive, they will never do what you anticipate, says Moore.
Moore adds that Dyck has a wonderful turn of phrase to describe her process and says there are no secrets there are only surprises.
In addition, Moore wished to thank the Canada Council For The Arts who funded the two-year mentorship and production with Dyck and local bee keepers.
A public reception and artist talk will be taking place tonight, July 27th at 7 pm at the Art Gallery of Swift Current and the exhibit will be on display a t the gallery until September 2nd.