The Flower People is a story about me, my family, my people and our connection and relationship to the land, ourselves, and each other. It is derived from the name ‘The Flower Beadwork People’ a name given to the Métis who are well known for their floral beadwork, details a release sent by the Gallery.
Melanie Monique Rose is a fibre and visual artist from Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory. She attended the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, BC and majored in Fibre Arts. Since then, Rose has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions nationally. The Flower People is derived from the name “The Flower Beadwork People,” a name given to the Métis who are well known for their floral beadwork. Rose uses felting techniques on collected blankets to create a canvas; exploring her Métis identity alongside her Ukrainian heritage. Personal, cultural, and universal symbolism are woven into the fabric of Rose’s work with an emphasis on movement, colour, and narrative.
Rose’s most recent works explore personal acts of Indigenous survivance and solidarity, which have made her look critically at how she tells her story as an active Indigenous presence and contemporary artist in the world today.
“Felted pieces, combined with the use of collected blankets create a canvas for my personal exploration of identity as a contemporary Indigenous Artist, alongside my Ukrainian heritage. My floral imagery invokes stories of people, place, and the land. Personal, cultural, and universal symbolism are woven into the fabric of my work with an emphasis on movement, colour, and narrative,” details the artist’s statement,
“The slow, process-orientated execution of felting becomes meditative and at times acts as healing and a prayer to my family and community. My most recent works are personal acts of Indigenous survivance and solidarity.”
Art came naturally for her.
“I come from a family of makers,” Rose told Yorkton This Week. “For as long as I can remember I’ve had an interest in making things. At the time however, I did not think of it as art.
“In high school my sister and I would make and sell handmade jewelry. In our graduating year I was named, ‘most unique’ in our high school yearbook. It was not until that final year of high school that I took my first art class.
“My parents really pushed me towards the math and sciences. At the time, I don’t think they held much value in pursuing the arts beyond a hobby. They wanted their children to ‘get good jobs’ and ‘have more opportunities’ than they did. I can appreciate that. I do wish though my abilities in the arts were noticed and nurtured earlier… it would have been a bit easier for me in the beginning of my journey as an artist.”
Rose continues the family tradition of ‘makers’.
“I am drawn to handmade,” she said. “I am interested in creating work that can be done solely with my hands. I am conscious of my environmental footprint. I strive to use materials that can biodegrade as well as finding new uses for objects that can be found at thrift shops – like vintage wool blankets – which is a main material in the work that you will see in my exhibition ‘The Flower People’.”
The artist has ties to the Yorkton area too. Her parents grew up close to Yorkton – (Father) Ernie Rose in Sturgis and (Mother) Pat (Krywulak) Rose farm near Ituna.
“After they got married we moved around for my dad’s job. I was born in Red Deer, Alberta but moved back to Saskatchewan shortly after. We lived in small towns, in the country as well as Regina,” she said.
She now lives in Regina with her husband Kurtis Medhurst and daughter Meadow Rose Medhurst.
“Art is my full-time job as well as being a Mother. I work as an artist, curator and art instructor in both public and commercial spaces,” she said.
Workshop Friday
Also at the Land Titles Building, you may join artist Melanie Monique Rose for a hands on, meditative, and tactile experience working with wool as an artistic medium.
The workshop is scheduled for this Friday, Nov. 5 at 6:30pm
The artist will share some of the processes and inspirations for her needle felted artworks in the exhibition.
In the workshop you will have the opportunity to create (and take home) your own unique felted artwork!
The workshop is open to all ages and abilities, and all materials provided for a fee of $10.
Public presenation Saturday
Also in conjunction with the exhibition the public is invited for a special public presentation with Rose and Métis fiddle player Tristen Durocher, this Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Land Titles Building,
The event will include the artist sharing the stories behind her artworks.
In addition, Tristen Durocher will speak on the preservation of culture and connection to community through fiddle music and camps. Tristen will perform the fiddle tune ‘A Song For All Seasons’ by Oliver Shoerr, as well as other traditional Metis fiddle tunes like The Duck Dance and the Red River Jig.
Tristen Durocher started playing fiddle at the age of nine after his grandfather, who also played fiddle, passed away. He learned to play by listening to his grandfather on a recording. Tristen started to grow as a fiddle player after attending the John Arcand Fiddle Fest in Saskatoon, where both Métis and other fiddle styles are taught and celebrated. Tristen was the Peoples’ Choice at the 2019 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Competition where he also placed 9th among 35 of Canada’s top fiddlers who attend by invitation only. Tristen enjoys sharing his music in schools and at the special events for which his fiddle playing prowess is sought.
This event is free and open to the public. Public health protocols will be in place and proof of vaccination or negative test will be requested for entry.
Can’t make it to this in-person event in Yorkton? No problem! We will be recording the artist talks and presenting them in a livestream event later this year, in partnership with Sâkêwêwak First Nations Artists Collective. Watch our social media and sign up to our mailing list to stay informed
The exhibition will be at the Gallery until Dec. 23.
Visit the gallery Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, and Sat 1-4pm to view the exhibition.
