ASSINIBOIA - The Shurniak Art Gallery in Assiniboia hosted an interesting event they called 鈥淚nformal Conversation(s) on Contemporary Art-Making鈥� on December 1.
The main purpose of the afternoon, it appeared, was to showcase two local artists from southern Saskatchewan: Kimisoo Goodtrack from the Wood Mountain Lakota Reserve, and Neil Jones, from Regina, who now lives in Rockglen.
Both Kimisoo and Neil are well known visual artists from the area. Kimisoo is also a storyteller. Wayne Baerwaldt, an out of town Visual Arts Curator and long time friend of the gallery, acted as moderator and MC for the event.
In all, the afternoon was filled with insight, information, sharing, meaningful dialogue, and exchanges, followed by a question and answer period near the end of the session. Those in attendance - some 40 or 50 in number - learned much about the 补谤迟颈蝉迟蝉鈥� bodies of work, their style, their passion, and their inspiration.
Kimisoo Goodtrack was born in Moose Jaw. 鈥淚 am of mixed-blood鈥�, she stated in her own words. 鈥淢y mother was born on the Wood Mountain Lakota Reserve鈥�. Early on in life, Kim鈥檚 family moved to British Columbia in hopes of finding a better future for themselves. They lived and worked there for nearly 40 years.
Kimisoo went on to pursue a career in higher education, receiving a professional Teaching Certificate and a Bachelor of General Studies from Simon Fraser University at the age of 27. She proceeded to teach school in BC for the next 24 years. In 2015, at the age of 55, Kim retired, and promptly moved back to Saskatchewan, where she soon met and fell in love with Lakota Band Councillor Stan Lethbridge. Stan and Kimisoo presently live together in the beautiful hills of the Lakota Reserve, just south of Wood Mountain. It鈥檚 interesting to note that both Kimisoo and Stan鈥檚 great-grandmothers crossed the Medicine Line into Canada with Sitting Bull, seeking refuge from the U.S. Army after the defeat of General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. At the time, Sitting Bull was the most feared man in all of North America. To this day, he remains the most popular and famous Lakota Chief of all time.
Kimisoo is 66 years of age. She recently purchased the old CIBC bank building on Main Street in Rockglen, and opened her Lakota Art Gallery in February of 2019, just one month before Covid-19 arrived on the scene. An energetic and kindly soul, Kim has written 5 children鈥檚 books and produced more than 90 children鈥檚 television shows for APTN showing the Lakota culture and way of life.
Others describe 碍颈尘颈蝉辞辞鈥檚 art as abstact, or somewhere between 鈥渇igurative and abstraction鈥�, says Art Curator Wayne Baerwaldt. But Kimisoo herself describes her work as 鈥�representional abstract 诲别蝉颈驳苍鈥�. 鈥淎t one time鈥�, she said sadly, 鈥済alleries said there was no category for my art鈥�. Now galleries clamour to show her work.
To say that Tipis and Buffalo are Kim鈥檚 greatest passion, would be a gross understatement of the obvious. They鈥檙e also her inspiration. They are both sacred to her, since they represent a large part of her people鈥檚 rich culture and heritage.
Triangles are also an important part of the Lakota culture, representing stars in the heavens and tipis on the earth. Kim often uses 鈥榓crylics on 肠补苍惫补蝉鈥�, as a medium, and occasionally 鈥榳atercolours on 辫补辫别谤鈥�. Lately, however, since moving back to Saskatchewan, she can be found painting on old Buffalo skulls. 鈥淏uffalo skulls are sacred, so one must speak quietly, gently, and in a positive manner around them鈥�, she says matter-of-factly, with a smile on her face.
鈥淣o negativity is allowed in their presence鈥�, she confesses. Conversing with one of her buffalo skulls, in an effort to transform it into yet another masterpiece, she boasts: 鈥淵ou lucky fellow - you鈥檙e going to look soooo good and soooo darned handsome after I鈥檓 through with you鈥�! And he did. She kept her promise.
Neil Jones, meanwhile, grew up on a farm adjacent to the Pasqua Reserve near Fort 蚕耻鈥橝辫辫别濒濒别 in Saskatchewan. He 鈥榟ung 辞耻迟鈥� and played with all the First Nation children on the reserve, and subsequently developed close, long-lasting ties and relationships with them and their families. Neil鈥檚 great love of Mother Nature, its wildlife, and anything First Nations, is reflected in much of his art. However, he also paints landscapes, portraits, and old buildings - 鈥� ... anything of beauty, really鈥�, he confessed. 鈥淚 love doing commissions鈥�, he added. The southlands of Saskatchewan hold a special place in his art and in his heart.
Neil and his wife Jan visited Rockglen on numerous occasions before actually moving there from Regina in September of 2008. They bought an older home, did some renos, and opened Neil鈥檚 studio and gallery in 2009. When His wife passed away in May of 2018, Neil took a temporary break from his art, but he is once again inspired, motivated, and back at work.
Neil's art, by his own admission, is created mostly on canvas with 鈥�辞颈濒蝉鈥�, but occasionally also on wood. He personally describes his style as "realist - impressionalistic." However one might describe Neil's style, his art is carefully and realistically presented in great detail, setting him apart from most other artists. To the average observer, his art and style are straightforward and direct, yet interestingly unique. One quick look and you know instantly, it's a Neil Jones' piece.
Both Neil and Kimisoo Goodtrack are well-known and celebrated artists in Western Canada - each in their own right. Both have won numerous awards for their wonderful bodies of work. And both have extremely high praise for Bill Shurniak - Creator and Founder of the Shurniak Art Gallery. To quote Neil Jones, "Bill Shurniak was a good, kind and faithful friend, whose support for local artists was unparalleled and unequalled. Bill was genuinely a really nice guy! The Shurniak Gallery here in Assiniboia, is probably one of the best galleries in all of Western Canada," he concluded. Kimisoo echoed Neil's words.
No argument here from the peanut gallery!
