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Feature Gallery- Prairie Excellence
October 2 - December 18, 2010
Prairie Excellence
Prairie Excellence is a unique project jointly organized by the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Craft Councils. The exhibition highlights a selection of the best in fine craft in the prairie provinces.
The exhibition will appear in multiple locations in all three prairie provinces and then tour for several years. Catalogues will be available at each host gallery and through the three partner Craft Councils. The entire exhibition is also on-line at www.prairie-excellence.ca.
Prairie Excellence was selected by Helen Delacretaz, Chief Curator and Curator of Decorative Arts at The Winnipeg Art Gallery; Karen Schoonover, Director/ curator of the Art Gallery of Regina; and Mary-Beth Laviolette, independent curator, critic and author from Canmore, Alberta. From 267 initial entries, they shortlisted 54 works for in-person viewing, and eventually narrowed the
selection to 12 pieces each from Alberta and Saskatchewan and 11 from Manitoba. Prairie Excellence consists of 35 ceramic, metal, fibre, wood, and glass pieces as well as objects featuring intricate bead work and unusual elements such as sliced antler and dark-roast coffee beans.
The selection committee was asked to look for exceptional work from emerging, mid-career, and established craft artists. A a result, Prairie Excellence surveys both the present and future of fine craft in the prairies.
The overall quality of submissions was outstanding so the challenge became one of comparing excellence against excellence in order to reduce the number of selections down to 35. In the process many worthy pieces simply had to be eliminated. For me the criteria came down to a search for the extraordinary - the unexpected - where creativity shone above form, function, and technical finesse. What I enjoyed most were the ones that surprised me in one way or another. In the final analysis the question became, 'Is this piece outstanding?' - Karen Schoonover, Regina
Prairie Excellence will open at the Alberta Craft Council Gallery in Edmonton on October 2 and runs through December 18, 2010. The Saskatchewan unveiling will be at the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Affinity Gallery on January 14th. Negotiations for future locations are underway with galleries across Canada and in the United States.
