Sawatzky moved by gift from artist

Renowned Glenboro sculptor Peter Sawatzky became emotional on Thursday when he was surprised with a gift from another well-known artist, Brandon’s Weiming Zhao.

Zhao presented Sawatzky with a painting during an official ribbon-cutting opening ceremony for the Peter Sawatzky Sculpture Park at the Riverbank Discovery Centre.

The piece shows Sawatzky standing in front of his massive bronze sculpture of 11 caribou crossing a river, which is at the centre’s front entrance.

“I was in total shock, I got emotional,” Sawatzky said Friday. “But it meant an awful lot to me. It was a real honour, very heartwarming.”

The painting had its origin during a warm evening in July. Sawatzky was making a public presentation in front of his caribou sculpture when Zhao set up his easel and started working.

Zhao had also been booked to speak to the crowd, but said he was asked by the Riverbank staff to capture Sawatzky.

“The Riverbank staff asked if I could bring my easel and paint something,” Zhao said.

“They didn’t specify what I should paint, but when I saw him standing in front of his sculpture talking to the crowd, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s what I’m doing.’”

Sawatzky said he remembers the evening perfectly and although he knew who Zhao was, had never met him.

“I kind of went behind him to look at what he was painting. He was starting with the trees, and had the base of the caribou roughed in,” Sawatzky said.

“So, I introduced myself and we chatted for a while. He said he had always wanted to meet me, and I had always wanted to meet him,” he said.

“And then he says, ‘Peter, can you go stand by the caribou for a few minutes?’ I said sure, but I wasn’t expecting to be in it.”

An hour later, the painting was finished. Zhao handed it over to the Riverbank staff, who had it framed and surprised Sawatzky with it during Thursday’s ceremony.

Sawatzky said he already has it hanging in his home “in a place of honour.”

“It’s in the middle of my kitchen right now, where I look out everyday,” Sawatzky said.

“I have coffee in my kitchen — that’s my every-morning start. So when I go in, I’m walking toward the painting. So I’ll see it four, five times a day.”

Sawatzky has created six bronze sculptures at the Riverbank Discovery Centre in the park named in his honour.

He has installed a pair of great blue herons, a curious bear, the caribou and other bronze sculptures, including a doe and her fawn, a lone great blue heron and a jack rabbit.

Zhao is a Brandon University alumnus who moved to Brandon as an international student in 1991 and earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.

He is known for his paintings that capture iconic scenes of the Wheat City as well as many other sites in western Manitoba.

Zhao said he has painted all of Sawatzky’s sculptures except the great blue herons, but promised it’s coming soon.

“Peter is such a deserving artist,” Zhao said. “It’s been amazing to meet him.”

“He got quite emotional when he realized the painting was for him. He thought I was just doing that for fun, but I feel honoured that he has a piece of artwork of mine.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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