Arts council helps rural artists develop

If someone paints a picture and no one sees it, is it still art?

That’s the conundrum rural artists face. Finding classes is a challenge. Getting professional critique is a challenge. Mounting a show is a challenge. All of those things are crucial for artists at any level to develop and refine their aesthetic sensibility and technique.

To solve some of those problems and to provide the support those amateur artists need to grow, Arts West Council has organized workshops, brought in experts and, since 1979, mounted the Westman Region Juried Art Show and Travelling Gallery alongside the region’s arts clubs and councils.

Each year at the juried art show, two jurors select 20 pieces from the show to be part of the Travelling Gallery to visit some 15 Westman communities throughout the year until just prior to the next show. Currently, the gallery is on display at the Killarney-Turtle Mountain Art Centre in Killarney until Dec. 23. It moves on throughout the region, ending in Brandon on April 13 to May 1.

“It gives the artists an opportunity to show their work to a larger audience around this whole region,” said Gerry Oliver, chairperson of the Arts West Council.

“Rural artists don’t have the same opportunities to show and have their work adjudicated as they do in an urban setting. And that’s probably the main thing that the entrants are looking for is comments about their work from other professional artists, and being seen by a much larger audience.”

The effort the council and associated organizations have put in is paying off. Oliver said interest from both artists and the public has seen significant growth over the last few years.

“There were 140 some entries this past year and it was just over 100 the year before. The youth categories have been increasing in numbers as well, as well as the quality of the art. It’s just amazing,” she said.

She said approximately 250 people attended the show last year, a big increase over the previous year.

“The general public are really excited about seeing the works that are on display. We’re really excited about where this can go.”

The Travelling Gallery is suitable for all ages to visit and would make for a lovely family outing over the holidays this month, providing opportunities for enjoyment, inspiration and conversation.

“The juried show has two youth categories, from 11 to 13 years old, and then 14 to 19. And then the adults are 20 years plus. We also have a group from Neepawa, the Touchwood Park group of challenged adults that have been participating since 2017.”

Awards categories in the juried show include the Travelling Gallery selection, Honourable Mentions, People’s Choice, Youth, Best In Show and Themed category, which for this past show was “Surprise!”

“I have to say that I’m totally surprised each year with what shows up and at how the quality keeps getting better and better and better. It’s just amazing,” said Oliver.

Amateur artists can enter up to two pieces. This could be a painting of any medium, which might include oil, pastel and collage, fibre art, printmaking, drawing in any medium, silkscreen, mixed media and scratch art.

“Those are the ones that we accept at this point. And actually, the best in show this past year was a fibre piece, an embroidery piece. We’re getting more fibre art all the time, and the mixed media ones are very interesting,” she said.

“And the subject matter that people are presenting is becoming very, very interesting.”

When it comes to subject matter at the show, the artistic lens is widening.

“I have been involved with this since the 1980s, I believe, and at that time, a lot of the art presented was rural, like rural farm-type images. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but today it reflects what’s happening in the world right now — a lot of the trends that we see. So it has evolved into very modern, I would say, images that are very representative of what’s happening today. They’re really cool,” she said.

Oliver said the artists represent the whole region, with artists coming from Birtle, Killarney, Boissevain through to Neepawa.

“It’s everybody. We get quite a few from art groups in the region, and then there are just the individuals who enjoy their art and they bring their pieces,” she said.

To help keep artists motivated and improving, the Arts West Council is already organizing to bring professional artists as instructors for a new round of workshops. The first, a botanical illustration workshop, has already been completed, and three additional locations have already expressed interest. Those should be coming up in the new year and information will soon be posted on the website.

Westman artists, whatever their medium or skill level, are enriching the cultural fabric of the region, each in their own way. The Westman Region Juried Art Show and Travelling Gallery continues to be behind them to get the word out — and to get “eyes on the prize.”

For more information on the current Travelling Gallery (including the travel schedule throughout Westman region up to May 1, 2026), future workshops and the 47th Annual Juried Art Show for the weekend of April 24 at Killarney-Turtle Mountain Arts Council, go to: artswestcouncil.ca

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