It is my privilege to extend greetings on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada, to everyone taking part in the 2023 Art Now Fine Art Fair. Welcome to the Queen City!

I am grateful to the Saskatchewan Professional Art Galleries Association, including its staff, board of directors and volunteer planning committee, for presenting the eighth edition of Art Now. Congratulations on producing a show unlike any other in the prairies that benefits both the public attending. And the galleries and artists represented. I share your belief that art is for everyone – thank you for providing free admission.

I offer my thanks to everyone attending this public exhibition of Canadian art, as well. Please enjoy Art Now. And I hope you will consider visiting one of the participating galleries in the future.

In addition, I would like to recognize SaskGalleries for all it does year-round to promote, develop and encourage the growth of Saskatchewan’s professional art galleries. I also commend the galleries across the province for featuring and selling original artwork. To all the artists, galleries, and other contributors to this year’s exhibitions and Artist Talk events, please accept my best wishes for a very successful fair.

Russ Mirasty
Lieutenant Governor Province of Saskatchewan

On behalf of Premier Scott Moe and the Government of Saskatchewan, I am pleased to welcome all attendees to this year’s Art Now Fine Art Fair, in beautiful Regina!

Arts and culture are important to our province; these sectors tell our stories, preserve our heritage, and celebrate our richly diverse communities. In Saskatchewan, we are very fortunate to have a strong arts community that contributes greatly to our sense of community and quality of life.

Now in its eighth year, the Art Now Fine Art Fair is the largest fine art fair of modern contemporary art in Saskatchewan. This event showcases the quality and diversity of fine art in our province, while providing exposure for participating galleries and Saskatchewan’s vibrant fine art industry.

Whether you are from Regina, or you are here for a visit, I hope you enjoy all that the fair has to offer.

Thank you to SaskGalleries for hosting and roducing this event and thank you all for supporting this Saskatchewan celebration of art.

Laura Ross
Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport

On behalf of Creative Saskatchewan, we’re pleased to present the 8th edition of the Art Now Saskatchewan Fine Art Fair.

A fine art focused event of this caliber provides unparalleled exposure for Saskatchewan’s commercial art galleries.

As the economic development agency for the province’s creative industries, Creative Saskatchewan invests in creative entrepreneurs as they create, innovate, and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

SaskGalleries is a leader in developing business capacity for local gallery owners, enabling them to contribute in a meaningful way to Saskatchewan’s economy.

Erin Dean is the Chief Executive Officer of Creative Saskatchewan. Erin is responsible for the overall operation of Creative Saskatchewan, by providing strategic leadership and working closely with the provincial government, industry stakeholders, the Board of Directors, and the senior management team. The best advice Erin has received about collecting art is to buy what you love! The first piece of artwork she purchased was a silkscreen by Andrew Valko from the Nouveau Gallery in Regina.

Erin Dean
Creative Saskatchewan CEO

On behalf of my City Council colleagues and the City of Regina, I am pleased to welcome you all to the 2023 Art Now Fine Art Fair.

We wholeheartedly support the arts community in our city. Thanks to organizations like SaskGalleries, members of our community are given the pportunity to showcase their work along with national and international artists and galleries in a highly professional venue. This exposure is invaluable as it is an outlet for our local artists to reach a larger audience.

This year’s fair will include an opening night reception with performances from the Regina Symphony Chamber Players. It will also feature eleven galleries from around our province, curated education sessions, artist talks, a kids art area and an emerging artist’s section–all of which I highly recommend our residents attend.

I want to congratulate the artists and galleries who have been given the opportunity to showcase their work at this year’s event. I would also like to give a special thanks to the volunteers and staff at SaskGalleries for their continued effort in bringing the arts scene in our city to the forefront. Your dedication is highly appreciated.

I hope you all have a great time learning and enjoying a wide variety of beautiful art with friends and family.

Sandra Masters
Mayor of Regina

On behalf of our gallery members, including our affiliate member, the Saskatchewan Craft Council, thank you for joining us as we celebrate our 8th annual Art Now Fine Art Fair.

Throughout the year, our gallery members work together to encourage, develop and promote Saskatchewan artists to new and existing audiences, throughout our province and beyond. This year’s event brings together the work of over 300 artists and artisans, many of whom will be in attendance for events throughout the weekend. In addition to artist talks, we hope you can join us for a series of entertaining and informative panel discussions and related activities over the next three days.

SaskGalleries would like to thank our participating artists, Creative Saskatchewan and our many generous partners, supporters and sponsors for this year’s event. Creative Saskatchewan’s ongoing support allows us to ‘bring the world to Saskatchewan’ and we celebrate the visual arts created within our province through this annual event. In addition to their support for visual arts and fine craft, Creative Saskatchewan provides ongoing support throughout our province for screen based media, book publishing, live performing arts and digital media.

SaskGalleries, the Art Now Fine Art Fair and exhibiting galleries are located on lands covered by Treaties 4 and 6, the traditional lands of the Cree, Dakota, Dene, Lakota, Nakota and Salteaux peoples, as well as the homeland of the Métis.

Linda Stark
President, SaskGalleries

6:30 - 9:00 pm Opening Night Reception

Featuring performances by the Regina Symphony Chamber Players, appetizers, door prizes, and more.

Online show opens on ArtNow.ca
* Hours: 11:00am–6:00pm. Free admission to all events.

12:00pm
Artist Talk | Diane Larouche Ellard | Grasslands Gallery Online Booth

Diane Larouche Ellard is a modern landscape painter and encaustic/mixed media artist living in Saskatoon who exhibits her work throughout the province. She is passionate about images expressed in colour, pattern and line, and her work expresses her love for place in a tactile way. The viewer is drawn in, coming close to explore the fine details and transitions as well as the overall sense of the piece. 

1:00pm
Artist Talk | Linsey Levendall | Dervilia art + design Booth

Linsey Levendall defines his work as being engaging, decadence, mildly trippy and takes great joy in entertaining the viewer with obscure controlled chaotic worlds and strangely interesting and complex characters. While his kill lies in his versatility and ability to adapt to various styles, he finds himself mostly drawn to Cubism, Surrealism and Pop Surrealism. In his work he aims to stay open to evolving and preserving unconventional thinking.

1:30pm
Artist Talk | Madeleine Greenway | Grasslands Gallery Online Booth

Madeleine Greenway is a printmaker, drawer, gardener, and active community member in Regina. Her artwork is centred on food, food production, and the relationships that we build around growing and preparing nourishment. She graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a BFA in Printmaking and completed her MFA at the University of Regina.

2:30pm
Artist Talk | Connie Chaplin | Hansen Ross House Booth

Connie Chaplin is a textile artist and potter focused on processes rooted in materials and forces with nature. She uses techniques drawn from intercultural craft traditions, refreshing age-old methods with botanical dyeing and printing, indigo, batik and shibori. Connie will be revealing bundles during her Artist talk.

3:30–5:00pm
Session | Art Collectors: The Next Generation | Main Stage

Why do collectors buy original art? For most, there are many motives.

Is it the thrill of the hunt? The desire to bring an original work into their home, reflecting their own unique personality or style? Is it to support an artist’s career?  To commemorate travel or a milestone? Perhaps a social purpose, the artwork representing a political issue that is important to their own personal ideology. Or simply, to add beauty to their home?

Join next generation art collectors Felicia Gay, Risa Payant and Elaine Thompson as they talk about why they buy original art and craft. They will share stories of their first purchase, favourite piece, motivation, and strategies for growing their collection.

Panelists: Felicia Gay, Curator, MacKenzie Art Gallery
Risa Payant, COO and Principal Consultant, Ivy + Dean Consulting
Elaine Thompson, Senior Crown Counsel, Ministry of Justice

Moderator: Belinda Harrow, Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection

* Hours: 11:00am–8:00pm. Free admission to all events.

11:30am
Artist Talk | Ward Schell | Slate Fine Art Gallery Booth

Ward Schell received his art education at the Emily Carr School of Art in Vancouver, the University of Regina, and the Banff School of Fine Arts in Banff, Alberta. His work explores the representational documentation of nature within the micro confines of shape, contrasts, colour and texture. Drawn to the surface of the landscape and disregarding traditional horizon lines allows Schell to work with seemingly banal subjects, staging them dramatically within his compositions Ward has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions over several decades and his work is held in public and private collections. His numerous public murals can be found in several museums across North America. 

12:00pm
Artist Talk | Nikki Jacquin | Saskatchewan Craft Council Booth

As the Guest Artist in Residence at Cypress Hills, Nikki Jacquin discovered that hiking became a spiritual practice that provided grounding and inspiration. Her artwork takes the form of mixed media paintings on copper and incorporates various jewelers' techniques, with conceptual metaphors tied to labyrinths and pilgrimages. Repurposed copper, new copper plate and metallic leaf allow unpainted passages to reflect the warm light of copper back to the viewer, much as the light does on the trails she was inspired by during her residency. Her mixed media artwork was recently awarded the title of "Expressing Canadian Identity Through Landscape Painting”, an accolade sponsored by The Men Who Paint during the Mann Gallery's esteemed 47th Winter Festival in 2023. She is also a juried Professional Craftsperson at the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

12:30pm
Artist Talk | Sharron Labatt | Hansen Ross House Booth

Sharron Labatt is known for her paintings of reflections on water and inclusion of iconic Canadian images such as the canoe.  The work expresses the artists response in a unique and evolving style, to light and shoreline images on lakes and rivers.  Her studio overlooks Echo Lake on the Qu’Appelle River.

1:00–2:30pm
Session | Caring for Your Collection | Main Stage

Proper care and consideration for your original art collection is important, but what exactly do you need to know about maintaining it over time?

Join Dennis Cookson, Insurance Institute of Saskatchewan; Yolande Krueger, Yolande Krueger Art Services; and Robin Canham, Conservator at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum as they provide expert information and advice on insurance, appraisal, conservation, and care when collecting art for your home.

Topics covered in this session will include considerations when bringing new artwork into your home, determining the value of works, how and when to repair damaged or dirty artworks, the process of gifting or selling your current collection to make room for new works, and more. Feel free to ask a question of the experts.

Sponsored in part by Insurance Institute of Saskatchewan

Panelists: Dennis Cookson, Manager, Insurance Institute of Saskatchewan, Yolande Krueger, Appraiser
Yolande Krueger Art Services
Robin Canham, Conservator, Royal Saskatchewan Museum

Moderator: Belinda Harrow, Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection

3:30–5:00pm
Session | Life Stories: Personal Narrative in Art | Main Stage

The creation of art is a personal endeavour. Artists invest time, skill, inspiration, and labour in the studio. More importantly, artists bring their own personal experience to the making process. They use images to tell stories. For many artists, the creation of contemporary art is a way to connect to their personal history, family, and culture.

In this panel, professional artists Audie Murray, Debbie Wozniak-Bonk, and Sylvia Ziemann will share the role of personal narrative in the creation of their art.

Sponsored in part by Assiniboia Gallery

Panelists: Audie Murray, Artist, represented at Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver
Debbie Wozniak-Bonk, Artist, represented at Assiniboia Gallery, Regina
Sylvia Ziemann, Artist, represented at Slate Fine Art Gallery, Regina

Moderator: Belinda Harrow, Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection

* Hours: 11:00am–4:00pm. Free admission to all events.

11:30am
Artist Talk | Todd Gronsdahl | Artist Installation:

C.R.E.A.M. (Collection and Reuse of Environmental and Available Means). Following the talk, the artist will prepare complimentary coffee and donuts using the art installation.

12:00–3:00pm
Dunlop Art Gallery Drop-In Workshop | Introspective Collage | Kids Creative Zone

Join Dunlop Art Gallery to create a mixed media collage artwork while exploring topics of self-reflection and self-care. All materials will be provided.

Delivered by: Sarah Pitman, Arts Educator, Dunlop Art Gallery

1:00–2:30pm
Session | A Life Well Crafted | Main Stage

Craft is associated with the hand, function, material, process and the domestic. Crafted objects connect us to our past, present, and future through specific histories, traditions, use, and the stories they tell. They are loved and admired for their beauty, the skill and time required to make them, and their intimate connections to our day-to-day lives. However, craft is more than a fixed set of functional objects (mugs, vases, vessels, etc.) made out of certain materials (clay, wood, fibre, glass, etc.); it is a way of doing and being within this world.

This panel will look at the importance and joy of craft in our lives and the artists who have dedicated their practices to making hand-crafted objects. Wood turning artist, Dale Lowe, and ceramic artists, Jeannie Mah and Martin Tagseth, will be joined by craft historian Julia Krueger.

Sponsored in part by Assiniboia Gallery

Panelists: Dale Lowe, Woodturning artist, represented by Traditions Hand Craft Gallery, Regina and the Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon
Jeannie Mah, Ceramic artist, represented by Nouveau Gallery, Regina
Martin Tagseth, Ceramic artist, represented by Assiniboia Gallery, Regina

Moderator: Julia Krueger, Registrar, SK Arts Permanent Collection, and craft historian

4:00pm Art Now closes the 8th edition in Regina, and continues online until September 24.

Click here to read the session curatorial statement: From Creation to Collection, by Belinda Harrow, Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection, and curator of the 2023 Art Now Fine Art Fair Sessions.

3:30 pm Art Collectors: The Next Generation | Main Stage

Why do collectors buy original art? For most, there are many motives.

Is it the thrill of the hunt? The desire to bring an original work into their home, reflecting their own unique personality or style? Is it to support an artist’s career? To commemorate travel or a milestone? Perhaps a social purpose, the artwork representing a political issue that is important to their own personal ideology. Or, simply to add beauty to their home?

Join next generation art collectors Felicia Gay, Risa Payant and Elaine Thompson as they talk about why they buy original art and craft. They will share stories of their first purchase, favourite piece, motivation, and strategies for growing their collection.

Participants: Belinda Harrow (moderator), Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection, Felicia Gay (panelist), Curator, MacKenzie Art Gallery. Risa Payant (panelist), COO and Principal Consultant, Ivy + Dean Consulting, Elaine Thompson (panelist), Senior Crown Counsel, Ministry of Justice

1:00 pm Caring for Your Collection | Main Stage

Proper care and consideration for your original art collection is important, but what exactly do you need to know about maintaining it over time?

Join Dennis Cookson, Insurance Institute of Saskatchewan; Yolande Krueger, Yolande Krueger Art Services; and Robin Canham, Conservator at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum as they provide expert information and advice on insurance, appraisal, conservation, and care when collecting art for your home.

Topics covered in this session will include considerations when bringing new artwork into your home, determining the value of works, how and when to repair damaged or dirty artworks, the process of gifting or selling your current collection to make room for new works, and more. Feel free to ask a question of the experts.

Participants: Belinda Harrow (moderator), Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection, Dennis Cookson (panelist), Manager, Insurance Institute of Saskatchewan , Yolande Krueger (panelist), Appraiser, Yolande Krueger Art Services, Robin Canham (Panelist), Conservator, Royal Saskatchewan Museum

Sponsored in part by: Insurance Institute Saskatchewan

3:30 pm Life Stories: Personal Narrative in Art | Main Stage

The creation of art is a personal endeavour. Artists invest time, skill, inspiration, and labour in the studio. More importantly, artists bring their own personal experience to the making process. They use images to tell stories. For many artists, the creation of contemporary art is a way to connect to their personal history, family, and culture. In this panel, professional artists Audie Murray, Debbie Wozniak-Bonk, and Sylvia Ziemann will share the role of personal narrative in the creation of their art.

Participants: Belinda Harrow (moderator), Artist and Consultant, SK Arts Permanent Collection, Audie Murray (panelist), Artist, represented by Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver, Sylvia Ziemann (panelist), Artist, represented by Slate Fine Art Gallery, Regina, Debbie Wozniak-Bonk (panelist), Artist, represented at Assiniboia Gallery, Regina

Sponsored in part by: Assiniboia Gallery

1:00 pm A Life Well Crafted | Main Stage

Craft is associated with the hand, function, material, process and the domestic. Crafted objects connect us to our past, present, and future through specific histories, traditions, use, and the stories they tell. They are loved and admired for their beauty, the skill and time required to make them, and their intimate connections to our day-to-day lives. However, craft is more than a fixed set of functional objects (mugs, vases, vessels, etc.) made out of certain materials (clay, wood, fibre, glass, etc.); it is a way of doing and being within this world.

This panel will look at the importance and joy of craft in our lives and the artists who have dedicated their practices to making hand-crafted objects. Wood turning artist, Dale Lowe, and ceramic artists, Jeannie Mah and Martin Tagseth, will be joined by craft historian Julia Krueger.

Participants: Julia Krueger (moderator), Registrar, SK Arts Permanent Collection, and craft historian, Dale Lowe (panelist), Woodturning artist, represented at Traditions Hand Craft Gallery, Regina and the Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, Jeannie Mah (panelist), Ceramic artist, represented at Nouveau Gallery, Regina, Martin Tagseth (panelist), Ceramic artist, represented at Assiniboia Gallery, Regina

Sponsored in part by: Assiniboia Gallery