The Shurniak Art Gallery in Assiniboia is home to a newly completed steel Monarch butterfly that was completed with participation from residents over several months.
The project was possible through grant funding from the SK Arts Artists in Communities grant. Artists Crystal Thorburn and Alison Lewis completed the grant application and co-ordinated a series of workshops for community members to learn and create together.
“This project has become a true community collaboration with the help of so many,” Thorburn said by email. “We began with the first of 20 workshops in January, which were the reintroduction to participating in group activities after the last two years of limited interactions with one another.”
Workshops in a variety of artistic mediums — drawing, watercolour, acrylics, silk painting, and clay — followed, in combination with Artist’s Talks held at the Shurniak Gallery. The Assiniboia Arts Council provided advertising and some supplies.
During the clay workshops, 55 participants created six-inch by six-inch clay tiles.
Jared Williams, the Shurniak Gallery collections manager, was unaware of the final intended purpose of the tiles.
“It wasn’t just the butterfly, the initial project had a bunch of classes and sessions on art,” he explained. “When people came to the clay class, they didn’t know at the time, but they were making one of these clay tiles that would be fastened to the butterfly … There was no theme, you could make anything you wanted. Mine was an ankh.”
The sculpture was designed by Thorburn and cut by Torri Warken in Saskatoon. Chuck’s Collision sandblasted and spray painted the wings. The Assiniboia Composite High School provided the space to work on the tiles.
The tiles were glazed and fired at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJM&AG) under the supervision of Christy Schweiger, the MJM&AG education co-ordinator. Williams, Thorburn, and Lewis mounted the tiles onto the sculpture.
“Bringing all of these pieces together has created a symbolic tribute to the community we live in,” Thorburn said. “The butterfly was chosen as a representation of transformation and the changes we’ve all gone through in the past couple of years. … As an interactive sculptural piece, we hope individuals will continue to feel a part of the community when they stand between the wings as the body of the butterfly.”
The Monarch sculpture will be installed in its final location on the grounds of Assiniboia Town Office in the spring, with landscaping to be completed by Communities in Bloom.
