Dakota McFadzean

Mind the Gap! is a unique show. No exhibition in recent memory has attempted to provide such an expansive look at the art currently being made in Saskatchewan.

In a few weeks, the show will be closing, and preparations will be made for it to tour the province beginning in 2010.

Fortunately, the Dunlop also received funding to produce a catalogue for Mind the Gap!, which is a lovely object in its own right.

Mind the Gap

The catalogue provides some insight into the show’s background. Curators Amanda Cachia and Jeff Nye travelled all over the province meeting with some 70 artists, and it’s amazing that it didn’t take them longer than two years to put it all together. Nye’s essay also discusses some of the thematic links between the artists. There is certainly no ’school’ of Saskatchewan art, but the diverse work is definitely linked by the shared experience of living in one of the most confounding places around.

A number of writers were also commissioned to produce works of creative non-fiction, responding to several different highways in Saskatchewan.

There is also an overview of each artist, summarizing history and accomplishments, and reproducing images of their work.

Finally, the Mind the Gap! website was launched last week. The site contains some of the same content as the catalogue, along with links to the artists’ sites. Have a look here.

The catalogue is available at the Dunlop Art Gallery, where you can read it for free. Or, if your pockets feel heavy, you can buy a copy for $30.