Acknowledgements

This Community Stories project serves as a follow-up project to the MJM&AG’s 2019-2021 touring exhibition, A Prairie Vernacular. It connects the physical exhibition’s chosen themes to stories of some of the artists, their lives, and connections.

The organization of this extensive presentation of Prairie artworks, borrowed from numerous collections throughout the Prairies, is the result of a real team effort. Sincere thanks goes to the many lenders and partnering institutions, without whom this exhibition would not have come to fruition. Public lenders include Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Allen Sapp Gallery (North Battleford, SK), Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton, AB), Buhler Gallery (Winnipeg, MB), Chapel Gallery (North Battleford, SK), Dunlop Art Gallery (Regina, SK), Galt Museum & Archives (Lethbridge, AB), Glenbow Museum (Calgary, AB), Mackenzie Art Gallery (Regina, SK), Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (Red Deer, AB), Remai Modern (Saskatoon, SK), SK Arts, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery (Lethbridge, AB), and the University of Regina (Regina, SK). Private lenders include Leila Armstrong, Lois Banasch, Heather Benning, Jim Carlson, Victor Cicansky, Gary Essar, Marianne Gopalkrishna, Richard Gorenko, Jude Griebel and the Easterbrook/Griebel family, Alyce Hamon (Estate of Joe Fafard), Evelyn Kleis, Leona Parasynchuk Mitzner, Bill Philpott, Chris Reid, Adrian Stimson, David Thauberger, Diana Thorneycroft, Victor Tiede and Joanne Crofford (Estate of Elsie Kozin Elkin), and Jordan Van Sewell.

Developed with the support of Digital Museums Canada, an investment program managed by the Canadian Museum of History.

Major funding to the MJM&AG for the physical exhibition and tour was provided by the Museums Assistance Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. MJM&AG and Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre also acknowledge generous support from Canada Council for the Arts, SK Arts, SaskCulture Inc., Saskatchewan Lotteries, and the Cities of Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat.

Many thanks to our tour venue partners for their support: Leona Herzog, Buhler Gallery (Winnipeg, MB); Kim Houghtaling, Art Gallery of Swift Current (Swift Current, SK), Deirdre Chisholm, Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (Brandon, MB) and Lorna Johnson, Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (Red Deer, AB).

We would like to express deep appreciation to Dr. Carmen Robertson for contributing her writing on the work of Indigenous artists and providing consultation on the curatorial process. We are also sincerely grateful to Gary Essar, Wayne Morgan, David Thauberger, Victor Cicansky, Joe Fafard, and Cliff Eyland for their consultation and research assistance on the history of vernacular art. Huge thanks go to Diane Lara, Jasmine Keillor, Candace Loder, and Brittany Wilkinson for providing curatorial assistance, to Gabriela García-Luna for beautifully documenting countless works, to Overtime Communications, Bamboo Shoots, and SaskTel for the videos, and to Estelle Bonetto for translation.

And last, but certainly not least, a special thank you goes out to the staff of the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, and the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre, who have dedicated many hours toward the administration and production of the exhibition tour, publication, and Digital Museums Canada Community Stories project – Jennifer McRorie, Joan Maier, Ross Melanson, Jennifer Ross, Violet Tang, Vincent Houghtaling, Vivian Barber, Rob Bos, Joanne Marion, Joanne Ellis, Dan Meller, Peter Tucker, Wendy Parsons, and Christy Schweiger. Seeing the results of these efforts firsthand, it has been a pleasure to work with this fine team on this significant project.

For more information on the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, visit our website, http://www.mjmag.ca/