A community art gallery exhibit in Saskatoon showcasing 18 local LGBTQ2 artists called Spark your Pride remains open only for the next seven days.
“I just hope people come and see it,“ said Jean Dudley, an artist in the exhibit.
The exhibit opened on June 18th as part of the greater Pride celebrations — the first year that the Art Placement gallery has had the exhibit.
This exhibit is part of the annual Spark your Pride celebration for older members of the queer community.
“Spark your Pride is the older folks’ day. Because we felt like there wasn’t much going on at Pride that we were interested in being involved in,” said Dudley.
For many of the artists involved, this art exhibit has had a big impact.
“Art is essential to everybody. It’s another way of looking at the world. It’s a way of experiencing things deeper than just the superficial going past stuff. And so it helps your brain work in different ways. And I think it makes us all smarter,” said Dudley.
Levi Nicholat, co-owner of the Art Placement gallery and an artist with the exhibit, explains how art gives the opportunity for greater understanding.
“(Art) creates opportunities for empathy because you can see someone else’s perspective presented for you. And in that way, you know, connect and build a connection with that other person.”
The exhibit features many different artistic mediums, subjects and styles, and even a variety of works from each artist.
Dudley describes her artistic style as “a slight realist and I’m a slight expressionist, and I’m a slight make-it-up-as-you-go-ist.”
The Spark your Pride exhibit runs until June 29th.