Grounding Relations 3 July - 27 September 2025 Drawn from the Permanent Collection of the Mann Art Gallery, Grounding Relations considers how identity is informed by the land upon which we live and from where we grow. It features pieces by artists who engage with natural ecologies of the prairie provinces. Together, these works suggest that we are deeply connected to our environments. From the land’s abundance of food that sustains us; to its materials that form shelters and structures; to its enduring resilience throughout the effects of migration, settlements, and extractive processes; and to its comforting serenity and inspiring power: the land that holds us is a grounding presence that weaves tangible, natural materials with our social, familial, and personal concepts of identity. The first and last sections of the exhibition features artworks by Linda Chartier, Pamella Burrill, Andrée Felley-Martinson, Michel Boutin, Beth Hone, and Paul Kachur. Their pieces directly reference or incorporate sticks, clay, rocks, and shells. Found within the land, these basic elements are imbued with history, providing artists with beauty and intrigue. They hold history and memory through their functions as building blocks for housing, transport, or markers on the land. The formation of elements from the land into sites of personal importance is exemplified in work by Bob Pitzel and Allen Sapp. Pitzel’s delicate yet precise watercolour, Once Upon a Time, is an example of his interest in aging structures on rural land. The abandoned farmhouse near St. Benedict, SK is presented as a portrait, perhaps as a remembrance of an earlier era, suggestive of daily activities, aspirations, and challenges of the people who inhabited it. In Allen Sapp’s untitled piece, a passage from his memory is illustrated through varied applications of paint. The rawness of scratching into the board evokes the character of stark, bare trees in the winter alongside deep red willow that lends warmth to cool days. Sapp’s reimagined scenes of life on Red Pheasant Cree Nation speak to both his art and identity as strongly rooted in the land. Ivan Eyre is an artist who also worked largely from imagination. His pieces contain strong symbols of psychological states, depicted in a surrealist manner. In Factory, the topography of the land is marked by organic forms, man-made structures, and human-animal hybrids. They make a complex and mysterious scene that alludes to constant labour and ongoing extractive processes. Any sense of unique, natural landmarks or individuality of the workers seems subsumed into the continual hum of movement and activity. The land is a witness to memories, curiosities, histories, and dreams of our past and present. Taking a closer look at how artists interpret their places on the prairies shows a variety of connections to the natural world - providing a ground to consider how personal, collective, and cultural relationships with land shape our identities. Since the Mann Art Gallery’s Permanent Collection was established by former Director/Curator Grace Eiko Thompson in 1993, it has come to house artworks that speak to local and regional histories, interests, and characteristics. The Permanent Collection is part of the Gallery’s purpose to support artists, preserve and share artwork, and promote critical thinking and meaningful dialogue. It is formed by gifts of artwork from multiple donors and acquisitions thanks to the generous, unique support of Diane & Roger Mann. This exhibition is possible thanks to the support of our funders: City of Prince Albert, SK Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, and Diane & Roger Mann