Bodies in Motion, Stories in Clay: Ceramics, Ancestry, and Improvisation, a Remarkable Opening Night

4 days ago
2 min read

We’re still buzzing with gratitude and energy from last night’s incredible opening reception for The Circle and the Dot by Saskatchewan artist Laura Hosaluk. Thank you to everyone who joined us — your presence helped create the meaningful and memorable evening it turned out to be.

The gallery came alive in a unique way, thanks in large part to the stunning performance by KSAMB Dance Company. Co-directed by Kyle Syverson and Miki Mappin, KSAMB has been creating postmodern, community-engaged dance since 2009. Their performance last night brought a powerful interpretive energy to the space, sparking new ways of seeing Laura’s installation and offering an embodied dialogue with the artwork itself.

Rooted in Contact Improvisation and ensemble collaboration, KSAMB’s dancers moved through the space with a fluidity that echoed Laura’s own creative process — the careful layering, shaping, and transformation inherent in her work with ceramics and materials like wattle and daub. At first tentative, the dancers (and audience) began to move more freely through the gallery, gradually building a physical relationship with the work and one another. As Kyle and Miki stretched, rolled, tumbled, and paused, they seemed to channel the energy of the artworks — the histories, tensions, and unknowns each sculpture holds.

Laura’s pieces have a presence that’s both quiet and profound — something ancestral and elemental, hard to name yet impossible to ignore. The resonance of her work calls up big questions: Where do we come from? What have we inherited? What have we forgotten? And it was clear from the engagement in the room — from still moments of reflection to animated conversation — that these questions are alive in many of us.

We extend our deepest thanks to Laura Hosaluk and her team for the thoughtful installation and artistic vision behind this powerful exhibition. We also want to acknowledge how important it felt to host an artist talk during the reception — the level of interest and the curiosity in the room was palpable, and we’re so pleased Laura was able to share more about her process and ideas with our audience.

To our volunteers who helped keep the evening running smoothly — thank you. Your time and dedication to the arts make events like this possible.

And finally, thank you to our funders and supporters: Diane & Roger Mann, the City of Prince Albert, SK Arts, SaskCulture, SaskLotteries, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Your support sustains the work we do and brings vital cultural experiences to our community.

The Circle and the Dot is on view until September 27, 2025. If you missed the reception, we invite you to visit the exhibition and spend time with these works that hold so much story, material memory, and emotional resonance.