Hailed as the 'best scene so far', Saskatchewan artists of all genres and styles were the talk of Ottawa at the Prairie Scene festival which wrapped up on Sunday, May 8.
"The excitement of opening night carried on throughout the festival, not only with our artists but with the thousands who came out to attend activities," Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Bill Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson was in Ottawa to help launch the festival on April 26.
During the 13 days of Prairie Scene more than two hundred Saskatchewan artists or their work were showcased in 80 venues around the national capital region. Heather Moore, the Artistic Director, called Prairie Scene "the best scene so far" in regards to box office sales compared to those at similar events devoted to other regions of the country.
In their review of Prairie Scene, Canadian Art, an online art magazine, said that "as art scenes go, there is perhaps no place with more creative punch per capita than the Prairie region."
Overall attendance numbers should come from the National Arts Centre soon, and they are expected to be very positive as many events and exhibits sold out over the two weeks. Tourism Saskatchewan reports that close to 500 people visited the famous green screen to take home a photo memory of their virtual visit to Saskatchewan, while more than 5,000 have visited prairiescene.sasktourism.com to read the blog and watch videos.
Prairie Scene's final weekend featured some special events from Saskatchewan and partner province Manitoba. On Saturday, in the spirit of Rider Pride and the cross-promotion between arts and sport, Enterprise Saskatchewan held an impromptu touch football game on Parliament Hill.
After the game, the two provinces hosted an old fashion prairie social featuring Rolling Stone Magazine Cover Contestants, The Sheepdogs, and rock n' roll legends Bachman & Turner and back-up band Cease and Desist.
The program for Saturday also featured prominent Saskatchewan First Nations artists including the Great Plains dancers, Eekwol and the play Gordon Winter starring Gordon Tootoosis with Buffy Saint-Marie bringing down the house that evening.
"Prairie Scene has been a resounding success," Hutchinson said. "We have already received feedback from far and wide on the high caliber of our artists, some of which have been booked for Canadian and international tours as far away as Australia. I feel the Government of Saskatchewan's direct investment in our artists has helped propel their careers and showcase Saskatchewan's great talent, natural beauty and high quality of life."
