ESTEVAN — Woodlawn Regional Park and the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum have once again partnered for the Inside-Out art exhibit, with two Estevan artists contributing works.
A reception was held recently at the park. Patrons toured the park and viewed each of the pieces, and the artists – Bethany Dittmann and Ruth Langwieser – explained their efforts. People also roasted hot dogs and talked about art.
Air and Water is this year's title. Dittmann contributed two displays related to air and Langwieser did the same for the water.
"I put a call out for artists to submit, and the two of them reached out, initially just to see if we would be okay with the two of them collaborating," said EAGM director-curator Tye Dandridge-Evancio, who thought the teamwork was a great idea.
From there, everybody involved met and showed the prototypes for the exhibition.
Dittmann said she thought of Langwieser when she saw the call for artists. They shared ideas that inspired them, discussed their love of nature and how they could bring different ideas to the exhibit.
"I made a painted watercolour of birds in flight that is displayed and hanging from fishing wire, so you get the sense that they are flying within the display case," said Dittmann.
"Then the other piece I made is a raindrop mobile … with an art method called tape transfers. I use masking tape for that and transfer images that I've drawn, or have collected and found in magazines, and even napkins, and … dry and press flowers into masking tape that I then treat into the shape of raindrops hanging," Dittmann added later.
She said she uses manmade and natural items for the transfers.
People Dittmann has talked to in the community look forward to Inside-Out each year, and they have enjoyed the experience this year.
"It's neat chatting with friends and hearing that people are looking forward to getting out to Woodlawn and looking for them," said Dittmann.
Some of the exhibits might be in similar places to those from previous years, and some are in new locations.
"The hope is it encourages people to get out and walk, spend time outside and look at them," said Dittmann. "It's really neat too, because people in the campground will just stumble across them … and then they find these pieces in not-so-conventional spaces like an art gallery."
When they were adding the art to the park, Dittman recalled a little girl riding by on her bicycle and taking a keen interest in the project.
Dittmann said she and her family have spent a lot of time at the park since they moved to Estevan a couple of years ago. They enjoy cycling on the Preddy Trails and using Fresh Air Fitness outdoor gym in the summer, and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter.
"We really appreciate the space here and the opportunity to explore it," she said.
Langwieser said her artwork is located closer to watch to match her contributions.
"One of them is a deep-sea creature and it is also lit a little bit during the evening, and the second one is two figurines on a raft," said Langwieser, who used clay and recycled plastic.
Langwieser has been involved with the EAGM and Woodlawn on an Inside-Out outdoor exhibit previously – 2021's Can you Hear the Water?
When Langwieser thinks of a creative work, water often comes to her mind.
Working with Dittmann proved to be a great experience for Langwieser.
"We had a really good time of preparation. We went for a walk at Rafferty Dam in the spring, and had the inspiration about the theme and nature, and it really was nice to prepare that with Bethany," Langwieser said.
It was also good working with the EAGM, and she said she was thankful to Dandridge-Evancio for providing the right amount of support, while allowing them to do what they think was best.
Dandridge-Evancio believes the exhibit turned out "wonderfully". This year marks the second time Dandridge-Evancio has been involved with an outdoor exhibit, and there was no skepticism this year.
"An exhibition outside? What is that supposed to look like? But then we did it, and I thought this is wonderful, having it in a different space," said Dandridge-Evancio.
The park is a lush, gorgeous green area, Dandridge-Evancio said, so the work compliments and interacts with the environment around them, allowing viewers to interact with the displays.
Langwieser and Dittmann have an interesting and unique perspective, Dandridge-Evancio said, who was pleased to see them come together.
"More than a couple of times this week, I found myself zipping down there just to 'check in on' the works, and also just to experience them for myself," Dandridge-Evancio said.
Langwieser used to work at the EAGM, and Dittmann had a solo exhibit with Inside-Out last year, so Dandridge-Evancio has worked with them previously and said it was great to do so again.
"I almost … feel like I need to do more, because they come in with such a strong curatorial idea, the two of them, and there's no notes. I like that," Dandridge-Evancio said. "They're both self-starters, and they both have such unique points of view when it comes to their work."
Air and Water will remain on display until the end of September, weather permitting.
