The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) is hosting an art exhibit that functions as much as a documentary of life in communities like Estevan as an artistic project. Boom, a photography exhibit in Gallery 2 at the EAGM, features an assortment of pictures that document communities in the southern Prairies that are affected by the ups and downs of boom-and-bust related economies, since their fortunes are closely tied with resource-based economies. EAGM director Amber Andersen is the curator of the exhibit, a collection of photographs by Rick Pelletier and Valerie Zink. “I’ve been interested in curating this for a while, because it is something that truly spoke to my experience, particularly when I came to Estevan in 2011, which was truly the height of the boom here,” said Andersen. “I was really drawn to Rick and Valerie’s work because their work …
is neither critique nor is it endorsing anything.” Andersen said that their work simply captures what it’s like to be thrust into an economic upturn, or on the other end of things, an economic bust. Although the works feature oil boom photography, Andersen noted that the collection entails areas that have seen economic upturns from any industry. “It looks at years gone by, when maybe there were, say, stronger farm communities, or industries that aren’t thriving like they once were,” said Andersen. “Places where you have an influx of people, and then a rapid depopulation of people.” Both photographers’ pieces make observances of the kinds of flow that happens during and after a boom. “This exhibition focuses on the humans and the communities, themselves. I think both artists speak to that,” said Andersen. “It’s a topic that is complex and not a straightforward narrative.” Many of the photos
in the collection contain very human moments, such as one depicting a couple in one another’s arms at the CanStay Motel, living arrangements made from shipping containers to cope with the shortage of housing in the Estevan area during the last oil boom. Andersen noted that both photographers who collaborated to create Boom have fairly divergent backgrounds, bringing different perspectives to the collection. “Rick is currently living in B.C., grew up in the Maritimes and has always loved to travel and do photography as he travels,” said Andersen. “He focuses on questions like, ‘Who has been here before?’ and ‘Who is coming here after?’ observing the land and the people on it.” Zink, who grew up in Alberta, and currently resides in Fort Qu’Appelle, shoots all of her photography in Saskatchewan. A lot of her work features pictures of the Estevan area. Andersen said Zink’s photos originate in Saskatchewan, while Pelletier focuses
both on Saskatchewan and Alberta. “Valerie’s works focus more on the human component. She has a lot of figures in her work, whereas Rick is dealing with the community in the larger sense,” said Andersen. “His works don’t have humans in them, but you get a feeling of them being very much about people.”
One commonality that both artists’ photos have, Andersen noted, is that there is a sense of place in both of them, and that all of their work “unmistakably Prairies.” Boom has been on tour for about a year, and Andersen said it has been featured deliberately in galleries in a number of rural locations and smaller cities.
“I’m just really happy it to curate this show. It’s a great topic of discussion and it’s nice to get it out there,” said Andersen. “It’s an interest in the industry that drives this. It’s about asking, ‘Who are these people, where are they from and where are they going?’” Boom will be on display at the EAGM until April 21.
