The best way to celebrate the achievements of the Yorkton Arts Council is through art itself, and the new show at the community pARTners gallery in the Yorkton Public Library is a celebration of the 50 year history of the council and the many local artists that it works to support. Past, Present and Future features over 20 local artists showcasing a wide range of work.
One of those artists is Sonja Pawliw, who brought a mosaic table and shoes, as well as felted birds. Pawliw says that for her, it’s a drive to create that is behind her work, as well as a desire to make good use of materials she has at hand. The first mosaic she ever did began after she was inspired to improve some furniture.
“The first mosaic I ever did, the Christian brother from St. Mary’s, they were redoing their furniture in their rooms and they had a metal stand with a bowl on the top. He brought it to me, and said if you spray paint it, you can put a plant in there. When I saw that, I thought I had a magazine for mosaics. I hunted high and low, I still haven’t found it... I remembered it was breaking dishes... I put some dishes into a towel, took a rubber hammer and I hammered, and I coated that stand with mosaic. When he came back in two weeks, he couldn’t believe it.”
She says the likes to experiment, and says that for her work she needs to have a vision of the end result, because through the process it’s not always clear what the end result is going to be and where she is going.
“When you start something, it looks ugly, and messy, and it’s dirty... But once you polish it up, it’s another world, and it really makes you feel good.”
She admits that some people might consider her a little bit crazy, especially since it’s often starting with materials that other people might not see as a source for art.
“An artist or craftsperson I think is a little crazy in ways, because before you finish one item you are already about of the next thing you can do.”
The felted birds also started from an inspiration from old materials she could no longer use.
“I had an old quilt, and you don’t want to throw away an old quilt.”
She then went to the internet and to find what she could do with the material and made the birds in the process.
In terms of the show itself, Pawliw says it’s rewarding to see what people are doing, and that others are driven to create like she is.
“It’s beautiful to see all the people who are doing things, and it’s nice to learn from others.”
Past, Present and Future runs until February 12.
