Juanita Aucamp with her paintings of bears at the ARC exhibit on now at the Allen Sapp Gallery. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Over a dozen artists featured

ARC Creative Studios art show at the Allen Sapp Gallery highlights artists collective’s recent works

Jul 9, 2021 | 5:29 PM

Juanita Aucamp sees the bear as her spirit animal.

She was so fascinated with the creature she decided to create a series of paintings of portraits of bears, in acrylic on wood.

Her work is included in a show from the ARC (Artist-Run-Centre) Creative Studios artists collective on now at the Allen Sapp Gallery, Lower Level.

“I think if you look at the spirit animal part of the bear, it has a lot to do with healing and strength,” Aucamp said. “That’s something that personifies me quite a bit.”

From South Africa, Aucamp immigrated to Canada in 2009 and currently works professionally as a dentist in North Battleford.

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Aucamp says the artists from ARC were some of the first people she met and became friends with since coming to Canada.

Sherron Burns is also taking part in the show. She submitted a sculpture she created of historical figure Rosa Luxemburg.

Burns says Luxemburg, a renowned union worker who fought for workers’ rights at the turn of the century, is one of her husband’s heroes.

“He feels really strongly about her. I did it as a surprise for him actually,” she said. “I was a bit of a challenge.”

Burns enjoys working on a variety of art forms, and has spent about 12 years on the art of sculpture making, puppetry and masks.

Local artist Heather Hochbaum, who was recently named the recipient of the 2021 Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Award for Excellence in Quilting, is also participating in the show.

Curator and manager of galleries with the City of North Battleford Leah Garven says the ARC exhibition features a variety of pieces, including watercolours, ceramics, acrylic painting, fabric dying and fabric art.

Among the highlights is Audrey Fineday’s painting, “And Still the Fire Burns.”

“This artwork is a meaningful and heartfelt tribute to students who attended Indian Residential Schools,” Garven said in an email to battlefordsNOW. “The thoughtful piece portrays the image of Audrey’s late mother, expressing the eternal nature of her mother’s teachings—from time immemorial. The numerals ‘215’ are hidden on the canvas, but appear to fly on the eagle’s wings. Her art expression also includes an installation of 215 pieces of leather hide lacing, which is symbolic of the unmarked graves located in Kamloops, with the leather being a connection to the bison; an animal that provided everything for the people.”

Another interesting piece, Garven said, is Michael Brokop’s “Untitled Mask.”

“[It] is a beautiful and highly refined art piece that is a result of his significant study in mask making, where he utilized recent techniques using resin molds and other materials. The mask looks like fine bone china with delicate pastel hues,” she said.

The exhibition continues until July 17.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow