The Station Arts Centre at Rosthern Continuing Strong
The Annual General Meeting for the Station Arts Centre Co-operative in Rosthern was held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, with members from the community and the surrounding area in attendance. The continued operation of the Station is dependent on funding from the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils, Canadian Heritage, Sask Arts, and the Town of Rosthern, as well as local sponsors, funders, and donations from individuals. Membership in the Station Arts Centre Co-operative and the payment of the annual dues show support for the arts and give people a voice and a vote at the AGM. This year’s AGM also included a social event with food and an art activity.
The Station was incorporated as a cooperative 35 years ago by six visionary women who wanted to create a space in the old train station for the community to gather and celebrate the arts, both visual and performing. The incorporation as a co-operative was to make it a community-based organization - to give people ownership and to allow them to become members to support the arts. There have been many changes over the years, but the Station continues to operate because of the commitment of the members, the generosity of donors, and the dedication of volunteers and employees.
Through the hard work and foresight of numerous volunteers, and the generosity of donors, the Centre has become a vibrant venue promoting the work of Saskatchewan and Canadian artists while providing patrons with ongoing opportunities to enjoy and share experiences with professional and emerging artists in music, visual art, and drama. The Station provides high-calibre concerts of musical acts from across Canada through its membership in the OSAC as well as theatrical performances. Recently, Jack Garton, the Andrew Collins Trio, Trevor Panczak, and DIYET & the Love Soldiers were part of the subscription concert series and as reported at the AGM the subscriber base for the series has increased from previous years. Details for summer theatre offerings and fall 2024 subscription concert series are not yet available, but if past concerts are anything to judge by, they will certainly be worthwhile.
The reports from the committee chairs at the AGM highlighted the challenges and successes for 2023. The revamped craft beer and coffee bar complements both the visual and performing arts programming in the gallery and theatre spaces, such as the immensely popular Hands On! Art Activity nights and the Live and Local Stage. The visual art shows in the gallery attracted record numbers of people, with opening receptions often bringing in 80-100 people. Extremely popular local shows were the Inventions, Wonders and Curiosities, and the Great Gingerbread Challenge. The Russlaender exhibit in July had a high volume of first-time visitors who came to see the show and share stories of their heritage. Always popular is the gallery show featuring the works of 5 – 15-year-olds from the Young Artist Program.
The Station brings in professional touring exhibits through the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC). The OSAC is funded by the Government of Canada, Sask Lotteries, and Sask Culture, and is an umbrella organization that enables “community arts councils and schools to tour and hold live musical and theatre performances, visual art exhibitions, workshops, and special events across Saskatchewan.” (osac.ca) Exhibits in 2023 included Micro and Macro of the Boreal Forest by Greg Allenn and Jeff Meldrum attempted to prompt viewers to consider the complexity of the ecology, Phyllis Poitras-Jarrett’s Spirit of Nature – Looking Beyond Yourself which sought to remind that as humans we are not perfect, East and West: The Bridging of Cultures and Art by Muveddet Al-Katib which explored the differences and similarities we all share, Melanie Monique Rose: The Flower People exhibit inspired by Métis and Ukrainian floral design, and Family Ties which explored the bonds between family members.
The Satellite Gallery at Friesen’s Bigway grocery store (funded by OSAC and Friesen’s Bigway) opened in 2023. The Satellite gallery was created in response to one of the Station’s core values of being a community catalyst and advancing the arts in the community. The high-traffic location of the gallery exposes more people to visual art in a variety of mediums and styles and is an extension of the main exhibit space, as well as being a space for independent shows, emerging artists’ work, or to feature artwork made by youth or in classrooms. Like any satellite, this is a smaller gallery that coordinates with the larger Station Arts Centre gallery and can stand alone or be used as an extension of a show in the Station.
Currently showing at the Station Arts Centre is an exhibit by Monique Martin titled ‘Etc’ which runs until June 22 in the Kathy Thiessen Art Gallery. The exhibition features work that spans many years of creative journeying and exposure at public galleries and museums around the world. Monique is a multi-disciplinary artist from Saskatoon. Showing from October 1 to November 23, 2024, is a multi-artist exhibition featuring the works of Audie Murray, Larissa Kitchemonia, Dona Langhorne, Stacey Fayant, Marcy Friesen, Brandy Jones, and Melanie Monique Rose. They share their stories and experiences of the many Nations of Indigenous Women through their art. Their goal is to amplify, inspire, and educate about the diverse relationships they have with the land and with each other.
On Friday, May 31st, in downtown Rosthern, by the Farmer’s Market, a project called Rosthern Paints Together: The Circle Project, will bring more than 100 people together to paint a dozen four-by-eight murals which will later be displayed at several sites around the town. The murals that are created for this project are meant to reflect the joy of living in a town where everyone can participate, and every contribution is valued. This is a collaborative art event that will mark the 50th Anniversary of Valley Action Abilities. As a collaboration between Valley Action Abilities, the Station Arts Centre, the Town of Rosthern, and Affinity Credit Union to celebrate inclusion and participation, the event will focus on creating large-scale, circle-based paintings. The circle is a symbol of unity, wholeness, connection, and inclusion. The goal of the project is to encourage the recognition of “our commonalities, our shared humanity, and our desire for good in our lives, which ideally, leads to wishing for good in the lives of others, our communities, and the world.” People are invited to come and witness the event and join in, celebrating being part of a connected, inclusive community.
Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wakaw Recorder
