HELD – Colour stories from the land

Melanie Monique Rose
curated by Sage Wosminity
July 30 – September 18, 2022
Reception: August 6, 5 – 7 PM

HELD – Colour stories from the land explores feelings of kinship. Silk scarves created by Melanie Monique Rose serve as a link between the artist’s Metis and Ukrainian heritage. Through the process of creating these scarves, Melanie hopes to create her own ultimate Kokum scarf or Babushka as an ode to her ancestors and an exploration of relationships between the Metis and Ukrainian settlers. The materials used as part of natural dyeing processes are gathered thoughtfully and respectfully from the land of Treaty 4, whispering their stories back. The natural materials collected from the land raise questions surrounding the transmission of Ancestral knowledge. If we are unable to learn directly from our ancestors can the plants we encounter act as conduits for this knowledge? Through the experience of gathering regional flora the artist also gathers ancestral teachings as she ponders how her forebearers have used these plants before her. Were they used for medicine, food, or perhaps colour? The action of imprinting flowers and other botanical subjects onto silk scarves helps capture these precious stories in time, preserving their memories and teachings within the fabric.

Melanie Monique Rose is a visual artist from Regina, Saskatchewan Treaty 4 Territory, and a long-time contributing member of Sâkêwêwak Artists’ Collective Inc. She attended Kootenay School of the Arts with a major in the Fibre Arts in Nelson, B.C. Melanie has exhibited her artwork in both group and solo exhibitions. One of her greatest honors was to receive the distinction of Excellence in Textiles in the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Dimension’s 2013 touring show. In 2020, CBC celebrated Melanie as a Future 40 for her work in arts and culture. Most recently she was a recipient of the Saskatchewan Foundation of the Arts Endowment Award. In addition to showing her work, Melanie has worked in the province as gallery facilitator, story-keeper, and art instructor for the Mackenzie Art Gallery and teaches various workshops at both public and private institutions. In 2018 her daughter Meadow Rose was born. Melanie is currently a full-time mom, caregiver, and artist. Becoming a mother has increased her desire to share the stories of her culture and family and has challenged the way she creates independently and as a shared experience with her daughter.

Sage Wosminity is an emerging curator from Regina, Saskatchewan located on Treaty 4 Territory. Sage has a history in fashion design exhibiting numerous collections in both Saskatchewan and Alberta. Sage is currently pursuing an honors degree in Art History and is an avid supporter of the arts in Regina.