By Holly Thorne-Wiebe
Gallery in the Park is paying tribute to Canada’s veterans with its first ever Remembrance Day exhibition.
It is a weeklong display that blends art, history and community memory, and the exhibition opens Monday (Nov. 10) at 10 a.m. with a short ceremony at the Millennium Exhibition Centre before visitors are invited across the parking lot to view the show inside the gallery.
The weeklong display at Gallery in the Park blends art, history and community memory
“Visitors can expect to see a variety of scale models featuring Canadian military vehicles by Barry Friesen and Rod Buhr, paintings by Steve Penner, as well as photographs, historical documents and more,” said gallery manager and curator Renae Friesen, who also serves as events co-ordinator for Gallery in the Park.
“This is our first year trying out an exhibition like this for Remembrance Day, so all of the pieces being brought in are on loan for the duration of the exhibit only.”
Friesen said the exhibition, which runs only through Nov. 16, offers visitors an opportunity to connect with Canadian military history in both creative and personal ways. The inclusion of scale models, meticulously detailed recreations of military vehicles and dioramas, offers an uncommon but engaging way to tell these stories.
“You don’t often see scale models exhibited in many places, so this was a unique opportunity to tap two locals on the shoulder who have been creating miniatures for years and get them involved,” she said.
“Both Buhr and Friesen pay incredible attention to the fine details in their work, which really pays off in showcasing their talents as well as in the storytelling. This allows visitors to see what these Canadian military vehicles, uniforms and equipment really looked like, in a different way.”
Community participation has been central to the exhibition’s creation.
“I did a lot of shoulder tapping for involvement, and everyone has been so gracious in helping to pull this together,” Friesen said.
“Retired warrant officer Perry Batchelor is loaning the gallery several photographs and historical documents from his family members who served in both world wars. He’s also been crucial in helping point me in the direction of who to shoulder-tap.”
Local artist Steve Penner has contributed several remembrance-themed paintings, while Buhr and Friesen’s detailed dioramas serve as visual anchors for the display.
The opening program Nov. 10 will feature retired chaplain Major Greg Costen, who will share a short message of reflection, and local singer Callum Morrison performing songs tied to the theme of remembrance. The event will take place in the Millennium Exhibition Centre lobby in front of display cases filled with wartime memorabilia.
For Friesen, the process of curating an exhibition tied to war and remembrance required sensitivity and care.
“Being sensitive to the material is important, but it is also important to be sensitive to those who may view it,” she said. “When inviting school groups, we note that it’s suitable for slightly older kids, junior high and up. There isn’t always an understanding with younger groups about what they are seeing and why it matters.
“It should be clear that we are not glorifying war but rather remembering and honoring everyone who served,” she said. “Sometimes that means prefacing an exhibition with a subject matter warning. While this exhibition would not be considered mature, we don’t know how people will perceive what they see or what it may remind them of. We want to be as sensitive as we can.”
Friesen hopes the exhibition will encourage conversations about remembrance and history, especially among younger generations.
“I feel it is crucial for all generations to understand the history of something as important as Remembrance Day,” she said. “We as Canadians are very fortunate to have the freedoms that we do, so it’s incredibly important that we honor those who served and those who died fighting for those same freedoms.”
The exhibition will be housed in the large main floor gallery room, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. Thur., Nov. 13. Brochures explaining the history and significance of Remembrance Day will be available to visitors.
“As I mentioned, this is the first time we are trying this sort of exhibition, so we’re starting small,” Friesen said. “While this is a modest show, it’s deeply meaningful. It’s our way of honoring the people who made it possible for us to live the way we do today.”
Gallery in the Park invites the public to attend the opening ceremony and visit the exhibition throughout the week. Updates and event details are available at galleryinthepark.ca/events and on the gallery’s social media pages.
