Ribbons in the Oasis
Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor
There are four Strathmore ribbon winners in the Arts and Crafts show at the Calgary Stampede. The displays are in the Bank of Montreal centre and the area named the OASIS.
An Oasis it is, as culture flanks a quiet wine garden surrounded by cool fountains, with soft music and cowboy poetry drifting through the air.
Along the back wall, applicants creative endeavors are displayed in lighted showcases .
Jenny Songhurst’s painting of an RCMP placed second. Marion Alward and Elaine Smiths crocheted dolls placed third. Alward also placed second with a child’s sweater set. And Marlene Paisson came first with her pencil sketch of a sheep.
Their works are displayed just down the aisle from one of the featured artists, who incorporated a local cowboy into his feature piece for the arts competition with ‘SPIRIT OF THE WEST, 100 YEARS IN THE MAKING’ theme. He was hoping for a win. In 2011, he won Best New Artist in the show.
Michael Colin Perks, of Little Monkey Metal Works, hails from Okotoks. His medium is intricate metalwork cut with plasma and acetylene torches. His modern appeal made him the 2011 best upcoming Stampede artist.
His tribute to the Centennial is a wild horse comprised of cut letters of the names of people that made great contributions to the development of the Stampede. The letters are intricate and individually welded into the shape.
“I put the names of prominent people from 1918 on, and not just the cowboys either. There are many who contributed to the Stampede,” said Perks.
He also has a wonderful sculpture, in a similar vein, of a wingspread goose. The words are all the patriotic reasons we are proud to be Canadian.
Artists are selling their work in the Western Oasis. There is also an art auction on July 12, should any savvy collectors want to add to their home galleries. The gallery is worth a peek, even if you can’t afford those beautiful treasures. There is a cooking gallery for those whose art rests in the palate. The Oasis gives a welcome cool and quiet place to relax away from the rush of the grounds.