The changing face of farming and agriculture has inspired two artistic exhibits opening this month at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.
The works of Calgary artist Jean Pederson will be featured in a display called Farm Fragments, which incorporate real parts of a family farm, including pieces of linoleum, doors, molding, shingles, and old receipts. Photographs are also used to tell the story of the ever-changing landscape and social fabric of the prairies.
Pederson, a well-known portraitist and art instructor, said she was pushed outside her traditional realm of painting to capture the “eclectic” people who make up rural society.
Farm Fragments runs from Friday (Sept. 10) to Nov. 14, and Pederson will discuss the project as part of Alberta Art Days at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19.
The second agriculture-related exhibit, Alberta Farm Women features the work of Edmonton artist Dawn Saunders Dahl.
Dahl worked with rural women to capture the realities of daily farm life through photography, paintings, sound recordings and portraiture.
“I see this project as a collaboration . . . rather than the traditional relationship of artist to subject,” said Dahl., a graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary.
Dahl will discuss her exhibit at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3 at the museum.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com