KERROBERT — Kerrobert Courtroom Gallery will feature two artists for the summer months. Shane Junop is an emerging stone artist based out of Saskatoon and Bonny Macnab of Mervin is a nature-based artist who encompasses plein-air painting with eco-printing carrying over her work in textiles.
The gallery in Kerrobert’s historic 102-year-old courthouse was formally used as a courtroom and volunteers knew it would be a perfect location for dedicated events such as art shows and their annual festival of trees. KCG likes to showcase artists year-round and are committed to promoting and displaying a range of talent. Run by volunteers, their mission is to bring a variety of local and imported artistic media to the public in their efforts to promote art and culture.
Junop says he was contacted by the curators in early 2021. “I had not visited the Courtroom Gallery before the show’s set up and I was very impressed, having the perfect space and lighting to view the beauty in art,” he says.
“The medium I usually work in is natural stone and where better to find stone than literally beneath my feet. This field stone is found in fields and rock piles around the province, and landowners are typically happy to give me permission and are more than happy to have someone remove the stone from their fields.”
The artist says the geological makeup of the stone itself will influence the final subject, which can switch between abstract and figurative forms.
As a member of the Prairie Sculptors Association, he will be involved with a few shows they have lined up for 2022. As a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council, Junop also has his carvings for sale and displayed at curated shows throughout the year with SCC.
"We have not decided on a reception date for the Earth Elements show in Kerrobert. However, if and when we set a date, I plan to be there in person in Kerrobert."
Bonny Macnab spent her formative years on Canada’s west coast. She was drawn to the Saskatchewan prairies as a young adult. The wide-open spaces of Saskatchewan and the proximity to the boreal forest, even the long winters, provided her an opportunity to develop her artistry skills.
Macnab has explored and mastered techniques that have fed her passion for art. Her nature-based work has expanded to include plein-air painting to eco printing. Her most recent two-dimensional project is a mural housed at Mosaic Stadium in Regina that portrays a celebration and memory in oil and digital.
A spokesperson for the Kerrobert Courtroom Gallery adds, “We are hosting five shows in 2022. Many of the artists are approached by gallery members after they have been seen in other locations and galleries, while others are references we receive from current artists hosting shows, and some are even found on social media, while some artists contact us directly.”
There is no fee to showcase an artist’s work in the gallery, other than a percentage is paid to KCG if a sale is made through their show, which is standard for any gallery.
You can find KCG on Facebook
For more information on these artists, you can find Shane Junop on Instagram and Bonny Macnab on Facebook.
