We are officially closed for the 2025 season!

November, 2025

As we reflect on the year, there is much to highlight and celebrate. First and foremost, I want to thank Susie Fisher (former Curator) and Frank Friesen (former Gallery Committee Chair) for all of their years served in their respective roles. They have put such love and energy into our gallery, and their efforts do not go unnoticed. I, personally, have learned much from both of them. I also want to thank Al Friesen for stepping into the role of Gallery Committee Chair this year. We are excited to have Al’s experience and perspective on the committee, and look forward to working with him further.

This Spring, all of the siding on the building was replaced. We now have low-maintenance, steel siding that will last us for years to come! We would like to once again acknowledge and thank the Town of Altona for their part and contribution to this project, as well as Sun Valley Co-Op. We are very pleased with how it turned out! In May, the annual student art show took place once again, boasting creative works from students at MCI, Morden, and W.C. Miller.

Season one hosted two exhibitions by Miriam Rudolph; Layered Histories: Perspectives on Colonization from the Chaco and Storied Land: (Re)Mapping Winnipeg, as well as a series of panels with historical photographs titled Faith, Loss, Renewal: The Russlaender Mennonites by Aileen Friesen and Anikó Szabó. We also featured Gallery in the Park’s permanent collection, which had not been on display all in one place in quite some time.

Over 700 visitors came through the gallery over the weekend of the Manitoba Sunflower Festival, which once again drew large crowds. The gallery grounds hosted the Silent Disco once again, and Gallery in the Park acted as a partial sponsor for this event. This year, Only Local/Bartsch Gardens erected a floral display near the South gate of the grounds, and several local flower farms sold their homegrown florals!

We were fortunate to be able to once again use our beautiful patio space to host two music nights this summer. On July 17th, Three Blind Mice (W.C. Miller students Morley Wahl, Kenji Amuro and Henry Forshaw) opened the evening, followed by Curt and Wanda Friesen, ending the night with Nya & the 10th Avenue Band. On August 21st, folk trio Casati (from Winnipeg) took to the patio and entertained the crowd with their unique sound. Both events were enjoyed by all who attended.

Season two featured Winnipeg artist Hollande Bezan with her personal exhibition, Return to the Farm, a collection of 40 artworks dedicated to honouring her family’s agricultural roots and the farming legacy that has continued through five generations. Also exhibiting in season two was Wanda Slawik with A Year without Christmas (a collection that was created throughout the Covid-19 pandemic). Finally, our third artist featured in season two was Kae Sasaki, who returned with her incredibly detailed large-scale paintings of opera houses. At the season two opening gala, we unveiled the newest addition to our sculpture garden: Equilibre Oblique, a unique sculpture of steel and stainless steel, created by Quebec artist Philippe Pallafray. This piece was donated by Friesens Corporation, and we are so grateful for their continued support. Both season one and two were very well-received by visitors and patrons.

During the second weekend of September, the annual Pembina Valley Studio Tour and Blue House Market were a success. While this was the first time in four years that we did not have sunny weather, it did not slow down foot traffic on the Saturday. Over 350 folks came through in just two days!

Once we closed up for the end of the Summer season, art classes with local artist and instructor Cheryl Krahn resumed early Fall. We love hosting these art classes within the gallery. Having a space for arts programming in our town is crucial.

Earlier this month, we tried something new. For the first time, we held a week-long exhibition for Remembrance Day, titled Remembering. This exhibition took place in the large room on the main floor of the gallery, and featured scale models by Barry Friesen and Rod Buhr, paintings by Steve Penner, photographs and historical documents on loan from Perry Batchelor, and more. We held a short opening program in the lobby of the Millennium Exhibition Centre in front of the memorial display case on November 10th with message by retired military chaplain Greg Costen provided the message, while Callum Morrison sang some beautiful songs of remembrance. Remembering was incredibly well-received, with over 400 folks coming through to take in the exhibition. I want to again thank all who were involved in pulling this together. If you missed any of the exhibitions this year and want to see photos, videos and more, we post on our social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram) regularly, so please feel free to follow our pages there!

As for next year, we already have some artists in place for both season one and season two, and we are very excited to unveil another sculpture next summer!

As ever, we are thankful for the ongoing support of the arts in Altona. Contributions to Gallery in the Park allow us to continue our efforts at staffing our Gallery with a curator, purchasing art and sculptures, and hosting special events. Without the support of patrons and donors, we cannot do what we do.

On a personal note, this was an incredibly exciting year for me, as it was my first year in the permanent curatorial role. I am honoured to be here and to be a part of this place, and I am extremely grateful for Susie’s continued guidance, as well as the support of the Gallery in the Park committee. We have a gem in our community, and that is Gallery in the Park. I have big hopes and dreams for our gallery, and I am excited to see what more it can become.

Renae Friesen, Curator