Beyond the Canvas:  Colin Starkevich facilitates conversations & connections 

Southern Alberta Newspapers Photo by Kimberly Cocks FOREVER GRASSLANDS: (Left to right) Colin Starkevich, artist; Joel Nicholson, Biologist; Amber Coderre, SEAWA Executive Director; Randy Lehr, rancher; and JoLynn Parenteau, Metis Culture Educator and Knowledge Keeper. 

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Artist Colin Starkevich, known for the Grassland Series, has just wrapped up a solo exhibit (Forever Grasslands) at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat. On October 21, he was driving to the North American Arctic Goose Conference and Workshop when he pulled over to discuss an event he had facilitated at the Esplanade and talk about his next guest appearance.

On October 16, Starkevich brought together a panel to discuss the grasslands and prairies from a variety of unique perspectives. The artist joined biologist Joel Nicholson, SEAWA Executive Director Amber Coderre, rancher Randy Lehr, and Metis Culture Educator and Knowledge Keeper JoLynn Parenteau on stage for an interactive session with about 50 guests in attendance.

“It went really well,” shares Starkevich. “This is something I wanted to do for a number of years. The Esplanade was willing to accommodate me for this event.”

He continues, “Through my career as an artist, it’s just been my view through my artistic lens, but it’s not just artists that live on the prairies. We are an interconnected web and we all influence one another in the work we do. I thought it would be great to bring in people to share what they do.”

In addition to the panel discussion, the audience was engaged and asked questions. With a variety of viewpoints and experiences, stories and data were shared about how the grasslands are changing to support human evolution.

“There was some discussion of the benefits of grazing on the grasslands and how important it is to keep the native tracks of grasslands that we have,” Starkevich says. “The vast tracks are important pieces because they, among other things, are wildlife corridors.”

Nicholson, the biologist, shared a very interesting finding. He and his team recently discovered just how far local pronghorn antelope migrate.

“One female pronghorn was tracked over 800 kilometres in a year. It had a migration route from southern Alberta, into Saskatchewan, and back into Alberta again. That migration alone is equivalent to the big migrations seen in Africa – but these ones are in our own backyards!”

With the success of Forever Grasslands behind him, Starkevich is keeping busy with his passion for art and how it can be used to connect people about important topics, such as ecological advocacy and conservation.

“I am fascinated with Canada’s Northern Arctic region,” he smiles in anticipation of arriving at the conference in Saskatchewan. “I wonder, is this what the grasslands looked like before they changed? A few weeks ago, I did a painting depicting leg bands being put on Canadian Geese and the dangers that go along with that. There is a polar bear in the painting to represent the danger.”

Following the North American Arctic Goose Conference, Starkevich will make an appearance at the 18th Annual Grasslands Restoration Fall Information Session on November 20 in Claresholm. This is a day dedicated to gathering industry and grassland stakeholders to discuss restoration and conservation. Starkevich will appear as a feature artist and will present some of his work.

“While I am alive on this earth, I want my art to transcend what is on the walls and bring people together to learn from each other,” Starkevich concludes. “I want my art to show how we are all in this together, that we are all interconnected and we are all capable of doing extraordinary things. When it comes to conservation stories in the news, there is a lot of doom and gloom. However, there is a lot for which to be grateful. I see my work as a celebration of what we still have. I believe that we still have the grasslands because of the work of people in the past and present who share a passion for the prairies. I have the easy job; I paint the pictures. If it weren’t for the work of everyone involved, the grasslands would not be what they are today.”

Visit colinstarkevich.com to learn more about his work, and visit grasslandrestorationforum.ca to learn more about the November 20 forum.