Exhibit runs February 1 – March 18, 2023
Admission is free
Book a tour for you and your friends or a school tour/activity for your class!
Rose explores identity through fibre art inspired by Métis and Ukrainian floral motifs.
Touring through OSAC’s Arts on the Move program.
“The Flower People is a story about me, my family, my people and our connection and relationship to the land, ourselves, and each other.
An ongoing study for me is my work with the theme, The Flower People. It is derived from the name ‘The Flower Beadwork People’ a name given to the Métis who are well know for their floral beadwork. Felted pieces, combined with the use of collected blankets create a canvas for my personal exploration of identity as a contemporary Indigenous Artist, alongside my Ukrainian heritage. My floral imagery invokes stories of people, place, and the land. Inspired by culturally traditional art forms of the Métis and Ukrainian folk art, my works are wholly fresh and new, but my past/ancestors are very much present.
Personal, cultural, and universal symbolism are woven into the fabric of my work with an emphasis on movement, colour, and narrative. The slow, process orientated execution of felting becomes meditative and at times acts as healing and a prayer to my family and community. My most recent works are personal acts of Indigenous survivance & solidarity, which have made me critically look at how I tell my story as an active Indigenous presence in the world today.”
-Artist Statement, Melanie Monique Rose
Melanie Monique Rose is a visual artist from Regina, Saskatchewan Treaty 4 Territory, and a long-time contributing member of Sâkêwêwak Artists’ Collective Inc. She attended Kootenay School of the Arts with a major in the Fibre Arts in Nelson, B.C. Rose has exhibited her artwork in both group and solo exhibitions Nationally. Her greatest honor was to receive the distinction of Excellence in Textiles in Dimension’s 2013 touring show. In addition to showing her work, Rose has worked in the province as gallery facilitator, story-keeper, and art instructor for the Mackenzie Art Gallery and in addition teaches various workshops at both public and private institutions.
In 2018 her daughter Meadow Rose was born and Rose is currently a full-time mom, caregiver, and artist. Becoming a mother has increased Rose’s desire to share the stories of her culture and family and has challenged the way she creates independently and as a shared experience with her daughter. Rose is inspired and excited to see where the journey takes her as an Artist.
Image: Melanie Monique Rose, Summer Sleeping #1, 2020, 1/5 edition giclee print
Contact Nicole Thiessen at programmingdirector@stationarts.com to book your tour!