Exhibition Story
There is a simple, powerful, and timeless presence in hundreds of scattered places in Alberta. These are the sites where the settlers, Metis, some First Nations people and missionaries all channelled their faith, their devotion, and their need for a spiritual home into the energy to build themselves a church.
The people who settled Alberta came from communities where the church was the centre, the heart, the most important and often the largest building. They were people who’s faith was strong and alive, and permeated their lives. Their first priority in this new land was for food and shelter for their families. Their second was for a place to gather, to worship, a place to become the heart of their settlement; to make it a community. They committ
ed what they could ill afford; land, time, the skills to build what they could,, and money for what they couldn’t do themselves. They filled these Houses of Worship with the energy of their faith, their hopes and dreams for the future for their families and the community.
Then came droughts, dust bowls, grasshoppers, depressions; the gravel road was placed five miles north, the railroad was put fifteen miles east, communities consolidated, and motor vehicles
permitted wider travel. There were also good times, plentiful times, hopeful times, but they didn’t last. Many of the small communities ceased to exist - so churches were abandoned and slowly disintegrated, they were moved or dismantled, sold as houses or stores.
Those remaining Houses of Worship are the remnants of communities; remnants of the structure, remnants of the energy of the pioneers, remnants of their desires for their children’s future. They were the repositories of hopes, dreams, and prayers. Every moment that someone was in the church their thoughts and energies were focused through their faith to their God. The very essence of praying filled the building with spiritual energy, peace, hope, love, thoughts of loved ones, dreams for their future. These little buildings are not just wood, glass, stucco, concrete, but are a very powerful and serene presence in the countryside.
The idea of using the theme of country churches for some of my miniature metal landscapes is almost 10 years old. It was working on Craftyear 2007 that gave me the impetus to commit to the project. I travelled around Alberta with my camera, looking for churches, talking to archivists, and I realised that this project went much deeper than pretty buildings. It was the story of the people who created these buildings that mattered to me. I am in awe at the sheer energy that they must of had, the level of commitment, and the drive that was required to provide a house of worship, and a spiritual home for their families and futures. I also love the energy of each of these sites, each different but with a wonderful serene common feeling.
This project fulfils my need to tell these stories, to bring these remnants of lives, communities, and dreams to life again.