Virtual Water Gallery

Saskatoon artists Cam Forrester, Greg Hargarten, Paul Trottier, Roger Trottier, and Ken Van Rees, collectively known as the Men Who Paint, have teamed up with Global Water Futures and select artists from across Canada and the UK in the new Virtual Water Gallery that marries art with science.

The brain child of John Pomeroy, the GWF Director and Distinguished Professor at the U of S, the Virtual Water Gallery is a new initiative designed to facilitate collaboration between art and science to better communicate the challenges of water security during climate change.

The Virtual Water Gallery brings together artists, scientist, water experts, knowledge keepers, and the public, to collectively reflect and explore these water security challenges. It also provides an on-line home for this art during the pandemic.

As part of this pilot project, 12 artists were paired with 16 water experts and knowledge keepers to co-explore specific water challenges in various Canadian eco-regions and river basins, including the Arctic, the mountains, boreal forests, prairies, farmlands, lakes, rivers, and communities. These collaborations have led to the co-creation of science-art pieces that will be exhibited on-line on the Virtual Water Gallery.

Showcasing work produced by these partnerships, the Virtual Water Gallery Launch Event goes live on Thursday, April 29th at 10:30 CST with an on-line event that will introduce the collaborators and their artworks.

Visit the Gallery at: www.virtualwatergallery.ca
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About Global Water Futures
Global Water Futures is a pan-Canadian research program that is funded in part by a $77.8-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. The overarching goal of the program is to deliver risk management solutions - informed by leading-edge water science and supported by innovative decision-making tools - to manage water futures in Canada and other cold regions where global warming is changing landscapes, ecosystems, and the water environment.

Global Water Futures (GWF) aims to position Canada as a global leader in water science for cold regions and will address the strategic needs of the Canadian economy in adapting to change and managing risks of uncertain water futures and extreme events. End-user needs will be our beacon and will drive strategy and shape our science.

 

About Men Who Paint
Since their formation in 2007, Men Who Paint have embraced plein air painting. Inspired by the work and adventurous spirit of the early Canadian painters, the group has spent years traveling and painting outdoors.

Their extensive travels have taken to Germany, British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii archipelago, Alberta’s Banff National Park, Ontario’s Algonquin Park, Nunavut’s Ellesmere Island, and Yukon’s Ivvavik National Park. They have also spent considerable time painting Saskatchewan locations: Prince Albert National Park, Emma Lake, La Ronge and Cypress Hills.

Men Who Paint have exhibited in over 60 solo and group shows. Their work is held in public, corporate and private galleries across Canada & abroad, including The Parks Canada Permanent Collection, The Kunstmuseum in Schwaan Germany, OstseeSparkasse Rostock Permanent Collection, Ronald McDonald House Permanent Collection, Blue Cross Permanent Collection and The Mann Gallery in Prince Albert.