Opening Tonight for Local Artist at Mann Art Gallery

Donna McKeand-Smith: Of Charcoal and Birch Bark

April 2nd – May 5th, 2012

Reception: Friday, April 13th, 2012 | 7:00pm

Due to its prevalence in Eurasia and North America, birch bark documents as well as writings and images recorded on a tree’s bark have been used extensively in many cultures for centuries. The material has natural fungal fighting enzymes that allow it to be used for a wide variety of objects including, containers for food, canoes, and bows in addition to paper. Notable bark documents include Gandharan Buddhist texts and Sanskrit texts. In the 1950’s, Russian bark documents were found preserved at archeological sites dating as early as the 4th Century CE.

Using pen & ink on birch bark and charcoal on paper, Donna McKeand-Smith literally captures landscapes using physical parts of the landscape itself. Detritus layers of bark are carefully chosen while the composition of each piece is formed based on the natural texture and imperfections of the material.

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“My Charcoal pencil drawings are depictions of landscapes & still life that represent my experiences of nature and the nostalgia of old objects.” ~McKeand-Smith

Donna is a self-taught artist who was born and raised in Prince Albert and Spruce Home, Saskatchewan. Known primarily for landscape and still life drawings in charcoal and pen and ink, her works have been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions across Saskatchewan in Prince Albert, Spruce Home, Lloydminster, Christopher Lake, Bodmin and in Saint-Nicolas, Quebec. Her work is part of the Mann Art Gallery's permanent collection and has been picked up by private collectors in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Japan and England.

Curated by: Griffith Aaron Baker