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Ice Books with native seeds and sediment released into the delta at Cumberland House

Teaching the River

Susan Shantz (Art & Art History) for Basia Irland

News

By Justine Gieni

For over 30 years, eco-artist Basia Irland has focused her creativity to connect people to their local waters to motivate concern, caring, appreciation and stewardship. Through an ICCC Fellowship, Irland will participate in a three-day residency in Saskatoon this May, where she will mentor students in the interdisciplinary course ART 356.3: Becoming Water. The course, which is co-taught by Susan Shantz (Art and Art History) and Graham Strickert (SENS), connects science with art to deepen students’ awareness of key issues related to water.

“Artists are ‘omnivores,’” says Shantz, when asked about the inspiration for the interdisciplinary course. “You can find art that addresses almost every subject under the sun. Art is uniquely positioned to connect our external and internal environments imaginatively.”

Using our local waterway, the South Saskatchewan River, as a “case study” and artistic inspiration, students in the course will explore the “multiple perspectives from which to consider water—environmental, social, cultural and political—to reflect on the complexities of our very intimate relationship with water,” Shantz says.  

Along with filmmaker Ian Toews, performance artist Lori Blondeau and Métis guide Gary Carriere, Basia Irland is one of many mentors involved in the course who will help guide students through the process of translating their scientific knowledge of water into personal, imaginative artistic responses.

“Artists might see and hear things differently than scientists,” comments Shantz. “In this course we will be informed by facts and data but also find resonant images, materials and ideas in what we are exposed to.” As case in point, during a recent field trip to Saskatoon’s water treatment plant, students were excited to learn about the material and processes of water filtration, coagulation and flocculation, and even arranged to have some of the organic waste byproducts collected to experiment with and use to make art.

In the coming week, students will work collaboratively with Irland to create an ice sculpture, where river water is frozen, carved into the form of a book and embedded with local native seeds that will be released back into the watershed (the land that drains into a river) as the ice book is released and melts back into the river.

During her residency, Irland will also write a piece on the South Saskatchewan River for her ongoing National Geographic blog series, “What the River Knows.” In her blog, Irland writes from the perspective of the river to capture what she calls the “personality” or voice of the local water system and its centrality in sustaining the lives of local communities, flora and fauna.

“Each watershed and river has its own personality, just like people,” writes Irland. “Most of my work is about getting local communities to be physically present with their river, creek or stream and getting to know it intimately so that they can better listen to what the river has to say and take action.”

While in Saskatoon, Irland will also give a talk at the Broadway Theatre titled “Reading the River.” This free event takes place on May 23 at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the general public.


 


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