With an exhibition record spanning nearly 30 years, Caroline Dukes is one of Winnipegâs most respected senior artists. "What Have We Built" is a selection of large scale mixed media works in which Dukes focuses on the idea of buildings as containers for people that are subject to time, the environment, politics and culture. Using her personal history as the impetus and the architecture of public edifices as the underlying form, Dukes constructs images through layers of repeated mark making and erasure. The resulting softly edged structures emerge from and fuse with their environments.

While Dukes provides the viewer with enough information to understand that the subjects of the work are solid buildings, the manner in which they are rendered broadens the content. The images appear to shimmer and move like a mirage, thus becoming depictions of the intangible. Dukesâ work is about the passage of time, the layering of history, the formation of memories, and a reminder of how the past influences the present.

Teresa Burrows, whose paintings are featured in the other half of the gallery is an emerging artist who has lived in Thompson for over twenty years. Like Dukes, she started her professional artistic career in mid-life (Dukes only began showing professionally after her children were adults and burrows had a 12-year career in the social services field). And like Dukes, burrows is concerned with tragedies of society and has a desire to maintain the memories. This is where the similarity ends. Dukes creates images that are contemplative memorials suggesting and reminding. The phrase gone but not forgotten comes to mind. burrows, on the other hand, draws on her experience as a rehabilitation counselor and probation officer for much of her source material.

Her paintings in "the painted pantomime" are provocative tableaus that do not suggest. They tell. The works in this exhibition are large-scale narratives in which the subjects, like actors in a play, relate a story through gesture, expression and appearance. Pastiched together, the figures, animals and objects in burrowsâ paintings can be interpreted both symbolically and literally. In this manner burrows brings forward issues such as child sexual abuse, alcoholism, and injustice. Her images push the viewer to think more deeply about their values, and to account for their actions. Her most recent work focuses on a more distinctly northern narrative, exploring social concerns like the gains and losses of mining to northern Manitoba communities. Both Dukes and burrows are concerned with the state of humanity. They both ask the viewer to consider the relationship of the individual to larger societal issues. In juxtaposition they provide an opportunity to compare and contrast the diversity of visual languages that express social concerns.

Kady Denton chalking up a storm at Chalk the Block.		Mushroom created by one of many participants.		Producing wares for the 5th annual student ceramic sale for new studio equipment.

The leaves have begun to fall. After taking time to regroup after six hectic weeks of kidâs summer classes, our studios are up and running again. A line up of classes and workshops are scheduled, and our fall session began September 16. Classes in photography, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, and sculpture are sparking creativity for all ages. The drawing studio is now equipped with 15 new drawing tables due to the generosity of our drawing studio supporter. Thank you! The studio program was out in force September 12 with bushels of chalk sticks and canned chalk spray during the Street Beat Celebration Festival hosted by the BIA. Chalking the Block was our mission and Rosser Avenue our target. The street in front of the AGSM became an exquisite stretch of colour and art. Mushrooms, fish and a myriad of abstract images were created by participants of all ages. Van Goh would have been proud! The Ceramic Students have been producing their wares for the 5th annual ceramic sale on November 14 and 15 at the Brandon Shoppers Mall. This yearâs line up consists of mugs, bowls and small plates. Donât miss this great selection of finely crafted art. If youâre looking to help out, call the Gallery or talk to Jeff Bettle, this yearâs event captain. ArtsSmarts There is a move afoot which will increase Manitobaâs quality of life! And several groups are promoting Westman to be the place where it happens. The J.W. McConnell Foundation (www.mcconnellfoundation.ca) is undertaking a long term national initiative to promote the active participation of young people in the arts. Their ArtsSmarts program provides funding to allow schools and communities to enhance arts related activities that are linked to educational outcomes. For example, music or dance may be used to help students understand mathematical concepts, sculpting may be used to teach geography, of painting may help spark the imagination of primary school children by having them paint murals depicting local history. Over the past four years, ten partners across Canada have been implementing the program on regional and local basis. One of those partners has been the Portage and Area Foundation who received $350,000 for projects in theircommunity. Now the McConnell Foundation is considering how they might move forward in another project for Manitoba. The AGSM is leading an informal consortium including Brandon University, Western Manitobaâs School Superintendents, Allied Arts Councils, and artistic groups. The purpose of the consortium is to develop regional ownership, build momentum and plan for the time when we may submit a formal funding proposal. Regardless of the outcome on acquiring a major grant for Western Manitoba, activity has already started. The AGSM is working with Brandon University and the Regional School Divisions on professional development opportunities for school teachers.