Watrous and Area Arts Council

A Canadian folk staple, The Fugitives have been nominated for a JUNO, as well as 7 Canadian Folk Music Awards, including Best Vocal Group, Best Ensemble, and Best Songwriter. They've performed at Glastonbury, were awarded Best Folk Album of the Year by the German Music Critics’ Association, and were named a 2020 Globe & Mail "Top Arts Pick of the Year". They've earned a reputation for unforgettable live shows, brimming with complex harmonies, infectious storytelling and top-notch musicianship. As the CBC has it: "This show is simply brilliant." In 2026-27, they will be touring in support of their seventh album.

Celebrate the sounds of Christmas with Saskatchewan country artists, The Johner Brothers. In 1991, The Johner Brothers took the Canadian country music scene by storm. Brad and Ken were named "Duo of the Year" by the Canadian Country Music Association, launching a celebrated run that included multiple awards, 26 charting singles, and the honour of "Entertainer of the Decade." After Ken stepped away from the music busines in 2002, Brad continued with a highly successful solo career, earning "Male Artist of the Year" and releasing six acclaimed albums. Now, after more than twenty years, The Johner Brothers are back together-bringing their signature sound to a special holiday celebration. Blending the hits fans know and love with a warm, festive mix of traditional Christmas favourites and seasonal classics, this show captures the spirit of the season. Backed by two of Brad’s sons, the performance carries forward the Johner legacy while adding a fresh, family-centred energy. With heartfelt harmonies, a touch of nostalgia, and plenty of holiday spirit, The Johner Brothers deliver an evening that feels like Christmas with old friends—authentic, uplifting, and full of joy.

Savour the tradition of the troubadours, as Ménestrel breathes vivid life into music that has been shaped by centuries. Their voyage through historic repertoire is accented by lute, guitar and the intricate colours of the human voice. With selections ranging from grand compositions by Purcell, Dowland, and Monteverdi to nostalgic Gaelic, Québécois, and English folk melodies, Ménestrel reminds us of the pleasure of these musical forms. The group consists of recognized artists Janelle Lucyk (soprano), Kerry Bursey (tenor, guitar and lute) and Vincent Lauzer (recorder). who have established a reputation for combining ancient repertoire with elements of folk song.

Sitruc James is Canada's most sought after performer with his grand illusion magic show. This mesmerizing and mind-boggling experience will leave the audience in awe. With his charismatic energy and showmanship, Sitruc's performance is a combination of illusions, comedy, and audience participation that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Sitruc's show is a culmination of year's worth of expertise and mastery in the art of illusion. The show incorporates a wide range of complex illusions which are seamlessly integrated with live music, lighting, and sound, creating an immersive and visually stunning experience. Sitruc's performances are designed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. This fun show is an immersive and thrilling experience, a perfect blend of magic, comedy, and audience engagement. His performances leave audiences spellbound and mesmerized. For people looking for a unique and unforgettable experience, Sitruc James' show is not to be missed.

Jessica Rhaye with Bill Preeper and Sandy MacKay is a folk trio that back to the height of the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 60’s, weaving and sharing lead and harmony. It's new folk music at its finest, pulling together inspiration from the likes of Woody Guthrie, Ian Tyson, Bob Dylan, with a Maritime Appalachian Folk sound with a unique mix of acoustic and electric instruments. The trio’s version of Blowin’ in the Wind has generated, to date, more than 15 million views on YouTube. "The modern folk trio offered their skills to the famed Dylan track (Blowin’ in the Wind) in a string laden rendition. Rich with golden vocals, acoustics and even a Mandolin, Rhaye, and her group would make Baez and the rest of the ‘60-s decade proud with this heartfelt version.+- AMERICAN SONGWRITER MAGAZINE

Omentum is a series of 10 paintings that touch on several of the major experiences faced by Indigenous people in this country within recent memory. These paintings, influenced by the works of both Norval Morrisseau and also Pablo Picasso, speak to some of the major struggles and triumphs that are part of our everyday life as Indigenous people, such as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Cultural Appropriation, the legacy of Residential Schools, the Rise and Honour of the Two-Spirited in the LGBTQ, the Return of Traditional Indigenous Tattooing, the Rise in Systemic Racism Online, and, of course, the Murder of Colten Boushie. John Brady McDonald is a Nehiyawak-Métis writer, artist, historian, musician, playwright, actor and activist born and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He is from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and the Mistawasis Nehiyawak. The great-great-great grandson of Chief Mistawasis of the Plains Cree, as well as the grandson of famed Métis leader Jim Brady, John’s writings and artwork have been displayed in various publications, private and permanent collections and galleries around the world, including the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.Omentum is a series of 10 paintings that touch on several of the major experiences faced by Indigenous people in this country within recent memory. These paintings, influenced by the works of both Norval Morrisseau and also Pablo Picasso, speak to some of the major struggles and triumphs that are part of our everyday life as Indigenous people, such as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Cultural Appropriation, the legacy of Residential Schools, the Rise and Honour of the Two-Spirited in the LGBTQ, the Return of Traditional Indigenous Tattooing, the Rise in Systemic Racism Online, and, of course, the Murder of Colten Boushie. John Brady McDonald is a Nehiyawak-Métis writer, artist, historian, musician, playwright, actor and activist born and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He is from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and the Mistawasis Nehiyawak. The great-great-great grandson of Chief Mistawasis of the Plains Cree, as well as the grandson of famed Métis leader Jim Brady, John’s writings and artwork have been displayed in various publications, private and permanent collections and galleries around the world, including the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

The Burden of Street brings together paintings that depict contradictory compositions to provide distinct visual experiences while exploring the complexities of our surrounding built environment. The element of the wall plays a significant role in this body of work as public sites for dwellers to engage with the political and social fabric of society. These paintings aim to explore the dichotomy of walls as both tools of control and platforms for resistance. They delve into how authorities use these walls to impose their ideologies and values upon the people, while also emphasizing the agency of dissidents who transform these spaces into channels of protest and expression. A diverse range of artistic techniques and mediums, including collage, painting, drawing, and graffiti, are used to create satirical and ironic situations that reference the deep dualities, disparities, and hypocrisies inherent in ruling systems. Iranian born visual artist, Mohadese Movahed focuses on painting in her studio practice. She graduated with a Bachelor of painting degree from the University of Science and Culture (USC) in Tehran and an MFA from the University of Regina, SK, Canada in 2020. Currently based in Vancouver, Movahed has exhibited her work nationally, internationally and is a recipient of Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation.The Burden of Street brings together paintings that depict contradictory compositions to provide distinct visual experiences while exploring the complexities of our surrounding built environment. The element of the wall plays a significant role in this body of work as public sites for dwellers to engage with the political and social fabric of society. These paintings aim to explore the dichotomy of walls as both tools of control and platforms for resistance. They delve into how authorities use these walls to impose their ideologies and values upon the people, while also emphasizing the agency of dissidents who transform these spaces into channels of protest and expression. A diverse range of artistic techniques and mediums, including collage, painting, drawing, and graffiti, are used to create satirical and ironic situations that reference the deep dualities, disparities, and hypocrisies inherent in ruling systems. Iranian born visual artist, Mohadese Movahed focuses on painting in her studio practice. She graduated with a Bachelor of painting degree from the University of Science and Culture (USC) in Tehran and an MFA from the University of Regina, SK, Canada in 2020. Currently based in Vancouver, Movahed has exhibited her work nationally, internationally and is a recipient of Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation.

This body of work highlights the diversity, beauty, importance and plight of northern Saskatchewan muskegs, land that is being threatened with strip mining. Peat mining involves draining the water out of the muskeg then mulch the cover vegetation (sundews, pitcher plants, Labrador tea, black spruce, birch, willows, alders, cranberries, bunchberries, cloudberries, bog laurel, leatherleaf, and dozens of species of mosses). Muskegs/peatlands are very old landscapes, it takes 10 years for one centimeter of peat to form. It is important to Vanessa’s culture, and to the survival of traditions and knowledge to keep wild areas intact and undisturbed by resource extraction. Many people are unfamiliar with these areas, and this is Vanessa’s way of bringing the muskeg to the public. Vanessa is a Canadian artist of Woodlands Cree and Norwegian ancestry. She is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and her community is nemepith sipihk (Sucker River). She holds her Bachelor of Arts with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan. Vanessa is interested in utilizing memory, tradition and themes of nature in her work. Land conservation and land sovereignty are at the heart of her work, with her painting and beadwork focusing on the richness of the land, and in turn, the threats to the land.This body of work highlights the diversity, beauty, importance and plight of northern Saskatchewan muskegs, land that is being threatened with strip mining. Peat mining involves draining the water out of the muskeg then mulch the cover vegetation (sundews, pitcher plants, Labrador tea, black spruce, birch, willows, alders, cranberries, bunchberries, cloudberries, bog laurel, leatherleaf, and dozens of species of mosses). Muskegs/peatlands are very old landscapes, it takes 10 years for one centimeter of peat to form. It is important to Vanessa’s culture, and to the survival of traditions and knowledge to keep wild areas intact and undisturbed by resource extraction. Many people are unfamiliar with these areas, and this is Vanessa’s way of bringing the muskeg to the public. Vanessa is a Canadian artist of Woodlands Cree and Norwegian ancestry. She is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and her community is nemepith sipihk (Sucker River). She holds her Bachelor of Arts with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan. Vanessa is interested in utilizing memory, tradition and themes of nature in her work. Land conservation and land sovereignty are at the heart of her work, with her painting and beadwork focusing on the richness of the land, and in turn, the threats to the land.

Curated by Melanie Monique Rose Nisto is the Cree word for "three", which holds abundant cultural, religious, and spiritual significance throughout Treaty Territories 4 and 6, Abya Yala 1, and across the world. The braid, made of three strands, carries teachings of the unity of mind, body, and spirit, and connects us to our ancestors and heritage. Artists Cristian Barreno (Maya K’iche’), Maria Rose Sikyea (Yellowknives Dene), and Emma Noyes (Sinixt) are three Indigenous artists rooted both in their homelands and in diaspora, with deep connections to water, sky, and land. Their families lived here long before the names "Canada", the medicine line, borders, or walls existed. Indigenous peoples had lifeways, paths, and relationships sustained through trade, celebration, and war. For example, before Canada declared the Sinixt 2 "extinct" in 1956 and before the creation of the Canada - US border, they freely harvested and hunted on their ancestral homelands. In 2021, their territorial rights were restored, yet they still face obstacles crossing the border to return to their homelands. Despite the enduring challenges of colonialism, these three artists affirm their presence and relationality through their work. They honor, celebrate, and assert that they are here, always have been, and always will be. 1Abya Yala: the entire land mass currently known as North & South America 2Sinixt: descendants of the Arrow Lakes people, West Kootenays

The exhibition Wóknaga1, Nakoda for "He Tells His Own Story"2, features paintings by Métis, Nêhiyawak/Nakoda/Anishinaabe/Scottish artist, Dave Pelletier, of môso-tâpiskan3, now known as Moose Jaw. Working within a Woodland School style, Pelletier honours Indigenous intergenerational transfer of knowledge through storytelling within these canvases, while offering his own imagined narratives that play out through the graphic and colourful compositions of animals and figures of Turtle Island. Inspired by the work of Norval Morriseau, Pelletier’s compositions, of stylized, abstracted forms, bold colours and crisp, black outlines and energy lines, offer narratives that speak to the artist’s own search for traditional knowledge and his journey to place himself and connect with his Indigenous cultures. 1 Pronounced WOKE-nah-gah in Nakoda. 2 Translated by Nakoda speaker, Matthew Spencer, May 12, 2024. 3 Pronounced moh-so-TAHP-skun in nêhiyawak (Cree).

Invisible Winds: Stories You Can Not See, Journeys toward wholeness Curated by Dean Bauche, featuring Mary Anne Baxter, Dani Bauche, Dean Bauche, Leah Marie Dorion, Susan Gordon, Iris Hauser, Holly Hildebrand, Roger Jerome, Robert Jerome, Emily Johnson, Karlie King, Bonny Macnab, Jon Philpott, William Philpott, Paul Trottier, Rebecca Toderian, Lyndon Tootoosis, Carol Wylie, and JingLu Zhao. Invisible Winds is a timely and inspiring exhibition featuring the work of established and emerging artists from across Saskatchewan. It invites us to stop and listen, to see and hear invisible stories carried by so many around us. Accompanied by the thoughts of David A. Robertson, author of 'All the Little Monsters' and winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, this exhibition explores issues such as mental health, grief, and the invisibility of trauma in our lives. It highlights the importance of sharing one's story and the necessity of being seen for one's pain to start healing. Invisible Winds "honors those with Lived Expertise, [it] uses art to speak that experience to others". Rebecca Rackow, Assistant Executive Director Canadian Mental Health Association Saskatchewan Division