Written By Olena Riznyk
AILSA CRAIG – Polar bears, northern tundra and the meeting place of three ecosystems now fill the walls of the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre in a new photography exhibit by Shaun Antle.
Arctic Frontiers: Life at the Edge of a Changing World opened April 4 and runs until May 14. The show features images from Antle’s trips to Churchill, Manitoba, where the boreal forest, tundra and Arctic Ocean meet.
Wilma Kirmse, an exhibit coordinator with the Ailsa Craig Arts Centre, said Antle was deeply affected by the North and returned more than once after his first visit. “He was really overwhelmed by the beauty of it,” Kirmse said.
She said Antle described the region as a place “where ecosystems collide,” with very different landscapes and wildlife existing side by side.
Several of the featured works were printed on materials chosen to reflect the scenes themselves. One image was mounted on wood to represent the forest. Another was printed on metal to echo the rock and tundra. A third piece was designed to reflect the ocean and marine life.
The exhibit also shares stories from Churchill, where residents live with the regular presence of polar bears. During bear season, Kirmse said people leave their homes and vehicles unlocked in case someone suddenly needs a safe place to shelter. “The whole community leaves everything unlocked so that it’s safe really for people during that time of the year,” she said. “Which is pretty amazing to me.”
Along with the images, the exhibit carries a broader environmental message. In material shared with the arts centre, Antle called the project “a reminder of what we still have—and what we risk losing.”
Antle has recently moved into photography full-time and is expanding his work through gallery shows, speaking events and future guided tours to the Arctic.
For the arts centre, the exhibit also reflects a wider goal of bringing different forms of art to the community. “We want to make art available for the community,” Kirmse said. “We really want to be a community centre for people to meet and celebrate the arts.”
The Ailsa Craig Arts Centre is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that hosts rotating exhibits throughout the year featuring painters, photographers, fibre artists and other creators. Classes and art groups also use the space regularly.
Kirmse said the exhibit gives visitors a rare chance to experience a part of Canada few will ever see in person.
