Members of the media are invited to join artist Kort Woycheshin, along with co-curator Katie Bruce, and Galt Museum curator Tyler Stewart for a media availability on Tuesday, April 16 at 10:00am.

Lethbridge — The Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa (eternal gathering place) is proud to present its newest temporary exhibition, The Road to L.A.: Reflections on Canadian Identity, on display until October 20, 2024. Featuring the work of local photographer Kort Woycheshin, this series of images taken in and around “L.A.” (Lethbridge, Alberta), shows how the political divide has grown since the Covid-19 global health pandemic.

“I first questioned my concept of Canadian identity in 2021, when unmarked graves were uncovered at former residential school sites,” explains Woycheshin. “Canada Day meant something different that year. It was a time of mourning and reflection on who I am and where I am from.”

Woycheshin is currently completing his final term in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Multidisciplinary) program at the University of Lethbridge. His artistic work has been recognized with several significant awards and scholarships during his time at the university. During the summer of 2023, Woycheshin asked art department instructor Katie Bruce to supervise an independent study focused on building his photographic practice.

“I was interested in the project he proposed and supervising it felt like a good way to continue the conversations we had started during normal coursework, while supporting something he was clearly passionate about,” says Bruce. “Kort has dedicated his practice over the last year to really engage in thinking about what it means to be present with our shifting political landscape.”

The result of that independent study was a photo book project, which has now been adapted to become the museum’s newest temporary exhibition. “The evolution towards an exhibition was really exciting,” says Bruce. “As an instructor, there is nothing quite as fulfilling as seeing a student take coursework or a passion project into a professional setting and get to really play with structure and concept.”

Visitors are invited to follow this roadside journey exploring themes of Canadian childhood, rural life, politics, religion and isolation. These photographs explore Woycheshin’s nostalgic fondness for rural life, along with shifting political views that have altered the concept of Canadian identity.

“When I started university in 2019, the drive between Calgary and Lethbridge reminded me of my formative family experiences,” explains Woycheshin. “But now, the current political landscape is so polarized in Alberta, which has changed my affection for small towns.”

“As my role evolved from instructor to mentor, we talked a lot about our experiences of growing up in small towns,” adds Bruce. “Many of the photographs in the exhibition are from places that I recognize.”

The exhibition features a selection of Woycheshin’s images, along with personal items demonstrating his process using analog photography techniques. Artifacts from the museum’s collection help complement the overall structure of the exhibit.

“I was excited to discover Kort’s work last year,” says Tyler Stewart, curator for the Galt Museum & Archives. “There are very few people still using analog photographic processes, but it was his critical perspective and reflections on Canadian identity that really drew me to the images he was making.”

“The museum is always excited to support thoughtful research projects as students make the transition into the professional world,” says Stewart. “I hope visitors will take time to contemplate these images but also reflect personally on their own ideas around Canadian identity.”

The Road to L.A.: Reflections on Canadian Identity is on display now until October 20, 2024. For more information, please visit https://www.galtmuseum.com/exhibit/the-road-to-la-reflections-on-Canadian-identity.

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This media release can be found at www.galtmuseum.com/news.

Media contacts

Tyler J Stewart (he/him)
I’nákyaahkioohsínaa (Little Boat Man/Water Traveler)
Curator
Galt Museum & Archives
tyler.stewart@galtmuseum.com
403-320-3907

Peter Tah
Marketing and Communications Officer
Galt Museum & Archives
peter.tah@galtmuseum.com
403.320.4009

Museum Exhibit Reflects on Canada's Deepening Political Divide