Canadian Mennonite
Volume 10, No. 18
September 18, 2006


Arts&Culture

Mennonites featured in university exhibit

Saskatoon

The Mennonite exhibit at the University of Saskatchewan has been well attended.

An exhibition about Mennonites and their impact on the Prairies is being shown at the Diefenbaker Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. The exhibit has brought together three Mennonite museums, a Mennonite historical society, an historical Manitoba village and an up-and-coming southern Manitoba artist.

The exhibit contains two parts: “Village Life: Neubergthal and the Art of Margruite Krahn,” covering the history of Neubergthal Village in Manitoba; and “Mennonites in Saskatchewan: The Hague-Osler Reserve.” Among the artifacts are a section of a barn wall where a farmer kept written accounts and a black-and-white backdrop cloth used in homes by early photographer P.G. Hamm from Manitoba.

Krahn’s vividly coloured artwork demonstrates life in the Neubergthal village. A short video also shows present-day residents living and working in the historical village and carries on-camera interviews of various people.

Running from June 9 to Oct. 31, the display is being held over into the fall session so that school children will have ample opportunity to view the exhibits.

“We realized the scope and we didn’t want to limit it to summer,” said Terresa-Ann Demong, office manager of the centre, adding that keeping an exhibit this long is a significant commitment for it.

“Five months is a huge chunk of our year,” she explained.

The idea for the exhibit came when the acting director of the centre heard about the designated heritage site in Manitoba called Neubergthal Village. Artifacts from Neubergthal and the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach (including the artwork of Margruite Krahn) were secured for use in the displays.

In considering how this exhibit might impact the people of Saskatchewan, the local link seemed clear to the staff at the Diefenbaker Centre. They contacted Jake Buhler, president of the Mennonite Historical Society in Saskatchewan, who took them to three Mennonite museums showing them displays in Rosthern, Hague and Osler. Several artifacts from the small town museums were requested, including a showpiece black 1912 wedding dress and a large brown leather suitcase from the Rosthern Mennonite Heritage Museum.

The decision to develop the Mennonite theme was spurred on by several factors. The Diefenbaker Centre has a mandate to put on prairie-themed exhibits and to promote values held dear by the former prime minister. The staff had found a display about war brides and another involving Anne Frank were hugely popular.

“Diefenbaker is known for his emphasis on human rights and immigration,” said Demong. A project built around early Mennonite settlers seemed to fit right in.

Adding to the richness of Krahn’s paintings and floorcloths, and set against the backdrop of artifacts and replicas, comes the discovery of Diefenbaker’s personal connection to the Mennonite community. This came as a complete surprise to the staff at the Diefenbaker Centre.

A book by Paul Riegert on the Tiefengrund School lists John Diefenbaker and his brother Elmer as pupils of the school from 1903 to 1905. Their father also taught at the facility after moving his family into the area soon after the turn of the last century. Another book about the same area, Three Score Years and Ten, refers to Diefenbaker’s father as conducting early choir practices in the school before the church was built.

The opening for the exhibit was well attended in spite of it being the eve of the local MCC Relief Sale. Over a hundred people came to look and enjoy zwieback at the centre. The staff was surprised and pleased by the high turnout.

“They had the largest attendance in the history of the centre,” noted Buhler, predicting it “would be as popular as anything they’ve ever had.”

So far, he has been right. Many people have come through over the summer, most of them from outside of the province.

—Karin Fehderau

Art works sought

The Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery in Winnipeg is seeking works of art for its annual juried show, “Why Art?3.” Like last year, artists are asked to submit up to five pieces in any medium for consideration along with a brief statement outlining why they create. Submissions can be the originals, digital images, slides or photographs. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 14. The exhibition will run from mid-November into early January. Send digital images to rdirks@mennonitechurch.ca. Other submissions should be sent to: Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4.

—MHC Gallery release


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