Dave Conlin | The Wild Side: Polar Prairie Pacific

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Dave Conlin, “The Wild Side: Polar Prairie Pacific,” 2024

(courtesy of the Gallery)

Opening reception/artist talk: March 9 from 3 – 5 pm

The Musée Héritage Museum (part of the Arts and Heritage Foundation of St. Albert) is pleased to present its latest exhibition featuring several stunning photographs by St. Albert photographer Dave Conlin.

The Wild Side: Polar Prairie Pacific, showcasing several large mammals from three Western Canada regions. From the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba, the plains bison of Alberta’s grasslands (including the Capital Region), to the grizzlies of northern British Columbia, visitors will explore 39 photographs of various large mammals and learn about their challenging lives.

“Dave is extremely talented and his photography is breathtaking,” says Musée Héritage Museum Curator, Martin Bierens. “He has travelled quite a bit over the years in pursuit of his passion for capturing wildlife in their natural habitats. Many are our neighbours living magnificent lives and we are showcasing some of the challenges that they face.”

Conlin captures the bond between a mother grizzly and cub learning to hunt salmon, a deer peeking over canola, a cautious coyote, the rare Spirit Bear and many more. Also on display are some animals that are part of the museum’s taxidermy collection to highlight certain species.

“We hope that visitors can leave with a better understanding that right now we have many wild animals around us but there’s no guarantee they will be with us forever. We hope that viewers will think about how we can better conserve these animals and think of ways that we can support them while we all live in harmony,” adds Bierens.

The exhibition also includes some interactive features, such as a scavenger hunt, a take-home craft, and an activity where visitors can create captions for the photos to showcase the personality of the animal featured.

Special Events:

Photography tours with Dave Conlin (Lois Hole Provincial Park): April 20, 27, May 4, 11 & 18 from 8 – 11 am (visit artsandheritage.ca for more information)

Contact: Martin Bierens, Curator

Musée Héritage Museum, St. Albert

Phone: 780-418-6001

Email: martinb@artsandheritage.ca

http://artsandheritage.ca