Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/407098
16 w e s t w o r l d | w i n t e r 2 0 1 4 dave yanko, (temple gardens) greg huszar/tourism saskatchewan least a period after the founder passes on. "I've nominated the University of Saskatch- ewan as the ultimate beneficiary of the gallery and art collection, should the gallery become too great a burden for the Town of Assiniboia to maintain," Shurniak says. Asked why he opened the gallery in the first place, Shurniak replies: "I wanted to give something back to my home province." "Why in tiny Assiniboia, instead of Regina or Saska- toon?" "Why not?" Now standing with Renée in one of the gallery's seven rooms, admiring a massive painting composed of hun- dreds of tangerine dots and blots, I'm reminded of one of those post-Impressionist works of blurry French folk near a lake. Shurniak says that we in the so-called modern world see objects on the horizontal plane in front of us, but the Aus- tralian aboriginal view – as shown here – is an imagining from the sky above. "When they're up there looking down, they see all these bushes below and all these seeds on the ground," says Shurniak, gesturing with broad sweeps of his arm. "And they just put the canvas on the ground, dip a stick in paint and put dots on it." I must admit it's a vision of nature I can't quite access. But the result is a joyful work that embraces me with its warm colours and texture. Surprises and delights abound here. In a nearby corner sits what appears to be a clear glass sculpture of a human head and neck in profile. But as we follow Shurniak's directions and shift across the carpeted hardwood f loor for a front-on view, the work by Italian sculptor Loredano Rosin transitions into a navy blue and turquoise piece through a lensing effect from pigment situated in the nape of its neck. It's magical. oroughly enchanting and one of my favourites is a painting by Vietnamese artist Do Quang Em. It's from the view of a hiker looking at his teapot perched atop rocks encircling a little fire on the edge of a high mountain trail. e dusky backdrop hides details of the surrounding mountains and valleys but emphasizes the small red and yellow scarf doing double ser- vice as a kettle cozy. "It reminds me of my younger days trekking in the Himalayas," says Shurniak. "Some of those mountains have no vegetation on them at all." Then he chuckles as he adds, "You're 10,000 feet up and there's nothing to stop you!" Shurniak won't pick a favourite piece himself but says the most popular one with gallery visitors is an enigmatic painting by Ai Xuan, the half-brother of famous Chinese artist Ai WeiWei. e work depicts a sullen young Mongolian woman sitting in the snow against a post and wearing an animal-skin coat that appears to be constructed with the hood on the front. We're left to draw our own conclusions, but the image is compelling. A champion of the arts, Shurniak organizes and sponsors solo exhibitions for artists from Sas- katchewan and across Canada. He provides trans- portation costs and all promotional material for them, including invitations, mail-outs and pro- grams. And he opens each show with a reception. "I've even been known to buy one or two pieces myself," he says. "I don't ask for a deal, I just pay whatever they want." Which all goes to show the Shurniak Art Gallery is a special place for visitors and artists alike. W W hen Renée and I first sta- tioned ourselves face down on side-by-side massage tables about 40 minutes ago, I was jacked up on coffee and mentally riffing on whether we'd have enough time to enjoy a thorough soak in Temple Gar- dens' famous mineral waters as well as an unrushed dinner at the on-site Harwood's Dining Room. Now, into the final stretch of my full-body massage here in the couples' treatment room at Sun Tree Spa, I'm utterly relaxed. Soft music plays in the background and the art we viewed earlier wafts dreamily through my serene mind. As it turns out, time is no issue at all. An active day of driving and gal- lery touring in Assiniboia behind us, we're winding down an hour's drive away in Moose Jaw. Returning to our nicely appointed Jacuzzi suite for a quick shower, we don bathing suits and white robes and head downstairs to the busy (including many young couples) but expansive mineral pool on the main floor. There, we luxuriate to our hearts' content in the outdoor section of the geother- mal-heated mineral pool while thumbing our noses at the January skies above. After dinner, we take the skywalk across the street to Casino Moose Jaw to catch a bit of the Saturday night buzz before setting off for a nightcap at the lively Brown's Social- house on Main and River. –D.Y. templegardens.sk.ca, tourismmoosejaw.ca Moose Jaw Medley • After a three-hour drive from Saskatoon or a 1.5-hour-plus- drive from Regina (depending on weather, of course), aim to spend at least a couple of hours at the Shurniak Art Gallery. shurniakartgallery.com • Grab a light lunch at the gallery's Fresh Start tearoom and lunch or dinner at 121 Steakhouse (121 3rd Ave. E., 306-642-4662; 121steakhouse.com) or Nash's Restaurant (401A 1st Ave. W., 306-642-4800). • Also visit the Assiniboia & Dis- trict Museum (506 3rd Ave. W.) for an indoor stroll down the rec- reated Main Street, circa 1912, and check out the collection of more than a dozen vintage autos. • Staying overnight? Check into the new CanAlta Assiniboia Hotel in town. canaltahotels.com –D.Y. Every object has a story in the Shurniak Art Gallery. Temple Gardens, Moose Jaw. CAA members save 10% at Temple Gardens Mineral Spa on all room types every day of the week. Discount available on site or by calling 1-866-332-3590. Around AssiniboiA