The Northern Image Photographers returned to John V. Hicks Gallery on Tuesday evening, opening their annual exhibition with the theme of Correspondence.
The reception began with remarks from longtime member Roman Orynik, who introduced exhibition organizer Kendall Kerr. Orynik praised the club’s spirit of sharing and learning and later thanked participants for the courage to put their work on public display.
Kerr welcomed the crowd and reflected on the challenge of this year’s theme.
“At the beginning, people struggled with the concept of what is correspondence, and it’s good to see a wide variety of themes as to how people interpreted that concept,” he said. He also read a note from Mann Art Gallery interim artistic director Jesse Campbell, who had selected the theme, congratulating members for producing thoughtful and diverse responses.
The evening’s highlight was the presentation of the Jeff Payton Memorial Award, chosen by guest curator Leah Anderson. The award went to Agnes L’Heureux for her photograph Message to Heaven. L’Heureux assembled her late father’s guitar, rosary, funeral card, sympathy letters, and family pictures into a composition she described as a personal act of connection.
“It’s me connecting with my dad in heaven when I was just a little girl,” she said.
Agnes L’Heureux stands beside her winning entry, Message to Heaven.
In her remarks, L’Heureux explained how she rearranged the objects many times, trying to avoid making the work too heavy with grief while still sending a message.
“I didn’t want it to be too sad. I wanted it to send a message,” she said.
Other members also stood to introduce their photographers, offering interpretations of correspondence that ranged from handwritten letters and family memories to moments of communication with nature. The result was an exhibition that mixed deeply personal stories with creative explorations of everyday connections.
Kerr said the tradition remains important for Prince Albert’s creative community.
“It allows members to showcase their artwork, and it also allows the general public to see what’s being produced in the community,” he said.
The Northern Image Photographers exhibition runs through September at the John V. Hicks Gallery inside the Margo Fournie Arts Centre.
