Melody Slemming / presented by Assiniboia Gallery

Instagram: @melody_slemming
Website: https://www.cedarandcanvas.com/

Melody Slemming is a contemporary landscape painter whose work explores light, movement, and atmosphere. Her artistic foundation began in early childhood, learning to sketch alongside her father, who taught her to see complexity as simple forms—“a series of lines put together.” 

Her early practice centered on graphite and charcoal portraiture, before evolving into photography, where she spent eleven years working in both digital and analogue film. This background continues to inform her approach, particularly in composition, light, and colour. 

After a season devoted to motherhood and homeschooling, Melody returned to visual art through oil painting in 2023. Inspired by the expansive skies and shifting light of Saskatchewan, she began translating the prairie landscape into expressive, light-filled works. 

Her paintings reflect a deep reverence for the natural world and the presence of God within it. Through layered brushwork and luminous colour, Melody creates work that invites stillness, peace, and contemplation. She hopes her paintings bring both beauty and quiet hope to the spaces they inhabit. 

Carla Emde / presented by black spruce gallery

Instagram: @paintingontheporch
Website: https://paintingontheporch.ca/

Carla Emde is a self-taught artist whose deep connection to the Canadian landscape began in the rugged beauty of northern British Columbia, where towering evergreens and rocky peaks first inspired her creative spirit. After meeting her husband and relocating to Saskatchewan more than 20 years ago, she found new inspiration in the changing skies and expansive vistas. 

Though photography served as her primary creative outlet for many years, the hectic rhythm of family life eventually drew her back to painting, where she could embrace the quiet solitude found in acrylics. Today, while raising three boys on a family farm, Carla appreciates every chance to kayak, hike, and camp with her family — experiences that continue to influence her artistic perspective. 

The beauty of the prairie frequently appears throughout her work, yet the lasting imprint of her northern roots remains unmistakable in the tranquil forests, reflective waters, and sense of nostalgia woven into each piece. 

Richmond Ametefe / presented by dervilia art + design

Instagram: @art_of_ametefe
Website: https://ametefeart.com

Richmond is a self-taught artist, renowned for his captivating explorations the human connection with nature. Since 2019, Richmond's honed his craft in charcoal, crafting evocative pieces that delve into the intricate relationship between mankind and the natural world.

Janaya McCallum / presented by ON the avenue artisan’s gallery

Instagram: @janayamccallum.art
Facebook: Janaya McCallum • Art
Website: www.janayamccallum.com

Janaya McCallum is a mother, musician, and emerging fine artist from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Having grown up a vibrant member of the local music scene (The Trudel Family, Jay & Jo, etc.), McCallum later turned her creative attention toward painting once her first child was born in 2022. Since then, her vibrant, nostalgic, and highly recognizable work has gained much attention in the local arts scene. 

Accolades include receiving the People’s Choice Award (Kyla Art Show 2023), Landscape Award (Prince Albert Winter Festival Art Show 2023), Second place prize (PAWF 2024), and the Hue’s Art Supply Award (PAWF 2026). McCallum has shown solo exhibitions at the Persephone Theatre (Pomegranate Gallery) in the Remai Arts Centre in Saskatoon (2025), the historic John V. Hicks Gallery in Prince Albert (2026), and will show a new collection at the Queen Elizabeth II Gallery at Government House in Regina in next year. Her work can also be seen in the permanent collection at the Gabriel Dumont Institute Museum and Gallery (Saskatoon). 

Nancy Bird / presented by saskatchewan craft council

Website: https://saskcraftcouncil.org/project/nancy-bird/

Nancy Bird is a self-taught weaver living in rural Saskatchewan. Bird draws inspiration from the rhythms, colours, and landscapes of prairie life. While managing a large animal veterinary practice on the family farm and raising cattle, she began experimenting with natural dyeing using garden flowers and natural three-ply wool sourced from MacAusland's Woollen Mills in Prince Edward Island. Working with a slow cooker and successive dye baths, she discovered a rich palette of vibrant colours and subtle gradations that harmonized beautifully together. 

 This exploration fostered a deeper connection to the natural world and inspired her to pursue the art of weaving wool rugs. An existing farm building was transformed into a weaving studio and greenhouse, creating a dedicated space for her craft. There, she works on a Saskatchewan-built floor loom crafted by Ward’s Woodworking—a sturdy, quiet, 45-inch, four-harness counterbalance loom with a weighted overhead beater, ideally suited for weaving weft-faced rugs. 

 Retirement provided the opportunity to fully embrace her long-held goal of weaving. Although rug weaving is a slow and deliberate process, she relishes the time spent designing directly on the loom, creating patterns that reflect her rural lifestyle, agricultural roots, and appreciation for the beauty found in everyday prairie landscapes. Her work celebrates the connection between handcraft, natural materials, and the enduring character of rural Saskatchewan.