Native Artists impress Mila

Page 5

On a prime minister tour of smaller cities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Mila Mulroney stopped here to visit Native artists and view their work.

The show was held in the Cronquist House; a three-story dwelling built shortly after the turn of the century in the beautiful Bower Ponds along the river.

The featured artwork ranged from the early ancestral style found in some of the earlier works of Stan Warrior to the intricate complexity of the fine point black and whites of feature artist Roy Salopree. There was an excellent array of various styles, traditional and contemporary, by artists Roy Salopree, Morris Cardinal, Roy Thomas, Farron Callihoo and Sam Warrior.

Crafts by various designers of the Red Deer Native Friendship Society were also on display. There were moose hair tufting, leather and beadwork, wall hangings and elaborate traditional costumes, one of which was modelled by the society's own Beverly Soonias.

Canada's "First Lady" Mila Mulroney was suitably impressed. She chatted with the artists involved in the showing (except for Sam Warrior who couldn't make the trip). Mrs. Mulroney praised their work, commenting on the wide variation in styles.

The attention then turned to the crafts in the second showroom. Lyle Richards of the local society consented to model the coyote pelt headdress, drawing chuckles from the guests and media covering the tour. Mrs. Mulroney was presented a moose hair tufting design from artist teacher Sarrah Carr.

After tea with the artists and craftspeople, she was immediately wisked downstairs, to visit with members and guests of various other ethnic groups. The entire stop lasted under two hours, and Mrs. Mulroney expressed her disappointment.

"Time is very short and you'd like to learn as much as you can. It's nice to meet the artists and hear the stories behind their work. I think they're all wonderful," she said.

The warm temperatures and beautiful setting of the house added to the occasion. The Prime Minister's wife noted that on her last visit she "came in a storm . . . and left in a blizzard." An apt descript of her husbands latest reception in the west, commented one spectator.