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Vistas of the West 'love letter' to Southern Alberta

“This is a love letter to our land.”

BANFF – Celebrating the beauty of Southern Alberta, Vistas of the West: Poems and Visuals of Nature has curated a selection of poems and art pieces that pay homage to the great outdoors.

It has been an exhilarating opportunity creating a book that celebrates the Foothills, Rocky Mountains and prairies, said Lorene Shyba, co-editor and Durvile Publications and UpRoute Books publisher.

“This is a love letter to our land,” she said.

Shyba said she is excited to share the book with audiences at the Whyte Museum Thursday (Oct. 17) in a special reading that will feature poets and artists that helped bring the project to life.

Vistas of the West honours the vastness of nature, especially the majesty of the Rocky Mountains and the wildlife that calls the area home, Shyba said, adding it was a challenging adventure capturing that experience and distilling it down to a few words.

She hopes people come to readings so they can share in these experiences, Shyba added, and they can be part of a community that celebrates the beauty of nature.

The gratitude she holds for the land deeply affected Shyba, she said, explaining that the initial goal of Vistas of the West was to combine poetry and artwork that celebrated “pristine nature.”

“It was just in my blood to really want to give this gift back to our land,” Shyba said.

She was inspired to showcase her love of the environment after working with Indigenous authors – especially Raymond Yakolai whose documentary film and book We Remember the Coming of the Whiteman Oral Histories of Dene Elders will be on display as well during the event.

Yakeleya will read a poem written by his grandmother as a territorial acknowledgment at the event.

Vistas of the West begins as cerebral exploration of the land, transitions into more objective personal observations and closes with a selection of cowboy poetry.

“The poetry is profound,” Shyba said, adding that she is extremely pleased poet BJ Smith will be on hand at the Whyte Museum to read his poems.

Other poets in attendance will include Nancy Bell and Cori Brewster.

“She (Brewster) pulled out her guitar when she came to the Sheep River Library reading in Turner Valley and just stunned everybody,” Shyba said. “It was beautiful – it gave me chills.”

The poets will be accompanied by art pieces featured in the book on display in the Whyte Museum.

It is always an incredible experience attending readings, Shyba said, adding that each one is an extraordinary treasure because they feature different poets and artists.

“The poetry comes to life so beautifully when the author reads. I think that is probably the biggest adventure that we have at each reading.”

Shyba recommends relaxing and embracing the emotions of the poets reading their work.

It is especially amazing being able to share Vistas of the West in the Rockies because the landscape is the star of the book, Shyba said, explaining that each page of the hardcover book is fully coloured serving as a loving tribute the diverse scenery that stretch across Southern Alberta.

“Almost every poem has a piece of art that is attributed to the same theme,” Shyba said. “There’s all different kinds of ways of showing honour and showing gratitude to nature.”

Echoing Shyba's sentiments, artist Susan Kristoferson said the book relishes in the beauty of Southern Alberta. Kristoferson curated a selection of art for Vistas of the West.

She was determined to find fine arts and crafts to showcase in the book, Kristoferson said, explaining that pottery, glasswork and other crafts were chosen to complement the poems.

“That was a good way to also illustrate the poetry,” Kristoferson said. As an example one poem features an urn made from Saskatchewan clay. “That’s a very different way of representing the prairies – but, in my mind, that’s definitely representing the prairie.”

It has been exciting to be part of the Vistas of the West book launch and readings, she added because every event offers a new and unique experience.

Live readings are incredible opportunities, Kristoferson added, because poets can share with audiences the inspiration behind poems before providing an intimate reading.

The artists and poets on hand at the Whyte Museum can share their perspective on their creations, enhancing guests' understanding of the poetry and artwork in the book, she said.

“When they read the poem it provides different information than what I previously understood from my own readings,” Kristoferson said. “No person reads the same poem twice and no people read the same poem.”

The Whyte Museum will be hosting a reading from selected poets from Vistas of The West and the unveiling of the book and film documentary We Remember the Coming of the White Man Thursday (Oct. 17) at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 or free for those with a museum membership.

 

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