LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Works by Deh Cho artists are front and centre at the latest exhibit in the Open Sky Creative Society Gallery.

The Deh Cho Artists' Show opened to the public on March 24 in Fort Simpson. The group show includes pieces by six local artists: Marcel Cholo, Louisa Moreau, Morgan Swant, Chuck Blyth, Dave Magarey and Joseph Purcell.

Joseph Purcell holds his acrylic painting The Encounter, which is part of the Deh Cho Artists' Show on display at the OSC Gallery in Fort Simpson. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

"It's pretty amazing," said Tracy Kovalench, the OSC's programming co-ordinator.

The show at the gallery is the second annual one to feature local talent, exclusively. The purpose is to display and promote Deh Cho artists, said Kovalench.

A call was put out in November to invite artists to submit pieces for the exhibit. The collection will be on display at the gallery until May 21. The gallery, located below the John Tsetso Memorial Library, is open from 9 to 5 on weekdays.

The unique nature of the pieces is the highlight of the exhibit, said Dave Magarey, the society's co-ordinator.

"It's a prime example of the work in the Deh Cho but you don't always see it because it's private peoples' work for themselves and not for sale," he said. "What we have here is the best of the best of the best in the Deh Cho."

The show includes acrylic paintings, art cards, carvings, digital images, a wax crayon drawing and moosehair tuftings. The tuftings comprise 11 large works by Fort Simpson resident Louisa Moreau.

"I was a little intimidated to hang Louisa's work because it's so amazing," said Kovalench.

Tufting is an art medium that Moreau had always wanted to try. She taught herself the techniques by watching other traditional artists and by practicing on her own.

"I enjoy it," she said.

"I find it relaxing. You don't realize what you can create with something simple like moosehair."

Moreau calls the pieces in the show "my own treasure," works that will never be sold. The larger pieces that include bouquets of flowers are time consuming to create. The largest in the exhibit, which includes five big roses, took her two years to finish.

"I like the big roses, but they're hard to do," said Moreau.

Moreau said she draws most of her inspiration from local wildflowers. In addition to roses she also likes creating lady slippers. Moreau does most of her work on velvet, but one piece in the exhibit is on white deer hide.

Moreau said she feels good about having her personal works on display in the exhibit.

"It's my work. I'm proud of it," she said.

Across from Moreau's tuftings, Joseph Purcell's colourful works occupy two walls. Purcell, who's originally from Grand Desert, Nova Scotia, has been living in the village for half a year.

The 112 art cards and 17 acrylic paintings hanging in the exhibit are all works Purcell has done during his time in Fort Simpson. Purcell said that, like most children, he started drawing by the age of two but where others stopped he continued. He sold his first piece, a painting of an elk, at age 13.

Purcell, who's a print maker by trade, has spent most of his time working as an etcher. As an amateur entomologist, he draws inspiration from nature as well as the art nouveau movement and symbolism.

The collection of 112 art cards that are part of the exhibit are a type of work that Purcell started recently. After examining the phenomena of trading small art works - each card is 2.5 by 3.5 inches - for two years, Purcell launched into it at Christmas. In a two-week period he made 180 cards. Each card in the exhibit has a beetle on it, but no two are alike. Purcell said he wanted to bring attention to the diversity of beetles. Viewed together, the cards also create their own patterns. Purcell's larger works also draw heavily on nature, with insects and fish as common themes.

"I celebrate colour and line and try to create something that is visually attractive," he said.

The exhibit's opening reception will be held on April 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.