The 2026 Prairie North Artist-in-Residence program has come to a close and both artists have returned home until the opening of our fall exhibitions on Thursday, October 15, 2026. We thank them for their invigorating creativity and hard work and we thank our partners at Northwestern Polytechnic for making this all possible.

We now hear from Les Ramsay, reflecting on his experience in Grande Prairie and the Peace Region. 

Every so often, an artist is given the rare gift of uninterrupted time. My time as a Prairie North Artist-in-Residence was one of those moments and I’m grateful to the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie and Northwestern Polytechnic for creating a residency that gives artists the space, trust, and freedom to fully immerse themselves in their work.

The studio quickly settled into my daily rhythm. Having such a generous space with twenty-four-hour access meant I never felt like I was working against the clock. I could stay with a painting until it reached a natural stopping point, whether that happened early in the morning or late at night. That freedom made a real difference. Much of the work for my upcoming October exhibition took shape during those weeks, making it one of the most focused and rewarding stretches of studio time I’ve had in years.

Since 2016, needlepoint has quietly become part of my studio practice. It isn’t separate from the paintings—it’s the quieter side of the same practice. Stitch by stitch, it asks for patience and close attention in a way that’s very different from painting and I value that shift in pace. During the residency I began a new needlepoint piece that gradually evolved alongside the paintings. It will be shown this October together with others I’ve made over the past several years, woven throughout the exhibition rather than set apart from it.

Some of my favourite hours happened away from the easel. I spent time wandering Grande Prairie’s thrift stores, something I seem to do in almost every city I visit. I’ve come to realize that thrifting is as much a part of my practice as painting. It’s a chance to slow down and look without expectation. Old textiles, faded packaging, handmade objects, strange colour combinations, and things that have quietly outlived their original purpose all catch my attention. It’s a kind of visual therapy that keeps me curious and those small discoveries inevitably find their way back into the studio.

What I appreciate most is that the residency doesn’t feel finished. The work that began in Grande Prairie will return this October for my solo exhibition when AGGP reopens its doors to its beautifully renovated home. It feels less like coming back and more like continuing something that already started. I’m looking forward to returning to Grande Prairie in October and sharing these works where they first took shape.

All images courtesy of the artist.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for this project. 

We thank Northwestern Polytechnic for their partnership with the Prairie North Artist Residency program.