Artist: Les Ramsay

Curator: Jessica Groome

Elsewhere, Else is a solo exhibition by Vancouver-based artist Les Ramsay. Les was a participant in the summer 2026 Prairie North Artist-in-Residence program, spending one month in Grande Prairie, creating new work towards the show. Based in the Northwestern Polytechnic Fine Arts studios, Les transformed the space into an extension of his paintings, integrating local ephemera into his daily environment and work.

During his time in Grande Prairie, Les filled his days getting to know this place through a variety of activities, including: thrifting, skateboarding, plant tending, flower arranging, befriending crows, writing, painting, drawing, sculpting, collecting, needlepointing, reading, collaging and constantly rearranging. The resulting exhibition showcases a dynamic interplay between life and artmaking. With a touch of humour and a clever sense of materials, Les weaves a layered narrative out of time spent. The work processes hopes, anxieties, pop-culture and art historical references into an imaginary landscape, not quite here or there, but elsewhere, else.

We acknowledge the support of the Province of Alberta through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts, the City of Grande Prairie, the County of Grande Prairie No. 1, the Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association Destination Marketing Fund and the M.D. of Greenview.