Cheer Story: Celebrating Pride Through Art: Estevan Art Gallery & Museums Pride-Themed Silk Screening Event

The Estevan Art Gallery & Museum (EAGM) recently hosted a Pride-themed silk screening event in partnership with Weyburn Pride. This workshop provided a unique opportunity to blend art-making and community celebration. When asked about the inspiration behind this event, Tye Dandridge-Evancio, Director of EAGM shared insights into the vision and process that brought this workshop to life.

"The EAGM offers a variety of workshops and classes for all ages, skill sets, and interests. Printmaking is a significant part of my artistic practice, so the Pride-themed silk screening event was the perfect opportunity to share my knowledge while celebrating Pride," explained Tye. The choice of screen-printing was intentional, selected for its ease of use in creating graphic designs on fabric, making it ideal for crafting custom Pride accessories.

Participants were provided tools to create their own Pride apparel, with three pre-made designs and a set of colored inks to customize their tote bags. The three pre-made designs available for selection were: a striped heart, a “Weyburn & Estevan Pride 2024” logo, and hands forming a heart shape with the text “Just Love” below.

This event was more than just an art workshop; it provided a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ individuals to meet, socialize, and explore a new art-making technique.

"I am a queer man who is an artist and the Director of EAGM. Using my knowledge base and chosen career as a platform to promote LGBTQ activities in Estevan is important to me," he continued. The Estevan Public Youth Centre (EPYC) also played a crucial role, inviting Tye to provide a button-making opportunity for youth during Pride week. "The turnout was great and I look forward to more such opportunities in the future. I am very grateful to EPYC for offering that opportunity to youth in Estevan and the surrounding area."

When asked about how the partnership with Weyburn Pride influenced the event's success, Tye said "I was incredibly lucky to have the privilege of collaborating with Weyburn Pride this year. The amount of drive, dedication, and enthusiasm expressed by the members was inspiring and reassuring." As a newcomer to Estevan seeking to establish Pride programming in the community, the support from Weyburn Pride was both timely and invaluable.

The community response to EAGM's Pride-themed silk screening event has been overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees visiting the gallery for the first time expressed their enjoyment and inquired about future events.

"I wasn't sure what to expect, but seeing everyone laughing and connecting while making art was exactly what I hoped for," shared Tye. "It was a wonderful realization of my vision and a testament to Estevan's amazing queer community."

“As a gay man myself, I understand the difficulty of growing up in a rural community with no visible LGBTQ activities or organizations. It can be extremely isolating and confusing. Particularly if there is no way to connect with other members of the queer community in a safe and supportive environment, and can even discourage many from coming out.”

"It's very common for people to leave their hometowns for larger cities where queer communities and support programming are more prevalent. But not everyone can, nor should they have to," he said.

"Moving forward, the EAGM staff will explore potential partnerships in and around Estevan to increase queer programming, not just in the gallery, but throughout the community," he added. Starting in the fall, EAGM will host semi-regular Pride art-making nights, similar to the successful printmaking event, where attendees can connect over creative activities.

"Watch our Facebook page for upcoming events and send us an email to share your ideas," he encouraged, inviting the community to stay engaged.