Culleton bringing history to life

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This article was published 24/03/2017 (3129 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bygone days live on through the creative talents of James Culleton.

The Wayne Arthur Gallery (186 Provencher Blvd.) is currently hosting a show titled James Culleton: Drawings, Watercolors and Sculptures from McCanna House, which runs until March 30.

According to www.waynearthurgallery.net, the exhibit is a celebration of Culleton’s collection of art and music about McCanna House — a three-year investigation into the history of McCanna House and its owner, the late Margery McCanna.

In 2013, the St. Boniface resident was invited by the North Dakota Museum of Art to take part in a residency at the historic home, located west of Grand Forks. The 1920 house, along with 10 acres of land, was given to the museum by longtime patron McCanna.

The house, designed by Joseph Bell DeRemer, is described as one North Dakota’s first architect-designed, French-style country homes. Culleton visited the residence for three years between August 2013 and 2015 to immerse himself in the history of the people and the place.

The creative result of the residencies was a book about the house featuring drawings, paintings, songs and photos; and a full-length, nine-track album called Vanished Days, which was produced and arranged by Culleton, and recorded and mixed by Shawn Dealey at the Exchange District Studios. The album features Culleton and an ensemble cast of musicians. The 42-year-old also created several music videos for the album, and worked with puppet maker Curtis Wiebe to create the character Uncle Charlie, who appears in videos and drawings.

Culleton — an award-winning furniture designer who also owns his own business, James Culleton Designs — said the goal of the project was to help preserve some of the history of McCanna House, and shine a spotlight on the lives of people who farmed the prairies in the 19th century.

“Most of the songs are about farming and what people wrote about back then,” Culleton said. “The title track of the album, for example, is lamenting on how farming has changed and become diverse and is less about family anymore.

Culleton said, in some cases, his creative process has harked back to the authenticity of the period, which has enhanced his connection to the subject.

“Of course, people used to write letters to each other, so I found old letters and pieced together songs, sometimes in a telegram style.

“And when I was at the residencies, I went through the archives and did blind contour drawings of everything I saw, such as pictures of old trains or gear-driven bicycles, and did pen-and-ink drawings before I added watercolour. It’s been inspiring for me to help be able to preserve the history of the McCanna home.”

Go online at www.waynearthurgallery.net to learn more about the gallery.

Visit jamesculleton.com to learn more about the artist, including how to purchase his material.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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