Thursday, March 26th

New works by Allan Wesaquate – Opening Reception

The Exchange • Club Side • 8 Track Gallery • 2431 8th ave.
Reception starts at 7:00pm
Showing from March 26th to June 26th 2026
This event is free to attend

Artist Statement:

Hello my name is Allan Wesaquate, I am originally from the Piapot First Nation, 30 minutes north of Regina. I began painting and playing music when I was 3. I lived on a farm, I was the oldest child. The only boy because I had no playmates I would spend entire days drawing or playing cigar box guitars. We moved to Regina about 1969, my first city school was St. Michaels, then Victoria school, Regent Park school, and St Thomas school. I attend Balfour High School where I studied art under Mr. Wilkinson and Henry Ripplinger. I transferred to Scott collegiate where I studied under Miss Lowe. The majority of my art training came from Regina high schools. Throughout my life my freindships were with art or music students. While in high school I met Miles Moneo, a musician who introduced me to experimental music by artists like Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and Brian Eno. In 1979 the Punk rock/ New wave movement was beginning my friends and I attended concerts by: Elvis Costello, XTC, The Police, Teenage Head, The Extroverts, Pointed Sticks, D.O.A., Los Popularos, The Young Canadians, U.K. Subs, The Clash and other non-commercial bands. 

I was always drawing and doodling. In grade 11 graphic art class I created a Teenage Head t­-shirt at a show at the University of Regina. Teenage Head confronted me and ordered me to stop. In university, I was a film and video student studying under Mr. Marner. My art classes were under Bob Boyer. For a time I worked in television as videotape operator at SCTV. Then as a camera operator and floor director for QCTV in Edmonton, Alberta. I also worked as an advertising salesman for Alberta Native News. When I moved to Vancouver I worked for Western Native News and Kahtou. I became interested in spoken word poetry and would read La Quena. I joined the Carnegie center writers group where I was a member for 8 years. In 1993, I met Czechoslovakian actress Barbara Plichtova. Barbara was a pioneer in synthetic theatre later to be renamed performance art.At the time I worked for Eatons in the photography studio. My relationship with Barbara lasted about a year.

In 1994, I exhibited for the first time at the Native Indian and Inuit Photographers gallery in Hamilton Ontario. My roommate Peter Shener brought one of his friends to our apartment, Eddie Nelson, he had recently moved to Vancouver. Eddie fell in love with my art and called American Indian Community House to tell them about me. I did 2 tours of America with American Indian Community House. I began exhibiting in America at the Two Rivers Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota and The Sacred Circle Gallery in Seattle Washington. I lived in America for a while living in Durango Colorado. While in Durango I did an exhibit at Fort Lewis College.

In 1995, I met Norval Morriseau we became friends and I would visit him at his home in White Rock BC. Norval encouraged me to return to painting. I paint in a variety of styles mixed media, traditional Native Indian and Abstract. I am proud of my ability to be prolific I have painted 2 thousand paintings. I can paint as many as 26 paintings a day each entirely different. 

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About the Exchange

The Exchange is wheelchair accessible and offers 2 non-gender/wheelchair-accessible washrooms.

The Exchange is an all-ages venue that supports the Safer Spaces Initiative. We do not tolerate any form of harassment, abusive and/or discriminative behaviour. Such behaviour is grounds for immediate removal from the event/venue. If you are experiencing any harassment, please ask to speak to a manager.

Ticket price plus taxes and fees – lineups subject to change – no refunds or exchanges