Regina: Zoë Schneider

Photo by Aidan Morgan, Intro by Belinda Harrow

It is hard not to be dazzled by Zoë Schneider. She brilliantly manages her art practice, curating projects, community work and day job while consistently responding to an email within an hour of receiving it!

Zoë’s passion for craft translates into the everyday whether cultivating her garden, cooking, fashion or friendships. She brings a strong feminist sensibility to her interest in the paranormal and supernatural combining craft with new media in her artwork. Generous of spirit, practical recognizing problems and quick with solutions…can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

KC: What kinds of projects are you involved in right now?

I’ve been working on a lake and sea monster series for the last few months using aquarium paraphernalia. Building maquette’s for larger sculptures and installations. I’m hoping to do some travel this summer to research local mythologies of lake monsters and the tourism industries that build up around them.

I’ve also started a series of mini landscape paintings based on Windows wallpapers that are tweaked to feel like they could be on an alien planet. This may tie in with a series I’ve been developing that features an extraterrestrial deity, we’ll see.

An exhibition I’ve curated titled Scutelliphily is a group exhibition of back patches by contemporary artists that will be showing in Saskatoon in 2017.

Recently, I co-curated an exhibition at BAM gallery titled Experience Regina, and I had a solo exhibition at the Estevan Art Gallery & Museum titled Close Encounters.

KC: What’s your day job? What do you like about it? What’s challenging?

I am the Visual & Media Arts Coordinator at the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. At any given time I am managing about fifteen different visual arts exhibitions as they tour throughout Saskatchewan. I curate exhibitions, organize all of the details that go into a touring show, and build pretty complex schedules.

I love that I’ve been able to meet and form relationships with so many people throughout Saskatchewan. There are fantastic, dedicated and passionate people working so hard to bring the arts to rural Saskatchewan. I love being able to work with other artists and curators, and to see all of the work being made in this province. I feel privileged to get up every day and work in this field, to be immersed in a creative culture; it is both fulfilling and inspiring.

The challenge is often in getting people to really understand what we do at OSAC. We tour visual and performing arts, we work for our arts council members and through them the people of Saskatchewan, but we also work for artists and performers, writers, and curators, we provide funding for programming in arts council communities as well as professional development for arts council delegates, and we partner with other institutions to develop tours and programming. That’s a lot to cram into a typical elevator speech. But it has also given me a world of experience, and for that I am deeply grateful.

KC: What’s important to you?

My sweetie, my dogs, my family and friends. Good food, sumptuous fabrics, plants, gentle lighting, solitude, the time and means to create.

But aside from these very personal things, I value sincerity, gratitude and building up other people. There have been people who have gone out of their way to mentor and invest in me, I try to in turn do the same for others because I see how invaluable it has been in my life. I think it is so fundamentally important to participate in our various communities; to give and to gain from the people around us. This is a struggle for me sometimes though as I can be quite shy and hermit-like at times, but I am always working at it, I do my best.

KC: What do you like most/least about Regina?

The lovely people of course. One of the best parts of shooting for Kindred Cities was that I came to see all of the varied personalities creating, making and doing in the city. I think sometimes we forget how many things are actually happening in Regina.

The size of Regina precludes us from becoming too cliquish; having a diversity of perspectives and interests in our friend groups has created some fascinating collaborations, music, theatre and art. That gives us an edge.

The thing I like least about Regina is the pretty pervasive racism. I was shocked by how overt it was when I first moved to Saskatchewan. But I also see more and more people doing such good work to fight this, and I am hopeful.

KC: What is your impression of Saskatoon?

Saskatoon has been warm and welcoming to me. I am impressed by the beauty of the river and its banks. The art scene is fun; it feels innovative and fresh. There are some great restaurants and shops. It has become my home away from home.

KC: How do you survive the winters?

I get cozy. I embrace candles and our fake fireplace. Blankets, soups, movie binges. I spend a lot of time in the bathtub. I plan my garden. I actually love winters in Saskatchewan because I think it makes us more appreciative of summer. People get frenzied at the first signs of warmth and then really make the summers worthwhile. Also, coconut oil keeps my hair from becoming a super static cyclone.

KC: (From The Proust Questionnaire) What is your idea of perfect happiness?

My love, our animal family, a body of water, a warm place to nap, plant life, wholesome food, calm.