‘Forever Grasslands’ E-talk, exhibit highlights prairie love

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on October 11, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Lovers of arts and ecology alike gathered at the Esplanade on Thursday to celebrate the beauty and resilience of the prairies.

Built around the exhibition of Colin Starkevich’s work, titled “Forever Grasslands,” the E-talk featured a series of five panelists with different connections to the natural world that surrounds Medicine Hat and covers much of southern Alberta. Panelists consisted of Starkevich, biologist Joel Nicholson, rancher Randy Lehr, SEAWA executive director Amber Coderre and Métis culture educator and knowledge keeper JoLynn Parenteau.

Topics for the panel varied from personal connections to the prairies to recent conservation and environmental considerations such as irrigation.

“If I could tell the world one thing about the prairie, it’s that the prairie is not for the weak of heart. It’s a harsh place. It’s an open place,” said Coderre. “Occasionally I get family or friends that come from elsewhere, and they don’t get it. They look out on the landscape and think there’s nothing there, but being raised here, I see everything. It’s such a vast place.”

Starkevich shared how inspired he has been by the biodiversity of the prairies, from the wide open landscapes to the various fauna which call it home. This is reflected in the works present at the Esplanade, especially the title piece, which measures at 5-by-8 feet and depicts multiple species in a wide shot of the plains.

Over the years, Starkevich says, he has become attached to specific areas around the prairies, feeling drawn to return to these sites to paint them repeatedly.

It’s through these places he has learned to navigate the land, forming a mental map of what outsiders might see as barren landscape.

In terms of scientific or ecological concerns, Lehr discussed the growing concerns of fragmentation of the remaining wild areas as pieces of the land are developed for farmland.

“You’ve probably all been to Havre or south of the Cypress Hills. I mean, there are hundreds of thousands of acres down there that are just made of grasslands,” said Lehr. “Those are the areas that we really need to protect. You know, the little pieces here and there are nice, but it’s a pretty small ecosystem.”

Fortunately, with government programs, NGOs, hunters and ranching communities alike working on restoring some of these sites, Nicholson expressed hope for the future of the ecosystem should people continue to work at stewarding the land.

“It’s just amazing how hearty, how resilient, how adaptable the land is,” said Parenteau. “The prairie across southern Alberta either remains just as it was before the land was settled here, which wasn’t so long ago, or it has been transformed into rich farmland, or a forested River City like Medicine Hat, supporting many thousands of lives.”

Forever Grasslands will remain at the Esplanade until Oct.18. Those interested in viewing the large-scale paintings are encouraged to visit soon, or to visit colinstarkevich.com.

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