Gallery 1
Decades of Voices (1980-1990)
This exhibition is an eloquent celebration of the pioneer woman who helped establish the farms, cities and towns of Western Canada. The subjects of Thelma Pepper’s portraits are woman over 85 who all lived in a Saskatoon senior’s citizen’s complex two blocks from Thelma’s own home. Making this exhibition was not a matter of simply locating the woman and spending a few weeks or months taking their photographs, doing interviews and returning a few of them to significant places of their past. Thelma Pepper spent several years, and an estimated five thousand miles in total, going back and forth between her home and the nursing home where they lived. As a volunteer she read to them, spent time in their company, listened to their stories.
The idea for this exhibition came to her piecemeal, as her relationship with the woman grew and deepened. By the time Pepper decided to photograph the women, she not only had their trust and respected them, she wanted to honor their largely forgotten place in the history of the settlement of Western Canada. It is the combination of Thelma Pepper’s intimacy with her subjects and her painstaking craft that make this exhibition the rare and illuminating artistic event that it is.
In Decades of Voices, Thelma Pepper honors not only these women, but unfashionable human values: love and integrity, honesty and forgiveness. The human need for wholeness, for the peace bestowed by a life dignified by love and purpose, remains with us, deeply ingrained, and we see it in the image of Grace Bolton, a child and an old woman both, an entire life as light as grass in the palm of her hand.
![Black and white photo of elderly woman wearing long patterned dress seated sideways at end of table reading letter.](/assets/images/grace-at-home-1989.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman standing holding a book in both hands with her reflection seen in mirror behind her.](/assets/images/laura-loves-reading-1985.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman standing strong in front of small old wooden barn, holding scarf in one hand and cane in the other.](/assets/images/thelma-pepper-anna-returns-to-the-house-barn-19892x.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly lady sitting beside her family Samovar, with both hands close by.](/assets/images/thelma-pepper-anna-with-the-family-samovar-19892x.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman in thought seated holding coffee cup on the side of round table, and behind her picture on wall of elderly man praying.](/assets/images/thankfulness-1984.jpg)
![Black and white three panel of elderly woman in her kitchen. First panel she is seated holding egg beater, second standing with apron.](/assets/images/anna-in-kitchen-thumbnail.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman and younger woman seated holding hands. First woman with warm smile and second woman (sister of the church) looking over smiling.](/assets/images/strength-in-friendship-1989.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman in wheelchair wearing warm smile looking over at young boy.](/assets/images/olive-with-great-grandchild-ryan-1989.jpg)
![Black and white: woman wearing full length coat, holding purse, looking thoughtfully at hands holding flower.](/assets/images/memorie-come-flooding-back-1989.jpg)
![Black and white: wide shot of woman standing in open grass field beside old wooden barn.](/assets/images/memories-come-flooding-backb-1989.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman quilting away with needle on table using light from attached extension light.](/assets/images/olive-loves-quilting-1984.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman standing, dressed in fancy costume waiting for parade.](/assets/images/off-to-the-parade-1984.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly couple, woman seated wearing beautiful large necklace and husband standing tall wearing suspenders, holding cane in right hand.](/assets/images/mr.-and-Mrs.-Weir-1984.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman seated with wrist watch on outside of white blouse, looking off to the side very proud and distinguished.](/assets/images/ida-hogle-1985.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman sitting down wearing beautiful warm smile with checker patterned wallpaper in background.](/assets/images/laura-waldern-1984.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly man seated holding cane in right hand over his lap.](/assets/images/early-portrait-untitled-1-1981.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman seated on bed looking over at son and grandchild who are both looking up at grandma with adoration.](/assets/images/no-generation-gap-1989.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman with cane standing beside small dining table, striped wallpaper background.](/assets/images/christina-driol-rudolph-1984.jpg)
![Black and white three panel photo of elderly woman at home.](/assets/images/nellie-at-home-1989.jpg)
![Black and white photo of elderly woman in wheelchair playing harmonica.](/assets/images/harmonica-player.jpg)