Thelma Pepper: Ordinary Women. A Retrospective: Online Panel Discussion
Recorded April 23, 2021 – An online panel discussion with Sandra Fraser, Curator (Collections), co-curator Leah Taylor and artists Frances Robson and Sandra Semchuk discussing the exhibition Thelma Pepper: Ordinary Women. A Retrospective, currently on view at Remai Modern. The conversation focussed on the history of women photographers in relation to the former Saskatoon artist-run centre, The Photographer’s Gallery (TPG). Semchuk and Robson reflected on their own roles at TPG as well as Pepper’s influence within that ecology. The panel discussed the major themes found within the exhibition, offering a deeper look at the meanings of strength and resilience in the context of the work, and the visual and conceptual threads that run throughout the exhibition.
Thelma Pepper: Ordinary Women. A Retrospective highlights the life’s work of one of Saskatchewan’s preeminent senior artists, Thelma Pepper (1920-2020), an important photographer, feminist and activist. Known for her black and white photographs, Pepper documented the lives of Prairie women and men, putting their experiences and resilience into focus. Connecting through shared stories, Pepper illuminated the critical roles women held within their seemingly ordinary, everyday environments.