The It Only Takes a Dream (IOTAD) foundation are helping celebrate the Jasper Heritage Rodeo in August by bringing in an art exhibit that will explore the bond between man and horse.

The exhibit, titled ‘Horsepower’ will display paintings and archival photographs from the Glenbow Museum at a variety of locations around Jasper. The initial exhibit will begin at the Jasper Activity Centre, where the rodeo activity will be, and directions to the rest of the art will be displayed.

The exhibit is meant to encourage the discussion of horses in Alberta’s history in law enforcement, ranching, transportation, sport and entertainment. 

The pieces will reflect the strength, speed, agility and grace of a horse in movement and present memorable stories of the bond between a horse and its rider. 

Stories that will be told at Horsepower include that of Sonora Webster Carver, who travelled North America with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. In Carver’s act, a horse would gallop up a platform, and Carver would jump on at the last second before the two sailed off the platfrom anywhere from 12 to 40 metres high, and into a pool of water. In 1931 Carver was blinded in a diving accident. As her horse hit the water, it tipped sideways and Carver opened her eyes as she impacted the water. The injury caused both of her retinas to detach, permanently blinding her. 

Carver was photographed by Calgarian W. J. Oliver at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, where the show stopped between 1935 and 1941. 

Other photographers from the Glenbow archives include L.A. Huffman and O.B. Bruce. 

Oliver’s photos show a history of rodeo in Calgary, once he became interested in the ranching life. He photographed the first Calgary Stampede champion, Tom Three Persons after he triumphantly rode infamous bucking horse Cyclone to victory at the first Calgary Stampede in 1912. 

More of Oliver’s photos from the archives will tell the story of record breaking jumping horse Barra Lad, who lived in Calgary and was owned by Lewis Welsh. 

The horse jumped an incredible 8’1.5 feet in front of a crowd of 6,000 in New Westminster, B.C. The record was followed by the horse’s tragic death just hours later. 

Contemporary artists will also be displaying their work. Helen Mackie will show paintings and two wooden block prints that she created after the 100th anniversary of the Western Stock Grower’s Association. After a day spent on at the Suffield Reserve doing a cattle drive, Mackie sketched images of the day she’d had, from the scene around the campfire. The results of the sketches she completed will be displayed at the Jasper exhibit. 

Werner R. Plangg, another Calgarian, will have images displayed as well. Plangg spends time in nature painting intimate scenes, as he attempts to get in touch with the animals and natural surroundings.

Also included in the art exhibit will be a fun children’s animation camp at the Jasper Activity Centre, as well as other activities for kids. 

The IOTAD foundation works closely with Jasper’s YRAF Creative Campus. 

The exhibit will run for the entire month of August at locations all over Jasper, with the primary exhibit being displayed at the Jasper Heritage Rodeo Grounds.