Bill Shurniak, founder of the Shurniak Art Gallery, was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday June 23. As the citation read, he received this medal for “exceptional deeds that bring honour to the country” for creating the Shurniak Art Gallery. His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada since October 2010, made the presentation of this national decoration to 49 recipients from many disciplines.
“It was a very memorable and emotional event, also quite humbling hearing the citations of the other recipients,” Shurniak described the experience. It was eminent company with recipients coming from across the country. Shurniak stood alongside the likes of Jennifer Jones, the champion curler from Manitoba. Each recipient, after having acknowledged the Governor General with a bow, was required to turn and face the audience while their citation was read, then the Governor General pinned the medal on the person and offered his congratulations.
The Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) are one of Canada’s high honours and nominations are deliberated and chosen by the Office of the Governor General. Shurniak was first informed of the honour in September with official confirmation in November. An awards ceremony was set for a later date that took place on June 23. With this award, Shurniak can now use the title M.S.M. after his name. There are also several regulations governing how and when this medal can be worn, similar to military honours.
The story of the Shurniak Gallery, a jewel in Assiniboia, began 50 years ago when Shurniak first began collecting art. He bought a few paintings to start and then his interest burgeoned as he came to enjoy the art created by others. Shurniak’s collection grew into more than a hobby. When work took him overseas, he added more paintings and artifacts to his collection. While working in Hong Kong and Australia and before moving back to Canada, Shurniak realized that his large collection needed a more permanent home.
Rather than split up his collection through donation, Shurniak decided to give back to his home community by building an art gallery to house the entire collection. “That’s my gift to the community here and ultimately to the Province of Saskatchewan,” he said. Originally from the Limerick area, Shurniak selected the nearby larger centre of Assiniboia for his new gallery’s location. “It took three years to build,” he explained after the long design process. In the end, most of the architectural floor plan remained as he envisioned.
Construction started soon after he went to Australia. Shurniak recalls the great efforts to get the gallery ready for the official opening on July 30, 2005. He had just moved back to Canada with his collection. “It was emotional to have a private walk through the gallery before the opening once the paintings were hung,” Shurniak described.
“It was emotional to see a dream come to fruition,” he added about viewing his collection on the new gallery’s walls on the eve of the opening. The bulk of the paintings featured by the gallery are from Shurniak’s own collection, but they also include a few paintings which have been donated to the gallery. The gallery also features works of art by emerging and established artists on an on-going basis.
Shurniak continues to add to his collection. He described his collection as being more international at first, reflecting his time abroad. Today, he noted that the Canadian aspect is more dominant. Shurniak notices that his art tastes have changed over the years and every five to ten years his collection would take a new direction. When he first began acquiring art, he opted for the safety of landscapes and realistic depictions.
Now, Shurniak’s art collection is quite diverse. He noted that he always has chosen pieces that resonated with him rather than selecting a particular artist or popular style. In addition to purchasing works, Shurniak has also had works commissioned like the one depicting his parents from a 1910 photo by an Australian artist. Another commissioned work by Dwayne Hardy is a view from Wood Mountain with bison added in to depict the region from the 1800s.
The Shurniak Gallery is highly regarded in the artistic community and it attracts visitors from across the country and from overseas. Currently, the gallery is celebrating Canada 150 with an exhibit telling the story of this southern part of Saskatchewan from 1867 to 2017 with the main focus being the agriculture industry, which was the main industry of the province for many years.
