Events

Sharon Krushel of Peace River is the author, curator, and narrator of the newly-released book Mother Earth – Boreal Beauty of the Peace Country. She will be at The Centre for Creative Arts March 4-5 for the opening of the Mother Earth Photography Exhibit and Book Signing.

Krushel collaborated with 30 photographers over a period of two years to curate a collection of over 1,000 photos. The 5.5-lb. tome she created was published in November 2021 and has been described as a unique cross between a coffee table book and a field guide, featuring 350+ species of plants, wildlife, and fungi in the Peace region with common, scientific and French names, as well as Cree and Beaver names where available.

Krushel says, “You’ll find everything from a macro shot of a gossamer-winged butterfly to a zoomed-in image of a wild wood bison, with great blue herons and a myriad of Peace Country critters in between.” The vast diversity of wildflowers, blossoms and berries, trees, mushrooms, moss and lichen make up the flora and fungi sections of the book.

Krushel’s husband, Terry, built an airplane powered with a Subaru engine, so there are aerial shots of the Peace as well, and collaborating photographers contributed Peace Country landscapes and northern lights images for the book’s finale.

The Mother Earth book has been very well received. A copy of the entertaining and educational book has been distributed to every school and public library in the Peace Country of northern Alberta and B.C., including the Grande Prairie library. Krushel has sold over 1200 books since November 20 and has about 500 left.

You can see over 50 giclée prints of images from the Mother Earth book in an exhibit at The Centre for Creative Arts March 4-26. Krushel will be in the gallery from 10-5 on Friday, March 4 and from 11-4 on Saturday, March 5 to share stories and autograph books. The books are also available at the Grant Berg Art Gallery and on Krushel’s website: MotherEarthBook.ca. After March 26, the Mother Earth Exhibit will be going to the Dawson Creek Art Gallery.

“Our goal as a group of nature photographers is to share our images of Mother Earth with those who may not have the opportunity to see what we have seen. The news these days has been so disturbing, it’s a challenge to maintain equilibrium in one’s mind, body and soul. We all need a place to which we can escape from time to time – a portal through which we can step into another world to rest a while and take in a deep breath of awe. It is our hope that the Mother Earth Exhibit will provide a refuge and that the coffee table book filled with the wonders of nature in the Peace will be like a refreshing hike in the woods for those who enter.”

The first quote in the Mother Earth book is “Sharing the wonder doubles the delight” and we hope people will bring their friends and families.

Jeff Burke of Grande Prairie contributed a number of images to the Mother Earth book, including the amazingly-detailed undercarriages of a pair of Canada Geese. Burke will be joining Krushel in the gallery the morning of Friday, March 4. Colin Ruxton of Wembley submitted both bear and bug mug shots, an illusive Canada lynx, and flocks of various species of waterbirds photographed at Bear Lake. You can meet him in the gallery Saturday from 1-2 pm.

Website: MotherEarthBook.ca

Facebook: Mother Earth Book

Instagram: MotherEarthBook_PeaceRiver