This
show was inspired by a visit to a remote abandoned Saskatchewan town
called Bents.  While the buildings, in their various states of decay,
were a testament to a bygone rural era, the most amazing part of being
there was looking at the artefacts that had been left.  There were shoes
on the shelf in the store, a pair of glasses, personal mail in the
mailroom at the back of the store, furniture, hardware and rusted farm
machinery.  It was fascinating.  It seemed as though a place like this
would have been vandalized and pilfered in any other part of the
country.  I wondered about the story of the folks who lived there, why
the town (and other towns like it) were abandoned.

“The Bents Cup
Project” was conceived as a response to this sentiment.  The cups are
free souvenirs for the town.  They have been placed on the shelves in
the General Store building with the hopes that visitors will take a cup
rather than an object that has been left in the town.  The work for this
show was made during a month long self-directed residency at Medalta
International Artist Residency in Medicine Hat Alberta.  The majority of
the mugs in the show are the iconic Medalta diner cup.  The cups (and
other objects in the show) were made largely from moulds and other
technology that was used at the height of factory production as well as
glazed ware.

Please note since the mugs have been placed in the
town, the majority of the cups have been taken by visitors.  The
buildings, particularly the general store where the cups were placed,
have deteriorated significantly in recent months.  Travel to Bents is
not encouraged.

Special thanks must go to the Saskatchewan Arts Board for supporting this project/exhibition.

Cathy
Terepocki (Saskatoon, SK) graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine
Arts from Alberta College of Art and Design.  Since then she has been
selling and exhibiting her work at galleries and shops throughout
Canada.  She has taught several workshops at art centers and
post-secondary institutions.