The MacKenzie Art Gallery is pleased to announce Thick as Thieves, a new group exhibition that delves into the powerful, sometimes secretive relationships formed between artists, artworks, audiences, and the forces that help shape the world we live in. 

Curated by Crystal Mowry, Director of Programs, Thick as Thieves opens on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025. This exhibition, drawn primarily from the MacKenzie’s Permanent Collection, features an array of historic and contemporary works that invite audiences to consider themes of fidelity, mutual desire, and fraternal bonds shaped by circumstance or power.

The exhibition includes pieces by renowned artists such as Deanna Bowen, Tammi Campbell, Lynne Cohen, David Furman, General Idea, Guerilla Girls, Jenny Holzer, Spring Hurlbut, August Klintberg, Marilyn Levine, Micah Lexier, Arnaud Maggs, Esmaa Mohamoud, Evan Penny, Wilf Perrault, Auguste Rodin, Amanda Strong, Inglis Sheldon-Williams, Nic Wilson, and more. 

“From an early age, we learn that resilience comes from connection,” says Curator Crystal Mowry. “Whether you are tethered to family, friends, or members of an exclusive network, the bonds you nurture or conceal say as much about power as they do about intimacy.” 

The exhibition is organized into three thematic zones: 

Forms of Fidelity – Investigating what can be learned or achieved through dedicated observation, training, friendship, and collaboration. 

Mutual Desire – Reflecting on how redaction, secrecy, or coded gesture can fuel both longing and the desire to remain hidden. 

Fraternities and Power – Examining networks and institutions that complicate ideas of exclusivity, belonging, and social influence. 

Visitors to Thick as Thieves will encounter captivating works that highlight everything from the tender intimacy of Auguste Rodin’s famous embrace to the socially charged, covert messaging in Jenny Holzer’s iconic text-based practice. From Tammi Campbell’s subtle tributes to twentieth-century abstraction to the hyperreal sculptures of Evan Penny, each artwork sparks questions about the relationships we form—and sometimes conceal—in order to thrive and survive. 

ABOUT THE MACKENZIE

The MacKenzie Art Gallery envisions a world where art inspires and heals across generations. Located in Treaty 4 / oskana kâ-asastêki / Regina, the MacKenzie is Saskatchewan’s oldest public art gallery, with a 50-year history of championing Indigenous art from Indigenous perspectives. The MacKenzie embraces its unique position within the Canadian and international art landscape, celebrating the diverse perspectives of all artists within the Plains region and Canada. It has a focus on Indigenous and contemporary art, contextualized through select historical and international work.   

MEDIA CONTACT

Angela Lackey
Communications Coordinator
MacKenzie Art Gallery
alackey@mackenzie.art
(306)-584-4250 x4271

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