CommonOpulence: wishcraft at Art Gallery of Grande Prairie

CommonOpulence is an artist residency held in Demmitt, Alberta, hosted by artists Peter von Tiesenhausen and Maggie Tiesenhausen. Born of the desire to build community, exchange knowledge and introduce artists to the Peace Region, CommonOpulence offers participants the chance to connect with each other and the surrounding environment. This idea is centred around collaboration, permeability and skill-sharing, solving conundrums and engaging in research as a sort of hive mind. Within this temporary land-based community, artists explore the unity between their practices, their daily routines and the collective life of the residency, considering the social, economic, political and environmental implications of this mode of being.

The resulting group exhibition showcases the work of 9 participating artists made during July and August 2025. This short but generative period of time has encompassed a wide range of activity including blacksmithing, timber framing, woodworking, ceramics, pit firing, natural + synthetic dye processes, working with plants, paint making, metalworking, sound, video, costume making, drawing, instrument making, gardening, swimming, walking, listening, dancing, cooking and bubble research.

wishcraft is an ideological incantation, offsetting the capitalist notion of wealth, striving for an alternative mode of luxury, comfort and necessity.