Oil on canvas landscape by Jessica Symons. Exhibition runs from February 23rd, 2026 until April 10th, 2026. (Image Credit: Jessica Symons)

By Red Deer Arts Council

Feb. 23-April 10, 2026

Red Deer Arts Council presents: Landscapes by Jessica Symons

Feb 26, 2026 | 12:10 PM

The Red Deer Arts Council is pleased to present Upon Return: Landscapes by Jessica Symons on display in the Community Gallery from Feb. 23-April 10, 2026.

Description: Born in Alberta and shaped by years spent exploring the breathtaking landscapes of the Canadian Rockies, Jessica returns with a powerful new body of work that bridges memory, distance, and rediscovery. After moving to the United States as a child, she carried the majesty of the Rockies with her only to find, upon her return as an adult, that while communities and perspectives had shifted, the land itself remained steadfast.

This exhibition is a moving tribute to Alberta’s enduring wilderness: a series of evocative paintings that serve as both love letters to the landscape and a deeply personal journey home.

Artist Statement: Jessica Symons is a self-taught artist whose practice is rooted in community, storytelling, and resistance. I create because art is one of the few places where complex emotions can coexist without needing permission. My work takes the form of landscapes, and while these scenes may initially appear quiet or apolitical, they are deeply tied to my values and lived experience. Land holds the weight of what has happened on it, from displacement and extraction to care and refuge.

Working primarily in an impressionistic and expressive style, I focus on mood, movement, and emotional truth rather than strict realism. Texture, layered colour, and visible brushwork allow the land to feel active and alive. I often begin intuitively, letting the work unfold through response and experimentation, mirroring how people relate to land through feeling before language and understanding.

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Open to the public during the Community Gallery Hours

Tuesday to Friday: 10am – 5pm

Saturday and Sunday: Closed