Nikka Yuko – Re:Turning the Stories
Nikka Yuko – Re:Turning the Stories
Opening Reception: June 14, 4pm – 8pm
Established in 1967, the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is an important fixture in the cultural landscape of Lethbridge. With a name blending elements of Japan (Ni), Canada (Ka), and Friendship (Yuko), it is both a symbol of cross-cultural friendship, as well as a living reflection of the Nikkei experience in southern Alberta. From early 20th-century settlers, to communities displaced during World War II, to resilient individuals who chose to remain and rebuild, the Garden is a monument to history, place, and belonging.
“Re:Turning the Stories” emerged from a 2024 public call issued by the Gallery at Casa in collaboration with Nikka Yuko and the Nikkei Memory Capture Project. Artists were invited to consider the Garden not only as a landmark, but as an aggregator of experiences and repository of stories. To examine the gardens as a site that holds memory, invites reflection, and continues to shape identity.
Over the past 12 months, participating artists engaged with archival materials, conducted site-specific research, and worked in their studios to create original artworks that span a wide array of mediums and themes. From deeply personal meditations on place and memory, to formal studies of colour and the seasons, each work responds to the multivocal nature of the Garden and the histories it holds, both personal and cultural.
The exhibition is grounded in the ethos of the Nikkei Memory Capture Project—that in “returning the stories,” we acknowledge the layered past, give voice to the present, and participate in the co-creation of shared histories. Nikka Yuko has profoundly imprinted our region, and this imprinting is ultimately informed by a historicity that touches everyone who experiences the Garden.
“Re:Turning the Stories” invites visitors to consider how art, memory, and place intersect, and how spaces like Nikka Yuko are shaped not only by design, but by the people, experiences, and legacies that move through them.
Participating Artists:
Cassandra Allred
Ivan Bering
Carla Beres
Alexis Bialobzyski
Janice Brown
Molly JF Caldwell
Doris Charest
Sandra Cowan
Marney Delver
Amy Dodic
Wayne Dwornik
Eve Ford
Kim Fortin
Sidney Frenette-Ling
Lauren Gotao
Aaron Hagan
David Hoffos
Nozomi Kamei
Jenn Kitagawa
Sabine Lecorre-Moore
Michael J Leeb
Suzanne Lint
Shelly Lloyd
Maria Madacky
Mao Projects
Alice Matisz
Deb Middleton-Hope
Rob Miller
Jill Moloy
Eileen Murray
Akiko Muromura
Bree Potuzack
Maria Riviere
Ami Sangha
Kiyomi Scoville
J. Gibb Smith
Chantal Snodgrass
Bev Tosh
Gary Uchikura
Sue Wilkie
Lev Zienchuck
Date:June 14th, 2025 - August 23rd, 2025
Location:Casa - Main Gallery, Passage Gallery, Concourse Showcases
Casa Program Guide
The Casa Program Guide is produced three times a year; Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall. Inside the guide find listings for the upcoming class and workshop schedule, upcoming exhibitions at The Gallery, information about artists in residence and seasonal events in the building. Program guides are free. Pick-up guides at Casa or at facilities throughout the city.