Following the passing of a beacon of artistic prowess in Saskatchewan, the Swift Current Art Gallery is sharing their memories of famed artist Joe Fafard.

Fafard was born in Sainte-Marthe, Saskatchewan and was recently touring across Canada, including a stop in Swift Current.

The artist came to Swift Current to attend his exhibit, which featured a collection of animals constructed from metal pieces.

Swift Current was the final stop for the tour, and the Swift Current Art Gallery was the last gallery to ever publicly host one of his solo exhibitions.

Kim Houghtaling, director and curator with the Art Gallery of Swift Current, said that early in his career, Fafard focused on abstract and conceptual art, but later made a change in style.

"He found that it didn't relate to his own personal history and that it didn't relate to Saskatchewan culture quite in the way that he would like, and so he started to do what he kind of honestly wanted to do, which was talk from his own history and talk from a Saskatchewan culture."

His most famous works were sculptures based around cows, horses, and other farm animals.

Touring around the world, in addition to Canada, Fafard's work garnered global recognition for its abstract, accessible, and humorous elements.

"As artists in Saskatchewan," Houghtaling said, "Knowing Joe Fafard, and knowing the kind of person he was, and knowing that he was so successful and significant nationally and internationally, gave the entire art community in Saskatchewan greater confidence."

Houghtaling said that Fafard will be missed by the Saskatchewan art community, and his works of art left behind will be celebrated for years to come.