Fifth Parallel Gallery, Regina
The Canadian art landscape is ever-changing. Places + Spaces keeps you informed of established and up-and-coming exhibition venues across the country including museums, galleries, artist-run centres, and more. This month, we hear from Brandi Heilman, Director, and Talon Trapp, Assistant Director, of The Fifth Parallel Gallery.
What is the history and mandate of your gallery?
Stephanie Ross, Internal Struggle, installation view from the 2018 group exhibition The Narrative
BH & TT: The Fifth Parallel Gallery is located on Treaty 4 territory on the main floor of the Dr. William Riddell Centre at the University of Regina. Professor Leesa Streifler initially founded the gallery in 1986 to provide students with a low-risk space to exhibit their artwork. It was only in 1997 when the gallery found its home in its current venue in the Riddell Centre. The Fifth Parallel Gallery was named after the Regina Five as well as the five visual arts disciplines taught at the University of Regina: drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics. As for our gallery mandate, the Fifth Parallel is a gallery for students by students. Our main priority is to give students not just from the Visual Arts and Media, Art & Performance (MAP) faculties, but from across the U of R, First Nations University, Luther College, and Campion College the chance to exhibit their art in a wide range of mediums in a welcoming and inclusive space.
What’s a highlight of the neighbourhood where your gallery is located?
Bree Tabin, tomboy, 20236, installation view at opening reception (photo: Talon Trapp)
BH & TT: The campus itself! Being situated in the Riddell Centre among various food establishments, the gallery has become a convenient and accessible place for students to go when they have time to kill between classes or during lunch breaks. It’s not just Visual Arts students and artists visiting the space: the gallery interacts with a wide range of people from business students to engineering students. That’s what makes the location so special. It gives people who may never have been in a gallery the chance to experience art from fellow University students – maybe for the first time. It also provides a nice quiet space to take a breather after a stressful midterm!
What’s your favourite part of running an art gallery?
Installation view of 2026 group exhibition Bite & Burnish
BH: My favourite part of running the gallery is for sure doing the installation and upkeep of the space. With experience both as the Assistant Director and the Director, I’ve had a chance to contribute to all aspects of exhibition preparation at one point in time (poster design, lighting, labels, vinyl wall text, exhibition documentation, etc.). Being able to bring an artist’s or a group of artists’ exhibition vision to life is really the best part. Through my years working at the gallery, I’ve been fortunate to witness many artists overcome by emotion after seeing their work finally displayed. I really feel fulfilled when I can give them the exhibition they imagined and more. In my role as Director, I am now more responsible for the management and organization of the gallery. I’ve learned I really enjoy being able to improve the space in any way I can, whether it be adding feet to plinths or purchasing new tools and equipment for the space. If I can give future Directors and Assistants an easier time through improved tools or procedures, I will be happy.
TT: My favourite part of running an art gallery is when students who want to dip their toes into gallery planning and exhibitions take the leap! I love the opportunity to step in, help out, and teach folks all the little tips and tricks that were shown to me when I participated in my first shows. It’s fulfilling to me to watch my peers breathe life into their ideas and we’re grateful to offer them the opportunity. As Assistant Gallery Director, I take care of photo documentation for our exhibitions. I firmly believe that artists, especially student artists, deserve great, high-quality photos of their work to add to their portfolios for the future. It’s such a small thing that can make a difference in the grand scheme.
How do you find out about new artists?
Installation view of 2024 group exhibition COPY: A Print Exhibition of Editions
BH & TT: As a student-run gallery primarily running student exhibitions, we’re fortunate to find out about new artists through word-of-mouth and by working alongside other student artists. At the beginning of each semester, the Director, and sometimes the Assistant Director, take the time to do brief class drop-ins to promote the gallery and encourage students to reach out if they have any interest in showing their work at the Fifth. These little drop-ins familiarize ourselves with the current artists around the Visual Arts department and give eager artists the confidence to reach out and tell us their ideas.
BH: I’m most able to find new artists through social media because I can take a quick look during homework breaks. I also really enjoy when I get to talk to my professors about my work and they recommend I look into some of their past students and their work.
TT: As far as personal interests go, I love keeping up to date with what local galleries and organizations have going on on their social media pages, and visiting shows in the city whenever I can. Some of my favourites are: @artgalleryofregina, @dunlopartgallery, @skarts, @saskartsalliance, and @creativecityctr. In addition, our Visual Arts Department Head and Printmaking professor, Robert Truszkowski, has a tradition of doing “print appreciations” at the start of his classes. He speaks very highly of past students while showing off their work, and I’ve found myself looking further into artists he’s shown and spoken about to see what they’re up to in recent years.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Elias Burns-McKay, This is Not Spiritual. This is Not Religious. This is Not an Act of Protest. This is my death., 2025, oil on canvas, installation view from the 2026 group exhibition Back & Body Hurts
BH: To be honest, I’m not sure where I see myself in five years. I’m currently in my last year and a half of my degree, so, come Winter 2028, I’ll hopefully be graduated and onto new endeavours. As I am currently taking the ART 400: Professional Issues course for my BFA, I’ve been encouraged to think about my future as an artist a lot. I find my work in the gallery to be fulfilling, so any future opportunities to be involved in exhibition installation are very welcome. I’d like to see myself in a technical art career, like what Jesse Goddard and Grace Boyd, our Visual Arts Department technicians, do. Tending to, maintaining, and improving a studio or creative space is appealing to me. Being of service to creative people or spaces is something I really enjoy!
TT: While the Fifth Parallel changes hands every few years, and it’s tough to say where the gallery itself will be in five years and who will run it, I plan to work my way to being Brandi’s successor once she’s done with her BFA. Before moving into my role as Assistant Director, I was pretty involved with the gallery in co-curating shows (Bite & Burnish in February 2026 alongside Jay Thompson; and Back & Body Hurts alongside Bree Tabin & Yvonne Niegas in September 2026) and participating in others. I’ve found gallery work to be fulfilling and exciting, which is a great start! I can only hope that in five years, I’ll still be doing things I sincerely enjoy.
What excites you about your upcoming exhibitions?
BH: Our upcoming exhibition, some agitation of embers can rekindle the fire, is a solo MFA thesis show by Holly Aubichon. What I’m most excited about about this exhibition is what I’m always excited for when an MFA exhibition comes to the gallery: I’m excited to experience the culmination of two years worth of rigorous artistic experimentation and work Holly has put into her collection of paintings. Holly’s show runs from November 16 to 27!
TT: Adding on to what Brandi said, we currently have a call out for Winter 2027 exhibition proposals. We’re looking forward to reviewing proposals and celebrating more student artists in the New Year!