The 40th annual James Weir Peoples' Choice exhibition is now open for public voting at the Weyburn Art Gallery.

"We have near 30 entries this year. It is a big show, full of a wide variety of works and art. So we have a lot of 3D sculptural pieces this year, and not a single photograph," shared Regan Lanning, City Curator and Arts Coordinator with the Weyburn Arts Council.

"The great thing about the James Weir is that you never know what you're going to get. I never know what I'm installing until the day of install," she noted.

Lanning said they have about five new artists entered this year, some who have taken some years off between entering and now they're back, as well as a few steadfast artists who enter works every year.

"It's fun to see what everybody comes up with every year," she commented. 

"This is the year of the landscape, apparently. We have lots of landscapes, but we also have lots of 3D works. We have two stained glass works. We have some works that are very obviously geared towards the younger audience, and then we have some works that are abstracts, and some that are more out there, and then there's some pieces that will just melt your heart. Something to make you laugh and something to make you cry."

Lanning said, "Voting is ready to go. You can stop by the gallery and cast your vote for your three favorites. I personally recommend taking in the show multiple times. Before I vote, I start off the exhibition every year with my three favorites, and by the time the show closes I have three different favorites so I never vote until the very end."

To vote, you'll find a table just inside the gallery doors with ballots for your first, second, and third choice. 

"You vote using the number that is beside each piece, so you would never vote by the title. You just write the number of the work in the box and then you sign your name. You have to sign your name. You have to vote for three works, even if there's only two that really speak to you, you have to find the third."

In fact, incomplete ballots are thrown out, as are ballots that are not signed, and each person is only allowed to vote once. Typically, the Weyburn Arts Council usually counts more than 1,000 ballots in all.

Online voting, Lanning noted, will be available in the coming weeks. "We will announce it on our Facebook and Instagram when that's ready."

Voting closes March 15th, after which the names of the artists will be included with their works.

Trophies will be presented to the winners of the top three highest votes on March 22nd during a gala reception.

"This year is our 40th anniversary for our James Weir, so we are planning something a little bit more special for that gala. We have a theme, we are asking people to come dressed as their favorite decade." 

The show was named for James Weir as he was the very first chair of the Weyburn Arts Council. It is the longest-running People's Choice Awards in Western Canada.