• About
  • Services
  • Clients
  • Contact
Menu

Ehren Seeland

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

Your Custom Text Here

Ehren Seeland

  • About
  • Services
  • Clients
  • Contact

In the Immortal Words of Jean-Paul Sartre: Au Revoir, Gopher

January 27, 2014 Ehren Seeland

In 1985, the going rate for a dead gopher was a quarter. Purportedly fed up with crop damage, farmers in my prairie hometown solicited children armed with pellet guns and old pillowcases to take on the role of Grim Reaper. Though I opted for a paper route instead, scores of tiny hitmen made enough to keep themselves in Big League Chew and sparkly jelly bracelets well into the fall. While this blood money was a small fortune to a child, it’s a fraction of the value currently attributed to these furry varmints in the hamlet of Torrington, Alberta.

Facing the reality of dwindling industry and a shrinking population, the people of Torrington took advantage of a provincial grant in order to fuel a plan to develop tourism to the area. After much debate, the Gopher Hole Museum was born in 1996, incorporating animals snared by local farmers, the taxidermy work of Dale Henkel and Dale Heinz, along with concepts and clothing created by the members of the Torrington Tourism Action Society, which owns and runs the museum. After fervent protests by PETA, and a wave of subsequent media coverage, the museum now sees over 6,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

Pulling off of Highway 27, roughly an hour north of Calgary, I feel a sense of home in the expansive skies and weather-beaten grain elevators. Being that the museum is open from June to September, I had called to arrange an off-season visit. Dianne Kurta, the Museum Director, and the only remaining original member, is waiting at the door of the little white museum that used to serve as the local schoolhouse. Her husband Otto waits outside in a running truck while she walks me through the 47 custom dioramas, containing a total of 77 stuffed gophers.

The montages are arranged around the room, in stacked wooden boxes with windows that give the appearance of a series of vintage television screens. I peer into one scene after another, witness to the typical follies of small town living. Sports games rally alongside church services, while farmers, hairdressers and blacksmiths work away, and young lovers embrace under the moonlight. Somewhere, in another dimension, Walter Potter rubs his icy palms together in gleeful praise.

I pass on my two-dollar entry fee to Dianne as she smiles over the frames of her glasses and zips up her winter coat. While the museum hasn’t resulted in a surge of income to the hamlet, the ongoing interest of visitors, film crews, and various media outlets have definitely put Torrington on the map. The museum is also one of the few in Alberta that is entirely self-sustaining and receives no outside support.

Those who participated in the Ravishing Beasts exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver likely remember a gopher dressed in winter gear, patiently waiting on a train – Olympics or bust. After being approached for a donation, the society decided that rather than disrupt the order of the Gopher Hole Museum, a new diorama would be created specifically for the Vancouver show. The piece has since been returned and can now be found in the museum gift shop, along with random knickknacks and a giant fiberglass gopher head used for photos.

The protests from the animal rights groups have mostly tapered off, however the museum still receives correspondence of this nature. John Graham, Media Coordinator for the Torrington Tourism Action Society references a recent email in which the writer suggests that the museum may as well stuff cats and dogs (sarcasm intended). Graham notes, “I replied in the same vein that we would consider her suggestion, and would be grateful for any pets that she would care to donate.” He also mentions that since the retirement of taxidermists Henkel and Heinz, the society has been unable to find someone who produces work at their level.

And with this, the pillowcases are lowered, and dreams of jelly bracelets squashed (modern day equivalent: Rainbow Loom), as the gophers lower themselves into their burrows, with a collective sigh of relief.

Words and photos ©Ehren Seeland

In Travel Tags Torrington, Alberta, Gopher Hole Museum, Torrington Tourism Action Society, Gophers, Ehren Seeland
← This Is Mérida. So It Goes.No Longer Poor, But Still Sexy →

tales from the every day

Life is about the simple things. 

A primary focus in my work is connecting with people and places in order to gather, curate and share the stories that ensue. 

This space serves as my point of offering, and also as my meeting place to connect with you, the reader. You can also find me on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

instagram feed

The perfect garment for spring and summer, our handwoven Lucido cotton huipil is created on a standing foot pedal loom by our master artisan partner, exclusively for our collection, along with our fab stockists in Canada and the United States. This understated piece supports classic lines in delicate stripes of blue (featured) or pink, and both celebrates and supports the cultural traditions of this talented weaving family. Ethically produced in Southern Mexico with slow made processes, fair pay and zero factories. #fashionrevolutionweek #slowmade #cottonhuipil
Now that spring is officially here, our Redonda palm bags are ready to be mixed and matched with all of your wardrobe staples. These versatile pieces are handmade by our master artisans using natural Mexican palm, and are available in two sizes – a medium shoulder bag style, along with a smaller handbag version. The medium size takes a full three days to produce, while the smaller size runs around two days. While we are sold out of both sizes right now, we have a new lot coming around mid-May. Want to be added to the wait list? Give us a holler. Email on our website – link in bio – or dm us here with your details. #palmbag #globalartisans #hechoenmexico
It’s mango season here in Oaxaca, which means that we’ve been mixing up loads of refreshing salads with our handmade jacaranda wood serving forks. These gorgeous pieces are handmade in Southern Mexico by our master artisan partners, exclusively for our stock. The jacaranda tree bestows a fragrant offering of lilac-hued blooms throughout Mexico, and produces a light, straight grained wood. What’s our favourite salad at the moment? Cut mango and avocado into large cubes, and then mix with finely chopped cilantro, red pepper, and a little red onion, serve overtop of a bed of chopped lettuce, and top with a grilled tuna steak, and a dressing of soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, sriracha and a splash of rice wine vinegar. Delish. Do you have a favourite mango recipe? #saladforks #workingwithwood #globalartisans
This unbleached cotton blanket exists as the fusion of modern minimalism and traditional processes. Made by expert hands on standing foot pedal looms, textured cotton is combined with embellishments of naturally dyed indigo for a one-of-a-kind piece that complements a range of spaces – from breezy beach house to minimalist urban loft. A hand-knotted fringe on both ends provides a luxurious finish that looks equally beautiful draped over a bed as it does a linen sofa. #naturaldye #globaltextiles #interiordesign
In honour of the start of Fashion Revolution Week, I'd like to pay tribute to a woman that strongly helped to inform the foundation for Hecho – my Nan. Though war times were a struggle, she always managed to look like a movie star who glimmered in slow motion captures. More importantly, my Nan taught me the value of choosing a few quality pieces, over loads of cheaper garments. Her style was the product of handmade processes, and she provided unwavering support in my decision to pack up 9 – 5 life to pursue my entrepreneurial goals, no matter what anyone else said or thought. From her, I learned how to be feisty, brave and reverent of the process of choosing quality over quantity. With this, my goal is to continue to pursue collaborations with our Hecho artisan partners that focus on investment pieces – works that value handmade over factory, natural fibres over synthetics, and heirloom over disposable. Cheers to this superfab lady. #fashionrevolutionweek #slowmade #slowfashionblogger
Beauty in abundance. Our limited edition of Huevero tree bark baskets have traditionally been used for gathering eggs, however we must admit that they also make for the most darling handbag. Produced by a talented and industrious group of master artisan women, these ecofriendly works are created with natural string that is made by rolling organic tree bark on the thigh or calf to desired thickness. It is then woven overtop of a handmade wooden frame, and finished with a hand-braided strap for carrying. Earth friendly, ethically sourced and a lovely conversation piece to add to your home and wardrobe. #treebarkbasket #culturaltraditions #hechoenmexico
Sunday morning view in the pueblos. While we live and work full-time in the capital city of Oaxaca, Mexico, most of our time is spent in the villages collaborating directly with our artisan partners, as face-to-face interactions are essential to effectively doing business in Mexico. With this, we’ve been able to experience local language, customs, creative traditions and cuisine, as well as having the opportunity to better know our partners and their families. In the interest of keeping our collection fresh, we make an effort to regularly explore new states, as every area supports unique offerings of handmade works that are specific to the region. Pictured here is the lovely community where our tree bark baskets are woven.Happy Sunday, all. #travelmexico #ethicalbusiness #thefutureishandmade
We have exactly one of these handwoven rustic maguey market bags left in stock. Created by hand by our artisan partners with hand-rolled maguey fiber that is rolled on the thigh of the artisan to the desired thickness. After this, the pieces are woven on a simple handmade apparatus of wood with two nails on either end, then finished with a hand-tooled leather strap. Who wants to bring this beauty home? #magueybag #ecofriendly #globaltextiles
Handmade by the kindest hearts that you could ever hope to meet, these beautiful unisex combs are created by our artisan partners with a tropical hardwood from the coast of Oaxaca known as granadilla. This wood has historically been used for making fine instruments – particularly clarinets. It is resilient, easy to care for, and supports gorgeous natural markings that speak to the age of every tree. These fine toothed combs also feature a delicate row of half moons that are entirely done by hand. Ideal for morning rituals, beard care and children’s hair, these lovely works naturally invigorate the scalp, and will stay looking like new with a little hand cleaning and application of coconut or olive oil from time to time. Be sure to get yours from our latest custom batch – we’ve only got a handful left until more arrive in May. #woodencomb #globalartisans #beautyrituals
As woman owned company, one of the primary goals in starting Hecho was to create and grow a socially-focused business that provides a positive stream of income for artisans, particularly for women and girls. As statistics have shown time and time again, on a global scale, women do more of the work, and are offered less of the opportunities, money and assets overall. Given this, we strive to source artisans and collectives that are comprised of women to collaborate with, and where we work male artisans, we always ensure that there is a positive role for strong women in their households. During this journey, we have encountered some of the most incredible, hardworking and inspiring people that we could have ever hoped to meet, and our gratitude in being able to work with these incredible individuals is plentiful. Hats off to all of you hardworking women – business owners, creatives, revolutionaries and beyond – we’ve got your back. #strongertogether #womensupportingwomen #globalartisans
Hand-gathered Mexican palm. This element from nature serves as the base of so many gorgeous artisan pieces from a variety of states, including furniture, hats, baskets, bags, and intricate sculptural works that are used as church decorations. As we’ve consciously grown our collection for Hecho, our focus has always been on producing ethically-made, multipurpose pieces that incorporate natural materials such as wool, clay, cotton, maguey, wood and tree bark. Our palm selections currently include our handwoven Redonda palm bags and storage baskets, with more custom pieces in the works. Here’s to the beauty of nature. 🍃 #handwovenpalm #globalartisans #hechoenmexico
Handwoven tree bark hanging baskets? We have many. Our new order of these lovely works has just arrived – custom-made for our collection by a democratic collective of artisan women. These sublime pieces have been made in this region since pre-Hispanic times, and are used as baby carriers, with the front strap being placed over the forehead and worn in the back so that the user can tend to their chores. As we aim to mainly incorporate multipurpose pieces into our collection, these traditional beauties can also be hung on the wall to hold magazines or dried grasses, or simply to hang on their own as an intriguing work of art. Linen tunic by the ever-wonderful, family-run @notperfectlinen #handwovenbasket #globalartisans #hechoenmexico

 

twitter FEED

  • Bad hombres. #alpacino #streetart #wheatpaste @ Oaxaca City https://t.co/0zfd2336Nf
    about a week ago
  • Qué triste que las pequeñas #empresas no son importantes para @estafeta #estafeta
    about a month ago
  • For Decades, Our Coverage Was #Racist – To Rise Above Our Past, We Must Acknowledge It #NationalGeographic https://t.co/R3i7is4ut0
    about a month ago
  • Una bonita #falda #dorada que extiende sus alas al sol. https://t.co/mw1PiuqVDH
    about a month ago
  • #Plastics Pile Up as China Refuses to Take the West’s #Recycling https://t.co/ElzaC34Dwg
    about a month ago
  • A Group of #Women Just Bought the #Weinstein Company https://t.co/KiiOOTpogm @glamourmag
    about a month ago

©2017 EHREN SEELAND. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.