Located almost exactly at the geographic centre of North America, Winnipeg has always been a hub of trade and commerce, but also of their corollaries: exploitation and colonization. A city of contrasts and layers, it is known as the "gateway to the West;" and because all rail and highway traffic between eastern and western Canada must travel through or near the city, it has always been an intersection of people, cultures and ideas. Winnipeg is more than the sum of its afflictions and aberrations. As I prepare to leave the city that I've come to regard as home (Ottawa beckons with its own particular siren song), I thought it might be fun to reflect on the nature of Winnipeg through the work of three of its artists. These works embrace a quirkiness that embodies this city's sense of itself. They each radiate a Winnipeg-ness that is distinct, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, often challenging and each in its way, profound.

Key Terms: street gangs, drugs, inside jokes, community access cable, show within a show, caricatures, manipulated videos, video installation, landscape