In his home in Harrison Hot Springs, artist Max Newhouse is getting ready to honour the 20th anniversary of Nunavut joining Canada with a gift for every classroom in the territory: a deck of cards.
鈥淚 wanted to make sure each classroom in Nunavut, which isn鈥檛 hard, gets a deck of cards,鈥� Newhouse said. 鈥淪o they can learn about the country and how it grew.鈥�
He has the deck spread out across a work bench in his studio, and it鈥檚 not what you鈥檇 expect. On one side, a provincial or territorial flag, along the region鈥檚 capital and the date it joined Canada. On the other, seasonal variants of the Canadian flag.
Those same images of Canada鈥檚 flag were hung around his studio: the traditional flag was summer, a falling maple leaf within two borders of red was for autumn, a blank white canvas within the red borders was for winter and a sprouting leaf was for spring.
He had been painting the Canadian flag in this form since 1974 鈥� mostly in quadrants, but eight months ago he tried it as a set of four playing cards.
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鈥淚 just thought, there鈥檚 something to it,鈥� he said about the painting. 鈥淪o I just kept thinking 鈥� is there any way I can develop a game that has only four numbers or four symbols?鈥�
It took months, but he did.
The object of the game is simple 鈥� match the four flag seasons to get four of a kind of a full year 鈥� and in many ways is reminiscent of an ancient Chinese game 鈥淭he Game of Leaves.鈥�
鈥淚t makes me feel like I鈥檓 connected to ancient history,鈥� he said.
But, as Newhouse is keen to point out, the game is surprisingly complex and varied when played.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very complex, yet extremely simple,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t should have been around thousands of years ago.鈥�
He鈥檚 tested the card game at Harrison Hot Springs Elementary, and the keen eyes of critical students have helped him perfect the game.
鈥淚t was the kids that figured out鈥� what to do for the back of the cards, Newhouse said. 鈥淭hey said why don鈥檛 you do the provinces and territories.鈥�
With that change, Nunavut became its heart.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e actually the top card,鈥� he said, gently looking at the cards on his bench. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e number 13, that makes them the king.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e like a big crown on top of our country,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice symbol.鈥�
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Originally, Newhouse had planned to send a deck of cards to each classroom in Nunavut for the April 1 anniversary of the territory鈥檚 entrance to Canada. But, with changes still needing to be made to the game, he wasn鈥檛 able to make the deadline.
鈥淚 going to miss that mark, but not entirely,鈥� he said.
鈥淚ntellectually, the game being correct, I can鈥檛 rush it. But I鈥檓 going to absolutely get it there before the school year starts next year,鈥� he added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still in their anniversary. It just isn鈥檛 April 1.鈥�
grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com
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