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Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery Offers a Mix of Local History and Art
The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery sits in the middle of the city’s favourite green space, Crescent Park, and holds within its walls a number of collections that show off the art and culture of Moose Jaw. Once inside, visitors are greeted by an impressive sculpture of a dapple grey foal — titled Peggy by the late Joe Fafard. The sculpture is a favourite part of the gallery’s permanent collection, and only one piece of what the MJMAG has to show off. The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery is home to an incredible array of artwork, artifacts, and educational opportunities — and it’s luckily surrounded by the lovely scenery of Crescent Park. The MJMAG, attached to the Moose Jaw Public Library, is home to several different gallery spaces worth visiting for a taste of local art and history. Visitors are welcome to visit the MJMAG any time during operating hours to enjoy the experience of Moose Jaw art. The Heritage Gallery hosts a permanent collection of artifacts and exhibits detailing the intricate past of the community, while the Norma Lang Gallery features all of the new artistic exhibitions curated by the MJMAG every spring and fall. The entrance of the MJMAG is also used to display local exhibitions. Currently, the Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association is showing their Women’s Cape Project, featuring hand-beaded traditional capes made by local women and curated by Barb Fraser, WACA, and SaskCulture.
Currently on display in the Normal Lang Gallery until the end of August is Measured Composition by potter Rob Froese, featuring a visual intersection of music and ceramic wares, and Predisposition by sculptor Peter Tucker, who has been working on one of the exhibition’s pieces in-gallery as a demonstra
“Twelve Tone Study” by Rob Froese, from his exhibitions currently on display at the MJMAG and online through
tive element. their website.
“Reroot” by Peter Tucker, currently on display in the gal lery at the MJMAG and featured online on their website. All three of these current exhibitions are available to view online through the MJMAG’s website, along with a handful of other past exhibitions featured in a virtual museum format — including past shows from Vaughan Grayson and Campbell Tinning, a Heritage Gallery feature about the 1954 plane collision over Moose Jaw, and the MJMAG travelling trench art exhibit Keepsakes of Conflict, among others. The MJMAG has a number of other online resources now available on their website, including introduction videos about famous Saskatchewan artists, features from past and current MJMAG collections, and virtual community exhibitions. In addition to all of the gallery’s shows, the MJMAG also offers a number of art classes in their space throughout the year, with the schedule differing depending on instructors’ availability. This summer,
the adults and children’s programs will be offered at a distance, with virtual instruction and material kits provided. The MJMAG also has their Gift Shop upstairs in the building, which features works from an array of local artists available to purchase and take home. This fall, the MJMAG will have a retrospective exhibition on Regina artist Marsha Kennedy titled Embodied Ecologies, the details of which have yet to be released. The MJMAG also hosts the Moose Jaw Art Guild’s annual fall show, which always features an impressive collection of work from local guild artists all focused on a chosen theme. The Moose Jaw Art Guild has existed since 1929, and involves local artists of all kinds. The guild hosts creative workshops, discussions about art techniques, and regular guild meetings to work on new projects together. Guild members also have their works on display in the back room at the Uptown Cafe all throughout the year, and also take part in the MJMAG’s annual Park Art event every July. For visitors looking to experience the breadth of the artistic community here in Moose Jaw, the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery is the perfect place to start exploring.
For more information about the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, or to access any of their online resources, or to learn more about the virtual summer programming, visit their website at mjmag.ca or check their Facebook page for updates. More information about the Moose Jaw Art Guild can be found at mjartguild.wixsite.com or by check
The MJMAG Gift Shop, located upstairs from the gallery space, features both local Moose Jaw artists as well as those from all over Saskatchewan.
ing their Facebook page.
The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery is open on Tuesdays to Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on statutory holidays. Please be sure to check with the MJMAG before visiting by calling the front desk at 1 (306) 692-4471. For more information on the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery’s online activities, be sure to check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mjmag/.
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