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The Moose Jaw Art Guild has had an annual exhibition at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) since the facility opened — their newest show This Is Us is the 57th iteration for them, which guild president Patrick Hall said is a real honour.
“We really appreciate the curator here, Jennifer McRorie, and her team for working with us all these years for what is the (MJMAG’s) longest-running annual exhibition,” Hall said. “We hope everyone can enjoy our work here, we had fun making it, and thank you all for coming out.”
Several local high school students who received bursaries from the Art Guild are also featured in the show, which long-time member Cathy Sinclair said is always a treat.
“I decided to volunteer to coordinate the exhibition, and so that just meant finalizing the dates and the theme. Our guild had decided on This Is Us for our theme this time, so what you see as you walk around are our interests, our skills, our love of nature or people or whatever it is we love to do.
“And we’ve been able to give bursaries to local high school students to help them with their art, and we have a couple of them in the show, as well, today.”
“I think my teacher submitted one of my art pieces, or someone from the Art Guild came into the school and saw my art,” explained Crosby Murphy, one of the students in the show. “I got a little award from it and they wanted me to present my art here.
“I made this piece earlier this year and it’s a painting of an abandoned road I took a picture of when I was in Revelstoke, B.C. earlier this year.”
Jennifer McRorie said the exhibition comes together smoothly after so many years, and it’s always a pleasure to welcome the MJMAG’s very first collaborators back.
“It’s kind of a well-oiled machine,” she laughed. “We collaborate and set up a time for them to drop off their work. They always pick a theme months in advance and work in response to that theme, so we always end up with a real variety of interpretations and approaches and different media. We look forward to seeing what will come through our doors.
“It ranges from landscapes and portraits to abstraction, and there’s textiles and some drawing. Cindy Perrault included a painting that she actually beaded on, and then she added collage as well, and it’s a really poignant piece that speaks to residential schools and the impact on Indigenous nations here, it’s really touching.
“With such a variety, I think there’s something for everyone.”
This Is Us by the Moose Jaw Art Guild is free to view in the lobby of the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery until January 12, 2025. Learn more at www.mjmag.ca.