The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) is planning a busy Opening Reception next Friday, May 30th, at 5:30 p.m., including opening two new exhibitions, introducing its first Indigenous Artist-in-Residence, plus two artists who will work out of new studio spaces for a five-month period, and participating in PRIDE Week.
“We’ve got an exhibition from our Permanent Collection. It’s called True North and it’s celebrating and highlighting the work of Canadian artists,” explained the MJMAG’s curator/director Jennifer McRorie.
“There’s sort of looking at some Canadiana, you know, Canadian geese and moose, some playful things like that. But then there’s also work that looks at some of Canada’s colonial history. And so, it’s embracing Canadian art in all its diversity, and considering inclusivity and accessibility, as well.”
McRorie said the True North exhibit might be a bit unique in some people’s experience, because it’s going to overflow the Norma Lang Gallery.
“It’s going to be spreading into our lobby, and there’s some pieces in the Public Library, so it’s quite a large group show.”
True North will run from May 30th to August 31st.
Meanwhile, another exhibition is going up May 30th for Pride Month, coming down on June 26th — it’s the MJMAG’s annual partnership with Moose Jaw’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“We are also partnering with MJ Pride for an exhibition called PRIDE,” McRorie explained. “It’s our annual exhibition as part of Pride Week and Pride Month. And so, we’ve put out a call for submissions to artists from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.”
The MJMAG Opening Reception next Friday is listed as one of MJ Pride’s official events. Each artist who responds to the call can submit up to four works for the exhibition. The deadline for submissions is today, May 23, until 4:30 p.m.
“We’ve already received some paintings and we’ve been told there’s some prints coming, and there might be an installation. So, it’s always exciting to see what’s going to result with that exhibition.”
Also at the Opening Reception will be the introduction of Sadi-Rose Vaxvick as the MJMAG’s first Indigenous Artist-in-Residence, and a new program called Artist Studios will be unveiled, with Matt Froese and Anna Rieber using the studios for the next five months.
McRorie added that Summer Art Programs at the MJMAG are also open for registration, with many exciting options for youth through July and August.
Learn more at https://www.mjmag.ca/summer-art-classes.