Carly Jaye Art completes another eye-catching mural at the Chamber of Commerce

The Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce wanted to bring its exterior out of the '70s, according to Chamber CEO Rob Clark, who said the result makes the chamber more visible and highlights its function in the community.

“Their plan and vision for the mural was to make it stand out,” explained Carly Jaye Smith. “A common comment I got throughout the process was that a lot of people didn’t realize where the Chamber of Commerce office was.”

The chamber is located at 88 Saskatchewan Street East, just down the road from the North Hill Station of the Moose Jaw Fire Department.

The chamber’s purpose is to support and act as the voice of the business community in the city. That support has been on full display over the past few years as businesses struggled with public health guidelines and home quarantines.

The “Live, Love, Local” campaign launched by the Chamber during the pandemic has outlasted its original timeline, with many businesses keeping the slogan as part of their signage.

The Moose Jaw Business Excellence Awards (MJBEX) is also presented by the Chamber. This year’s MJBEX celebrated 20 years of the tradition of celebrating business leadership in the city.

“Rob kept using a tagline of ‘bringing the building out of the '70s,’” Smith said. “So, we modernized it with a graffiti style. Our mission was to capture what the Chamber does for our community and the local business scene.”

Smith started her business in 2012 and has steadily built her reputation. Her street art began seven years ago with her first mural, an Al Capone-themed piece at the bottom of Main Street. She completed a month-long project on the Palliser Regional Library headquarters in South Hill last October.

“We’re all about local businesses and the community and we want people to know where we are,” Clark explained. “Come in if you’re looking for support or anything really, we’ll help you out.”

Smith also refreshed the sign on the parking lot side of the building. Clark said she brought out the sunshine of working at the Chamber.

“We’re always enjoying life up here, we always have positive conversations, so she got the sunshine into that sign and it’s absolutely perfect.”

Smith’s next project is on the drive-thru side of The Mad Greek, where she will tell the story of the Iatridis family and their impact on Moose Jaw.

Learn more about the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce on their website at www.mjchamber.com.

Carly Jaye can be found on Facebook or at www.carlyjaye.com.