The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) is holding a Holiday Gala fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., featuring live and silent auctions, behind-the-scenes tours of the art and museum vaults, various appetizers and finger foods, and holiday-themed decorations.
Tickets to the Holiday Gala Fundraiser are $30 each, available online from the MJMAG website at www.mjmag.ca/holidaygala, and physically from the gallery itself.
"We are having a Holiday Gala just to celebrate some cheer during the holiday season and to open up our doors and give people access behind the scenes," explained Jennifer McRorie, curator/director of the MJMAG. "People can see the museum and art vaults, take in some food and drink, and also be able to bid on the work of local and regional artists in silent and live auctions. There will also be some gift packages donated by local businesses."
Acclaimed local and regional artists such as Beth Crabb, Rob Froese, Gabriela Garcia-Luna, Jody Greenman-Barber, Don Hall, Belinda Harrow, Jeannie Mah, Dave Pelletier, Ward Schell, Sylvia Ziemann, and more have contributed pieces for the event. Painting, ceramics, basket-weaving, photography, printmaking, drawing, and mixed media pieces will be available to bid on.
The behind-the-scenes tours are being offered because while many Moose Jaw and area residents love and appreciate the gallery, not many people know just how extensive — and important — the MJMAG Permanent Collection is.
"We want to give people an opportunity to see the collection and how it's stored and just give people a sense of what an amazing facility this really is," McRorie said. "I don't know if many people from Moose Jaw know that we are considered a Category 'A' Art Museum. That's a federal designation that means we meet high museum standards, allowing us to borrow from other leading institutions for our exhibitions.
"It also means that we have the proper standards in terms of vaults and temperature and humidity controls to be able to look after our museum and art collections. Our category A status also means we can apply to the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board to get Canadian Cultural Property designations on works donated to us. That basically means that works with that designation are culturally significant, and we do have a number of those in our collection."
Vault tours will include some of the stories behind significant pieces and an overview of the vault sections. For example, McRorie noted, the MJMAG ceramics collection is very strong, making it a desirable place for collectors to donate to, and leading to other institutions reaching out to borrow for their own exhibitions.
The space will be decorated with holiday decorations, holiday music will be playing, and a cash bar will supplement the appetizers. Proceeds from the MJMAG Holiday Gala will directly benefit the museum's mission, exhibitions, and public programs.
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