The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) has been holding Park Art for more than 40 years, and famous, established local artisans like Rob Froese, Wendy Parsons, and The Cookie Lady, a.k.a. Laurie Kitsch, agree it’s the craftiest way to spend July 1.
The event is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 1 — Canada Day — and this year the Homegrown Farmer’s Market is combining forces with the MJMAG. The farmer’s market is held in practically the same place as Park Art, on Langdon Crescent in front of the public library and museum, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“I think we were at the very first, or if not, it was close to the first,” said Wendy Parsons. “My husband [Zach Dietrich] and I came as potters while I was working as a visiting artist in Weyburn. We drove down for the day and participated in the sale, and throughout the years we’ve often brought our pottery, or else I’ve volunteered and helped out that way. It’s been wonderful.”
Parsons and her husband own Parsons Dietrich Pottery and are nationally and internationally known for their art. They are juried members of the Saskatchewan Craft Council, have served on its board, the MJMAG board, the Sask Culture Board, and more, and have taught and influenced practically every ceramic artist in the region. She isn’t selling this year, but she will be one of the volunteers taking admission at the Park Art gates.
“I really love the art museum,” Parsons said. “When I moved to Moose Jaw and it had the [MJMAG] and it was offering classes and bringing in amazing exhibitions, it just felt like an opportunity for me. Right away, I wanted to be involved, so ever since I’ve tried to serve on the board, or volunteer or participate in Park Art, or whatever. It’s a wonderful building and the staff are amazing.”
“The first Park Art I remember was with my dad, in the ‘70s,” Rob Froese recalled. Froese is a contemporary ceramic artist, writer, and teacher known for his work in Canada and Japan, his functional and sculptural innovations, his expressive brush work, and the rich textures of his pieces.
“I don’t know exactly when they started, but it’s a long-standing thing and through my family I’ve been involved with Park Art and the art gallery for all those years. … It’s a great setting for a craft fair, and a chance to see a lot of friends, too, because I grew up in Moose Jaw.
“Everybody is always evolving over time, right? Their work is always changing, so it’s also a good way to catch up on things, different ways of making and creating. I really like the fact that the [MJMAG] has kept the handmade theme, so everyone there is putting their full effort into making their own work.”
Froese will be selling a selection of salt- and soda-fired tableware pottery.
Another long-standing vendor is Laurie Kitsch, whose work, while artful, tends not to last nearly as long as ceramics. She began selling baked goods at farmer’s markets nearly 30 years ago, and has been a regular at Park Art nearly as long.
“When I first started, people kept calling me up to ask if I was the Cookie Lady, so I just kept it,” Kitsch said. “And my daughter designed my logo.
“I like going to Park Art because it’s outside, it’s fun for the kids with all the activities they have, and customers just enjoy coming out for it, instead of being in a building for hours.
“I’m going to have my regular selections, but I’ll also have jumbo Canada Day cookies and Canada Day brookies — a brookie is a brownie and a cookie mixed together. And they’re going to be all red and white and Canada Day-themed.”
“It is always a festive, fun day, and people should definitely come out for it,” Wendy Parsons said firmly. “For one thing, you get to see what a lot of local artists from all around Saskatchewan are doing, and really, I’ve been to craft fairs across Canada, and our is as good a quality as anywhere else. Some of the individual, unique pieces you can collect are breathtaking.
“I have pieces in my home from Park Art that I’ve had for 30, 40 years, and I still enjoy them.”
