The Moose Jaw Art Guild is one of the city’s oldest groups, having been ongoing in one form or another since 1928, and its annual members’ exhibition at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) is always highly anticipated.
“Our opening for our coming show at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery is Nov. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m.,” said Beth Crabb, president of the guild. “And we sure invite the public to come down to that and see the art at that time, because you get a chance to actually talk to the artists, and if a particular piece piques your interest you can talk to the artist who painted it and find out what inspired them and how they made that piece.
“And the title for that show is ‘Sparkle,’ so there should be quite a wide range of interpretations for that, as far as a theme goes.”
Any art guild member whose dues are paid and who has recently attended at least three guild meetings can submit a piece or two for the show, and members can interpret the theme as they please. There are a diversity of interests, training, and talent among the members, including sculpture, various kinds of painting, carving in different mediums, pottery, and more.
Crabb herself is a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council as a basket-weaver. She also paints in watercolours, does pottery, and dabbles in other forms of art.
Earlier this year, the guild put on an exhibition in the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre’s lobby gallery from May 24 to July 26. The show was titled “Collection of Creativity,” and featured 20 artworks from 15 guild members.
“We had a lovely show at the Cultural Centre,” Crabb said. “We called that a collection of creativity, because we come from such diverse backgrounds and approaches to art.
“That was a really good opportunity to get our work out and seen in a different venue again, and people attending shows at the Cultural Centre often take that gallery in, so that was fun and exciting for us.”
The guild had an Art Creation Day and a social potluck gathering at a member’s home in June, and held another guild meeting Sept. 21.
They have also renewed their gallery at the Uptown Café, which keeps pieces from the Moose Jaw Art Guild on display year-round.
“The first benefit of being a member of the Art Guild is getting to meet and spend time with other artists, with a pretty wide range of abilities and interests,” Crabb said. “And long with that comes the learning from one another. Everybody has a different background as far as workshops they’ve attended, formal art schooling, experimentation. So, there’s all that to be taken advantage of.
“Another is simply getting your art out into the world to be seen and enjoyed. To that end, we are so fortunate to have had a really long-standing relationship with the Uptown Café, in their back room. That display benefits our members and the Uptown Café, and we certainly sell pieces out of there.”
The guild’s next gathering is an Art Creation Day scheduled for Oct. 26, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the MJMAG. Crabb said that event is the perfect chance for prospective members to come meet the guild, bring their art supplies, play with art for a little while, and see if membership is for them.
Email the Moose Jaw Art Guild at [email protected] for more information.
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