Art Guild opens 56th annual exhibition at MJMAG, themed 'Sparkle'

Guests and contributing artisans mingled, took in the art, and chatted about inspirations, mediums, themes, and styles during the opening reception for 'Sparkle' at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) on Nov. 9, marking the 56th edition of the annual exhibition.

"I'm always excited to see what the guild brings in for their themed shows," said Jennifer McRorie, the executive director and curator at the MJMAG. "It's always really varied and diverse. We can try to categorize the pieces, so there's landscapes and portraiture, and animals within landscapes, and there's abstraction, and then we get to see sculpture, too, like Beth Crabb's beautiful woven basket pieces. And we're always interested to see what Jerry Kaiser will bring in, it's always very inventive.

"It's a very lovely exhibition, as usual, and it's nice to have student work as well. That's something the guild have done in the past, so it's nice to see a young artist up and coming. It's really quite amazing that we have such a long tradition with the guild, and we're happy to have their support and to support them."

Beth Crabb, the art guild's current president, said the opening reception is a treat, because there is no pre-show — the guild members are seeing each other's submissions for the first time, just like everyone else. This year, the guild also has two submissions from 17-year-old high student Mia Ye.

"I saw them all myself for the first time earlier today, because the show has just gone up," Crabb explained. "We always have such variety on how everyone interprets the theme. ... We always invite students that we give bursaries to to contribute, but they don't always get a piece prepared in time or that they want to submit. (Mia Ye's) paintings are gorgeous, I'm so impressed.

"For my submissions, we came back from Italy earlier this fall, and I had an idea to paint the view from St. Mark's Square. ... Then, I was stumped as far as a weaving. I do like to do two different mediums, because the weaving is something different and 3D and shows a different side of the guild. But I was all up in the air, until one morning, just, there it was, and then came the challenge of try to create it. ... I have incorporated beads before, but nothing like this, and it's just to communicate that exuberant opulence of Venice."

Guild member Pauline Zelinsky said the theme of 'Sparkle' reminded her of a photo she took of her daughter many years ago, inspiring her painting. The photo is set by a lake, with the sunlight sparkling on the water.

"I've had that photo for a long time. This is actually Little Quill Lake by Wynyard. That's my daughter, and I had picked her up from university that first year. I take photos first for my paintings. Some are of my kids, but most are Saskatchewan prairie scenes, like my other painting here with the snow."

For Karen Walpole, the theme put her in mind of her childhood, and spending summers on a lakefront beach in Nova Scotia. 

"My dad came from Nova Scotia, back in the early '50s," Walpole said. "And every summer, he took us home to visit my grandmother. And there was a lake right in front of her house, and we often walked along the beach there. So, this painting is of the three of us, me and my two sisters, and the waves are gently coming in, and of course I painted my dog Nora into the painting. And I was trying to imagine what it would be like today to have the three of us girls on that beach."

'Sparkle' will be on display in the MJMAG lobby (downstairs from the Public Library) until Jan. 14, 2024.

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