MOOSE JAW — The Moostletoe Artists Spotlight is almost here and residents can soon meet eight local artists, learn about their creative processes, watch live demonstrations, and maybe return home with an early Christmas present or two.
Moostletoe will take place at the artisaNGrounds studio and the nearby Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Beth Crabb is one of those artists and will be attending her third Moostletoe experience.
“I’ll have a variety of works there,” she announced. “I try and find something for everyone’s price point, from Christmas ornaments up to larger abstract wall weavings. There’ll be baskets of all different shapes, sizes, and colours.”
Moostletoe is a yearly tradition in Moose Jaw’s artistic community and includes artwork ranging from paintings to pottery, jewelry, and photography.
Crabb is well known for her basket weaving but she’s also an experienced watercolour painter with over a decade of experience. Her artistic journey began in 1991 while attending a week-long program in Crete, Nebraska.
“I went down there and learned (about)… weaving baskets, and (then I) just started ordering supplies and books,” she recalled. “I’ve done most of my learning on my own, other than that week at the beginning.”
Back in Moose Jaw, Crabb attended a few courses by a willow weaver named Dennis Tkachuk. Sadly, Tkachuk has since died but his legacy lives on through his students.
“He was quite lovely. In fact, … he stayed with us so it was a chance to get to know him a bit better,” she said. “He actually contacted some First Nations people and learned how to weave from them. He then went around harvesting willow by hand and teaching workshops all over the province. He was quite the fellow.”
There are two primary materials used for basket weaving. Whereas Tkachuk worked with willow — which is typically hand harvested, steamed, and worked piece by piece by hand into long fibres involving a physical process — Crabb prefers rattan. Working with rattan is far less physical and requires soaking to soften the fibres.
Rattan grows as a tropical climbing palm in southeast Asia. When the raw material arrives it’s already machined into reeds of standardized widths and thicknesses. They also come in one colour — tan.
A combination of experience in basket weaving, watercolours, and pottery has given Crabb a unique perspective. “Sometimes I’ll add some seashells or maybe antique buttons… whatever kind of adds to the composition,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll find a piece of wood, like from a beaver’s dam once they’ve gnawed all the bark off it. If I love the shape of it, and it’s just right for a basket, then I’ll utilize that too.”
Her creations are ripe with symbolism and incorporating outside elements only adds to this depth of meaning. One of these works is called “Connections.”
“Many of the hoops and swirls that I created in it intersect with each other. I was thinking more about all the connections between all of us when I did that one.”
Crabb plans to deliver a live demonstration of her weaving technique at Moostletoe and she’s excited to spend the day with other artists and meet curious guests. “It’s always fun to get to know whoever is interested in what you’re doing,” she said.
Crabb is the owner of Beth’s Handmade Basketry and can be reached at [email protected].
The artisaNGrounds studio is located at 262 Athabasca Street East and the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery is located at 461 Langdon Crescent.
