The Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery (MJMAG) plays an important role as Moose Jaw’s primary forum for making art, culture, and local history accessible, relevant, and inspiring for the community.
In addition to the art museum’s ongoing exhibits, several programs and art classes are also available.
March 2024
On Thursday nights from 7 – 8 p.m., CREATEabilities (sic) art classes will be held for individuals with learning differences. The program runs from March 7 – 28 and will be led by Mark Gilliand.
“Our teacher… likes to do different themes every week,” explained Christy Schweiger, the art gallery’s educational co-ordinator.
“For March, there might be something associated with St. Patrick’s Day, and of course… something for Easter.”
The first class typically starts with a clay creation and students learn about glazing and other sculpting techniques. All CREATEabilities classes cost $25 to attend and materials will be supplied by the instructor.
“Getting together and socializing is also a strong part of it. We have popcorn… and different kinds of things going on as well,” Schweiger said.
There will be a Ukrainian Easter egg decorating class titled “Pysanky,” Schweiger said, and participants will learn how to use beeswax to add different colours to their Easter egg creations.
The Pysanky class will run on Tuesday, March 19 from 4 – 6 p.m., and again for one date in April. The cost to attend each class is $25 per person.
April 2024
In April, a second CREATEabilities program will run for different age groups called “CREATEabilities 2.” This course will also run on Thursdays from April 4 – 25 and takes place from 7 – 8 p.m.
A second Pysanky Easter egg decorating class will take place Saturday, April 6, from 1 – 3 p.m.
“Hopefully we can encourage some of the newcomers to come and share their experiences with us,” Schweiger said.
On April 14 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., there will be a paper flower making workshop. The workshop will be led by Xeing Senephimmachack and costs $25 per person. All materials will be provided by the instructor, but guests are asked to supply their own wire cutters.
A couple introductory art classes are also planned with some room available for new participants.
The Beginner Watercolour Painting workshop will run from April 20 – 21. These two sessions will take place 1 – 5 p.m. and cost $95 per guest. The workshop will be led by Bhupinder Singh.
Introduction to Printmaking runs Saturday, April 27 – 28 from 1 – 4 p.m. Sessions are intended for teen and adult participants, and the workshop will be led by Sadi Rose Vaxvick with a cost of $85 per student.
May 2024
“We’ve had so much success in the Indigenous beading workshops that we’re going to add another one,” Schweiger announced. This upcoming class will include beading keychains using moose hide, is led by Jazenta Saultier, and will take place on May 4 from 1 – 5 p.m.
There will also be a fundamental drawing class for teens aged 12 and up. The class will run on Sundays between May 5 – 26 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Hop into Easter
“Hop into Art over Easter” is intended for children aged 6 – 11 years, and online pre-registration is required. The program runs from April 2 – 5 from 1:30 – 3 p.m. and is led by Sadi Rose Vaxvick.
“Each day is themed around an art material,” Schweiger explained. “For instance, Tuesday would be clay, and then Wednesday, Thursday, (and) Friday would be a different kind of material that the kids would be (working with).”
To register, visit the museum’s website and follow the same registration process as for other art classes.
MJMAG also offers several school programs for teachers, including a virtual tour where programs can be followed remotely and affordably. To learn more, visit mjmag.ca/schools.
To register for any of the classes, visit mjmag.ca and select “Art Classes” under the “Learning” tab. If you prefer to visit the art gallery in person, everyone is welcome to stop by to register.
“There is limited space, so I would highly recommend that people don’t doddle,” she said.
All classes will be held in the Kinsmen Learning Centre, located on the Heritage Gallery level of the MJMAG at 461 Langdon Crescent.
For more information, visit mjmag.ca.
