The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) has expanded its fall programming with a new Indigenous curator leading nature walks and updates to the Heritage Gallery, alongside growing community interest in figure drawing classes.
Education co-ordinator Christy Schweiger said the museum has brought in Sadi-Rose Vaxvick as Indigenous curator-in-residence to update the Indigenous section of the gallery and engage with the community through specialized programming.
Starting October 6, Vaxvick will lead nature walks with school groups through October 17 in partnership with Wakamow Valley Authority, with a public walk scheduled for October 10.
“She’s going to be doing walks, identifying plants in the area and looking at the Treaty Four land,” Schweiger said. “After that on the 10th, we are going to help Wakamow plant trees in some of the areas that have been devastated by some of the diseases.”
The October 10 event falls on a school holiday, providing families the opportunity to participate in both the nature walk and tree planting activities.
School programming will tie into the new Jody Greenman-Barber ceramic exhibition, with gesture drawing sessions in October, composition studies in November, and Christmas clay projects in December. The December program is nearly full already.
In January, Vaxvick will lead programming focused on the beadwork of Indigenous groups in the region, with bookings already underway.
The museum has seen significant interest in figure drawing, prompting two separate offerings to accommodate different skill levels.
Charles Buchanan will teach a four-week draped model drawing course, starting from skeletal anatomy and progressing through muscle attachment and how clothing drapes on figures in various positions.
“We’ve got a lot of interest in drawing and learning how to draw from the model,” Schweiger explained. “We have two different options — we have a draped, or clothed model. That’s a four-week program. Then we have an undraped model drawing class for people that are seasoned and know how to draw the figure.
“This undraped class is open to people that have done model drawing before and are looking to keep their skills.”
Additional fall classes include beading, poppy beading, and macramé workshops.
School groups interested in programming can contact the MJMAG through their website at mjmag.ca under the learning tab, or reach out directly to discuss custom programming options.
The museum continues its community engagement through both school programs and public classes, with Schweiger noting “there’s lots and lots going on” this fall season.
