MOOSE JAW — Changes are underway as the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) transitions from its previous rotating exhibit, Leesa Streifler’s “The Performance of Being,” — which closed on Dec. 9 to continue on to the University of Calgary’s Nickle Galleries — to a new display from Saskatchewan and Mexico-based artist Gabriela Garcia-Luna titled “Land-Water-Passages.”
Garcia-Luna’s exhibit will open on Friday, Feb. 7, and will remain on display alongside “Storied Telling: Performativity & Narrative in Photography,” until Sunday, May 4.
Due to Garcia-Luna being out of the country when the display opens, the reception and artist’s talk for both displays will be delayed until Friday, April 4, starting at 7 p.m.
“Land-Water-Passages” offers a captivating exploration of nature through digitally reworked photographic prints, explained Jennifer McRorie, the museum’s director and curator. In her work, Garcia-Luna transforms her photographs into intricate digital collages, blending details from across multiple images to create works that resemble watercolour paintings.
The display will feature a combination of framed prints and large-scale installations suspended from the ceiling to create an immersive gallery experience. Visitors can expect to be drawn into the fine details of her work, which is meant to evoke a sense of mark-making while celebrating the beauty of natural elements.
“I think it’ll be a really immersive experience,” McRorie added, noting that the artist’s message also touches on themes of sustainability and environmental care.
“She actually draws from Saskatchewan, but also from places like Mexico — where she’s from as well — and ends up blending these digital collages… the details that she pulls out (end up) looking like mark-making and… they’re really lovely,” McRorie said.
Garcia-Luna’s display will be set up as an installation piece, meaning the installation process will be a little more involved than is typically expected.
“The artist will have to come and help install the work, because she has to get a sense of the space, and then decide how the display is going to work with the (available) space, how we will suspend it, and that sort of thing,” McRorie explained.
When it comes to selecting the art gallery’s next piece, McRorie considers a diverse range of artistic works and prioritizes local, as well as provincial and national artists — with the occasional international contribution. This approach reflects the gallery’s focus and highlights local talent.
To achieve this, curators balance a wide variety of visual art forms — far beyond canvas paintings alone — to include a wide spectrum of disciplines. McRorie also emphasizes inclusivity by featuring works by Indigenous, LGBTQ, and other artists to foster wider representation in the arts.
At the back of the gallery, another photography exhibition titled “Storied Telling” will take place concurrently and includes the work of six artists: Catherine Blackburn, Lori Blondeau, Xiao Han, Mariam Magsi, Meryl McMaster, and Laura St. Pierre.
After its debut in Moose Jaw, “Storied Telling” will continue its journey across the province with the support of the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC).
The MJMAG is also excited to usher in the new year with a variety of new art programs, classes, and workshops designed to engage the community in diverse artistic media with the skilled guidance of education co-ordinator Christy Schweiger. For more information, visit MJMAG.ca.
“We wish a Happy New Year to Moose Jaw’s residents and we hope to see people taking part in the new exhibits,” McRorie said on behalf of the gallery.
The Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery is located at 461 Langdon Crescent and can be reached at 306-692-4471. For more information, visit MJMAG.ca or follow ‘Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery’ on Facebook.
