EASTEND — Creativity was on full display in the Valley of Hidden Secrets during Eastend’s fourth Art Walk on Sept. 13 and 14.
Friday the 13th lived up to its reputation with a cool, rainy day that kept many indoors although the popular Friday Night Market in Town Square continued as planned for its final appearance of the season. The sun shone brightly on the featured artists on Saturday and 10 featured stops welcomed visitors into an eclectic grouping of venues for an afternoon of engaging conversation and exposure to a multitude of art forms including clay, literature, painting, stained glass, woodworking, photography and a healthy dose of heritage.
Organizers, artist Trea Jensen and Town of Eastend employee Rosa Vázquez were pleased with the turnout of participants, both artists and visitors. Many locals along with people from British Columbia and Swift Current travelled to Eastend for the event and were treated to a display of the fine art that Eastend artists have long been renowned for.
Eastend Historical Museum added a heritage element to the tour and will remain open 7 days a week from 10 am - 5 pm until October 15. New employee, and visual artist, Jake Helsel welcomed visitors to view the many exhibits contained in the main museum building, along with the outdoor building exhibits.
One venue was not necessarily accessible by walking; a short 4 km drive north on the 614 grid takes you to Common Sparrow Studio where visual artist Dean Bauche opened his studio, home and adjacent Airbnb to visitors to view the plethora of visual art he has created alongside works by other Saskatchewan artists.
One of the stops, the Eastend Activity Centre, hosted several artists along with providing information on upcoming events at the Activity Centre. A group of residents is working toward expanding the use of the centre for art and community events. The former schoolhouse, built in 1915, offers ample space. Minor upgrades are already underway that aspire to transform the underutilized community building into a vibrant venue. Residents of older generations probably attended school in the building at some point, and often express their nostalgia for the building upon entering. Upcoming fundraisers and planning will be ongoing and include a concert by Richard Inman on Sept. 21. Inman performed at the Eastend Friday Market just before the Big Flat Folkfest hosted by Eastend Arts Council July 13-14.
Additional stops on the walking tour included: The Blue Dog Studio, where owner/artist Melanie Graven invited visitors to explore their creativity with a free print-making activity; the Stegner House where current artist-in-residence Ellen Andreassen greeted visitors; and, Studio KOHL featuring art cards and more by Diane Kohl.
The art walk was bookended by two literary stops: Eastend Library and Antelope Books and Rare Maps. At Antelope Books and Rare Maps, Geography Professor Will Wilson has compiled a well-organized collection of books for sale and for use in research, along with an impressive collection of rare maps. Local teachers can receive a 10 per cent discount at the store.
At Moonsdottir Studio, artist and art walk co-organizer Trea Jensen welcomed visitors into her studio and teaching space which also includes a Reiki clinic. The Art Walk came just ahead of the national Culture Days celebration which will be held Sept. 20 to Oct. 13.
"We put our plans together in a very short timeframe so were unable to get our event promoted through the various Culture Days channels," explained Jensen. "But it was important to us to host our event earlier in September as we’ve encountered early snow and bad weather in previous years when hosting the event the last weekend of September."
"Eastend is known as an Artist community," said Vázquez. "The Town is happy to partner with local artists to promote the Art Walks on social media and online calendars like Tourism Saskatchewan and Swift Current Online. One important part of the art walk is that artists who don’t have a gallery/studio can feature their art at different venues like the Eastend Activity Centre, Eastend Library or the historical museum. We usually have artists from Eastend and surrounding area, and this year we also had artists from Shaunavon (James Horne and Ann-Lise Norman) showcasing their art at the activity centre along with Duane Bristow, Stephanie Waymen and Brad Clark."
Jensen was pleased with the attendance and looks forward to continued partnership with the Town of Eastend to ensure these art walks can continue in years to come.
"Art walks are like magic," smiled Jensen. "Artists bring the community together; connecting the dots, creating beautiful energy."
The 10 stops on the art walk map could be considered a connect-the-dots formation that, when joined together, offered up an overall picture of the vibrant artistic and cultural community in Eastend that continues to make its mark, not only on that map but throughout Saskatchewan and beyond.
