Well, the ceramic tile mosaic of the Wolf Clan Mother is installed on Muskoday First Nation. But, it never would have happened without the help and endurance of Jay Kimball and Shannon Smith. Shannon spent two days inserting all the necessary tiny tile pieces into the spots that were missing tile–a job coveted by very few. […]
Typically, when I facilitate a workshop there is some structure. There is an example of what we are going to make. There are pre made parts. There are steps to the process that I go through (one by one)…. There is an end goal. But, this time, at the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Mixed Media Sculpture Workshop, which […]
Another group that is using knitting as a means of participating in Culture Days is a collective in North Battleford. There are several ‘Knitting Circles’ scheduled during the month of September in various public locations around the city. One such locale is the Co-Op Mall. A group of 13 knitters gathered on September 4th for a […]
I stopped in to see how the Waldheim Yarnbombers are doing, and things are progressing. Some of the students continued to knit during the summer and are ready to start stitching their pieces to the trees at the front of the school. Other students were newcomers. They came to our gathering for the first time […]
The Care Home in Paradise Hill invited me to facilitate an activity that would involve the Residents as well as a family member (preferably a Grandchild, since Grandparents Day is just around the corner). I suggested we do a collage using various mediums as well as at least one family photo. Not only did the […]
On August 23 I facilitated a Kids Craft for St. Walburg’s Blueberry Festival. I had prepared the ingredients for a blue fabric mosaic and set up as a drop-in activity at the four corner stop on Main Street. There’s something about these community based art activities that reminds me of Confucian sayings about society and self-governance or the Taoist concept […]
My second visit to Rockglen took place in the Library. A group of us met Wednesday morning and made Origami Boats in preparation for our ‘Lighted Launch,’ which will take place on Wednesday September 24th. Like before, I gave a demonstration on how to make an Origami boat and played a short video that reinforced this […]
I spent August 12 in Shaunavon at the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre. Each year they host two different Kids’ Art Camp, and this year they asked that I come and facilitate a workshop for one of the days. The roster was full with fun activities: visiting a local pottery studio, making Celtic walking sticks, […]
Most of my Culture Days Activities (and therefore these posts) focus on the bright side of our society. They focus on the fun, creative, celebratory nature of Saskatchewan. While I enjoy the positivity of these endeavours and those aspects our Culture, I also feel that if we’re going to put forth a call to engage in […]
The ways in which Art creates community, and the symbiotic nature of Art and Culture, never ceases to amaze me. … When I first spoke with the group at Muskoday’s Culture Camp I told them about Marvin’s, the Camp Director’s, request that we depict one of their Clan Mothers: the Wolf. So as to create discussion […]