News Release Canada 150 Community Mosaic Sculpture

      Media Release                                  

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April 28, 2017

Canada 150 Community Mosaic Sculpture

MOOSE JAW – The City of Moose Jaw and Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery are pleased to announce the Canada 150 Community Mosaic Sculpture. This public art installation will be located in Crescent Park at the Langdon Crescent entrance. A celebration of the sculpture will be held in Crescent Park at 11:00 am on July 1, 2017. The final unveiling will occur during Culture Days, September 29 to October 1, 2017.

The Canada 150 Community Mosaic Sculpture is technically similar to a project with Wakamow Valley Authority where artist Grant McLaughlin created Terra the Turtle.  Similar to the Terra the Turtle project, Grant McLaughlin will be the artist to create the cement structure for the Canada 150 Community Mosaic Sculpture and the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery will facilitate creation and decoration of the tiles. In addition to the sculpture itself, the surrounding area will be landscaped with a combination of native and horticultural species. The planting will be designed to celebrate our national pride — past, present and future.

Grant McLaughlin is a painter and sculptor living in Moose Jaw.  Having received degrees in fine art and education he has been a high school and adult art educator, and the creator of artworks that range from small size to large monuments and murals. His subject matter expresses his love of the prairies, our heritage, and the accomplishments of Canadians.

Christy Schweiger has worked on numerous community projects like this over the last 15 years working as part of the Education Department of the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery. She has been part of a group of Moose Jaw residents who envision leaving legacy projects behind important events to our community, province, and country.

The tiles will be hand cut and fired with participants from the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery. Through the school programs and special events, people will have a chance to speak about Canada by glazing a tile. Once the tile has been fired a second time, they will be mounted on the sculpture and become part of a permanent structure in the park for future generations to admire.

There will be several opportunities for members of the public to decorate a tile for the sculpture. Open Studio Drop in Sessions will be held in the Hands-on Room at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays from May 9 to June 20, 2017. There will also be a session on July 1 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm to coincide with ParkArt. For more information about tile decoration or to arrange a tile decoration session for a group, contact Christy at 306-692-4471 or email educator.mjmag@sasktel.net.

This initiative is made possible by the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between The South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Cette initiative est rendue possible grâce au Fonds communautaire pour le 150e anniversaire du Canada, qui est une collaboration entre South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, les fondations communautaires canadiennes, le gouvernement du Canada et des leaders extraordinaires de l’Atlantique au Pacifique à l’Arctique. Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.

Media Contact

Sarah Wist Regent, Parks Gardener

City of Moose Jaw

PHONE #306-694-4439

E-mail: sregent@moosejaw.ca