By Alexandra Noad – Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on August 29, 2024.
Herald photo by Alexandra NoadOutreach coordinator Bariyaa Ipaa shows participants what this week’s craft is at the Patio pARTy event on Wednesday at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.
The Southern Alberta Art Gallery hosts a variety of free events to bring the public into their space.
One of these events was their Patio pARTy they held every Wednesday this month on their front lawn.
Bariyaa Ipaa, outreach coordinator for SAAG, says the turnout for these events has been fantastic.
“The turnout has been great. We’ve had the same group with their support workers going through, and they’ve been stopping by every Wednesday to do a craft,” said Ipaa.
While this is the first time SAAG has hosted an arts and crafts event, they have hosted other events, especially in the summer.
Last year they hosted garden parties in Galt Gardens with live music.
While this event was smaller, it gave community members the opportunity to take a break in their everyday mundane routine.
“I think giving people the opportunity to engage in crafts in the middle of the day when they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to otherwise. It also gives them the opportunity to check out exhibitions at the gallery because during our craft events, exhibitions are free and so people are welcome into the building to check out the three exhibitions that we have,” said Ipaa.
Jeremy Franchuk, engagement manager for SAAG, says events like these give people a hands-on approach to art.
“Well, obviously we have our exhibitions that we offer every quarter and we feature artists from local, international, national, contemporary artists here, but we also like to offer opportunities for the public not just to come in and engage with those exhibitions, but also take a hands on approach to the arts through a lot of us, through making art or just having guided tours where you can get a little bit more information about both the exhibitions themselves and the artists and their practices,” said Franchuk.
Some of the art project people were able to take in this year were flower pressing, making fans and painting African clay beads.
Ipaa is from Nigeria, so he has been able to bring knowledge from his country into the art projects.
While summer may be wrapping up, SAAG has lots of events happening in the fall including a book binding class on Sept. 20 as well as Seniors tours every Tuesday.
The current exhibits “Civic Floor” by Sung Tieu, “Waste Land” by Alex Turgeon and” Soft Enough to Slip Through” are open until Sept. 28 and the next exhibit will open Oct. 12.
Franchuk says the art gallery gives people time for some introspection as they enjoy the exhibits.
“We try to have a, be a place where people can come and be inspired or challenged, but it’s also a place where people can come and spend a little time and engage in some reflection on the work they’re seeing and how it affects them and how it makes them feel. So, in that sense, I think an art gallery and art spaces offer that kind of third place for people that’s outside of their work and outside of their home. It’s a place of contemplation and it’s a place of engagement,” said Franchuk.
For a full list of events SAAG is hosting visit http://www.saag.ca
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