MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery (MJMAG) is currently showcasing a trio of powerful exhibits, each exploring a different facet of identity, community, and what it means to be Canadian.
From bold expressions of pride to thoughtful reflections on Indigenous traditions and national identity, there’s something for everyone to experience this month.
Celebrating diversity through PRIDE
The museum’s annual PRIDE exhibit is now on display in partnership with Moose Jaw Pride, featuring work by 2SLGBTQIA+ artists from across Saskatchewan. The show, which runs until June 26, was curated from a province-wide call for submissions.
“We put out a call to artists basically from the LGBTQ community, and so everything that's exhibited is what was submitted,” said Jennifer McRorie, museum director and curator. “What's new this year is it's not just Moose Jaw artists. We do have an artist from Regina and one from Swift Current as well, so it has a bit more of a provincial reach, which is great.”
Among the featured artists is Ell Joy Bird, whose expressive, layered pieces explore themes of identity and justice using colour, movement, and free writing. Their work sits at the intersection of grief and joy, blending paint and unconventional materials to create emotionally resonant images.
True North: A mosaic of Canadian perspectives
The gallery’s largest current installation, True North, draws from the MJMAG permanent collection and is designed to reflect Canada’s cultural and historical complexity. The show includes over 60 works from 40 artists and spans three spaces: the Norma Lang Gallery, the museum lobby, and the Moose Jaw Public Library.
“I felt like it's a timely exhibition with the geopolitical situation we're in right now with the United States and tariffs, and people starting to think about … Canadian sovereignty,” McRorie said.
The show blends contemporary and historic works to explore Indigenous traditions, immigration, colonial legacies, and environmental change. Visitors can expect to see everything from Inuit printmaking and Indigenous beadwork to painting, pottery, and immersive installations — including a walk-in Chinese temple featuring a video component.
Featured artists include Joe Fafard, known for his life-sized bronze sculptures of prairie animals and people, and Dorothy Knowles, one of the country’s foremost landscape painters. Also featured are Joyce Wieland, a pioneer of feminist art in Canada, and Germaine Arnaktauyok, an acclaimed Inuit artist whose printmaking captures Inuit mythology and culture.
“There’s lots of diversity,” McRorie added. “There are immigrant stories … from Ukraine, China, Romania, various places like that. So it’s a really varied exhibit, and I think there’s something there for everyone.”
The exhibit also includes a special loan from the Regina Public Library collection — O Canada by acclaimed Saskatchewan artist Victor Cicansky, whose playful ceramic sculptures celebrate prairie life and memory.
Indigenous history and cultural renewal
Timed with National Indigenous Peoples Day, MJMAG is also relaunching a redesigned display focused on Indigenous history. The museum’s residential school memorial has received a visual refresh, and a new teepee has been installed as part of the Indigenous winter camp diorama.
“We had a Cree Elder and her son come on Tuesday (June 17), and they helped us put it up in the Cree way,” McRorie said, adding that the teepee will be reinstalled every few years to reflect the traditions of different Indigenous nations.
The reinstallation opened to the public on June 21 without a formal reception, and the new displays will remain available for viewing at the museum. Admission to all exhibits is free of charge.
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 .
