MJMAG touring Joe Fafard’s studio for Peggy
For those who have visited the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery in the last few years, you must remember being greeted by the towering sculpture of a dapple grey filly with soft eyes.
That 7-foot sculpture is affectionately known as Peggy, and she is one of seven casts done by the late Joe Fafard at his studio in Pense, SK.
Peggy has called the MJMAG home since 2016, and the art gallery is currently hoping to make her a piece in their permanent collection with the support of the public. The MJMAG feels that having Peggy as a permanent installation outside the doors of the gallery in Crescent Park is a fitting addition to not only the beauty of the city of Moose Jaw, but to the continued engagement with the work of an icon in the Saskatchewan art scene.
The MJMAG is welcoming any donations towards the purchase of Peggy and has organized a guided tour of Fafard’s foundry in Pense on Sept. 21, as a fundraiser for Peggy’s acquisition.
The tour will begin in Regina, with buses leaving from the site of Art Now at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to Fafard’s studio in Pense.
Guests will then be taken through the steps of the bronze sculptural process, witnessing exactly what goes into the creation of one of Fafard’s incredible pieces. MJMAG’s director Jennifer McRorie is looking forward to the studio tour, as it gives some insight into how Peggy was made and also how Fafard created his iconic bronze sculptures.
“It’s really fascinating, and it’s so amazing to see the space that Joe Fafard built back in the early 80s,” said McRorie. “Apparently, they are working on a Peggy right now, so I’m hoping they are still working on her when we go through so they can see a Peggy in process.”
The tour is expected to take approximately an hour and a half, and the bus will return the group back to Regina afterwards.
Tickets are $100 per person and are still available until Sept. 16 through the MJMAG or at Regina’s Slade Art Gallery. Inquiries about the tour can be directed to the MJMAG at 1 (306) 692- 4471.