Scott Hayes | [email protected]
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
"I'm not a cowboy but my brother is, but I've been immersed in cowboy culture," said singer/songwriter Ray Elliott, coming off of singing about the big sky behind him.聽
That was how Jasper's Cowboy Culture celebration kicked off on Saturday evening at the Cultural Centre. It was a proper tribute to the Jasper Heritage Rodeo that hung up its saddle for good after a near-century run.聽
When it folded in 2022, it donated all of its remaining funds to other non-profits in the community, Habitat for the Arts being one of them.聽
As Alberta Culture Days approached, Habitat director Marianne Garrah knew that there was only one theme to pursue for two complementary events.
"When Culture Days appeared on our radar we decided to honour a culture synonymous with Alberta: Cowboy Culture," she wrote to the 51暗网.
Elliott was joined on the Cultural Centre's musical and spoken word stage by crooners, poets and storytellers Matricia Bauer, Travis Moorhouse, Brian Lackey and Art Laurenson.
The Saturday evening event also featured a sourdough bread contest with co-winners Lynn Wannop of Coco's Cafe and Heather Wall voted in by attendees.
The venue also hosted a cowboy-themed exhibit of art and artifacts upstairs to accompany the tribute at Habitat for the Arts. Artists from Athabasca, Okotoks, Redwater and Edmonton joined their counterparts from Jasper to offer paintings, sculpture, and crafts created out of repurposed lariats. That show will be on display until Sept. 30.
Habitat also screened two short documentaries from People and Peaks production company out of Grande Cache.
Habitat for the Arts isn't the only place at the Culture Centre to see a new art exhibit. The Jasper Art Gallery hosted an opening for its newest show on Friday evening. The Art of Jasper features Sylvie Pinard's Rock Stars series.
The event itself also served as a celebration of many of Jasper's other artistic pursuits.
While singer Marie Flipo-Bergeron was downstairs singing and strumming her guitar, Downstream Chef Eric Boden offered 'the art of food' for attendees to appreciate.
A variety of other local restaurants offered some of their own signature dishes for the People's Choice Awards while Estelle Blanchette of Jasper Food Tours provided an introductory wine education.聽
In addition to offering her drum and song to help kick off the evening, Matricia Bauer was on hand to provide drinks featuring her W卯sakipakos Indigenous Bitters.
To top it all off, Joost Tjissen and Pieter van Loon of Jasper Theatre Productions offered some light and lively entertainment.聽
In his introductory remarks to the crowd, Jasper Artists' Guild president Russ Mann talked about how his childhood in Jasper was formative to his own artistic development.
"I grew up on the banks of the Maligne River. My father was a fisheries biologist. So, what that means is that I had an opportunity to really enjoy the natural beauty of this wonderful place. We got to understand the animals that are there, and birds. That probably influenced me in part to become a bird carver."
Pinard's show runs until Saturday.
