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Artisan Open House June 5 & June 6
This is an annual event in Empress - a tiny hamlet that straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border north of Medicine Hat. The village settles into the hills between the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers. It's real cowboy country...cactus, coyotes, even a few longhorns...but in our case you get to meet some artists, too. The event began more than a decade ago when Dean Francis of Sagebrush Studios sent invitations to family, friends and potential customers suggesting they make the drive to see what he'd been up to since they saw him last. Nowadays my gallery, That's Empressive, is open too...actually I'm open seven days a week year round but make a special effort to have new items on hand for that weekend. You can always find paintings and prints, pottery, jewelry, photography, and truly unique giftware. When you visit this year, ask for a glass of bubble tea or tall glass of homemade lemonade. For awhile Aaron Steinley opened a shop to showcase his handcrafted furniture but this year he's put his farming hat back on his head and closed down the store. But don't worry...he's still in business...he's moved his chairs and tables to one of the Sagebrush galleries and you can see him there. But on this special weekend there's more on offer... The Garden Hideaway and Panorama Photography...plus a couple of other artists who will be showing their wares at my shop on that weekend. Here's what's open... studio maps will be available when you get to town. If you're coming a long distance, plan on staying at the Forksview Apartment Motel or at the campground. The restaurant at the Empress Motor Inn serves good food. That's Empressive!
Gallery of Canadian Crafts Because of it's remote location, That's Empressive! built a small restaurant into the gallery and is open seven days a week from 6 in the morning 'til 9 at night....all year long! We serve soup and sandwiches any day of the week and have a Sunday Brunch from 10am - 2 pm from May until the end of October. Sagebrush StudiosHome of Painter Dean Francis and Potter Fran Francis
Over the years Dean and Fran have moved three churches onto their acreage and have spent thousands of dollars and thousands of hours restoring and refurbishing them to house their art and making it available to the public from May to the middle of September....except for a brief period in July when you can find them at the Calgary Stampede. The first building they renovated was the Mantario Gallery, formerly the United Church in Mantario, Saskatchewan. It was built in 1950 and moved to it's present location fifty years later. The restoration work took more than a year and it was opened as a seasonal gallery in June, 2001. That's it up above.
The third bulding, the Mendham Gallery (on the left), was formerly St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Mendham, Saskatchewan . Built in 1916 it served it's congregation well, until the nature of farming changed and villagers had to move to larger population centres to find work. Although the building was moved in March 2005, at the same time as the Pinkham United Church, it took many more years of loving restoration work before it opened as a seasonal gallery in May 2009. Even the choir loft is open and is hung with Dean's paintings.
They've xeriscaped their yard by transplanting hundreds (thousands?) of prairie plants from other parts of their land. Sagebrush, buffalo berries, prairie grasses and drought tolerant trees now grow in ribbons around and about the new galleries. If that wasn't enough they've incorporated water features that have been edged with tons and tons of rock that has been hauled from who knows where and laid in place with gresat care and attention to size, texture and colour.
Garden Hideaway
This is one of our 'temporary' artisan studios Saturday from 9am - 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am - 6 pm Once a year our local quilter, Bev Farnden, cleans out her garden shed/greenhouse and puts her quilts up for sale and at the same time invites her family to participate in our annual Artisan Open House. Daughter Laura O'Conner displays her photographs, Bev's sister markets her handbuilt lampworked beads and her brother-in-law shows off his stained glass ornaments. You'll see the studio on your right if you enter town along Main Street...but don't worry...the Garden Hideaway is on the map which is available at any of our venues.
Panorama PhotographyOur second 'temporary' artist will only be available Saturday June 5th 9am - 6 pm 
Forty years ago George McWilliams made panoramic photos with a second hand Russian camera that mechanically assembled an image as it click, click, clicked its way from one end of the 180 degree view to the other. Marriage and seven children necessitated a long hiatus but he says, "When several factors converged - the evolution of digital camera technology, the development of ink jet printers that could output a product that won't fade in 100 years, and the creation of software that creates seamless panoramas with superb resolution...and the kids grew up...I sprang into existence." In preparation for impending retirement the McWilliams bought a house in Empress and have embraced the concept that "Empress has Artisans". They've set up a gallery in the living room of their Centre Street home and will be open on Saturday from 10am to 6 pm. Evensong
If you're still in town on Sunday evening...any Sunday evening, for that matter...make a point of heading to what was once the Empress Catholic Church. Nowadays the building is owned by a retired aeonautical engineer who just happens to play the banjo and is a bluegrass fanatic. A few years ago Trevor Rogers purchased the building and decided that since he owned a church maybe should have a service. So every Sunday evening...all year long... he oversees a brief service 'upstairs' and then everybody heads downstairs for the Bluegrass and Gospel "jam" session". Bring an instrument...or not..and enjoy a couple of hours of song and companionship. Guaranteed you won't be a stranger for long...and because Empress is a small village, you'll get fed as well. |
Sagebrush Studios is a destination in itself. Painter Dean Francis is inspired by the rolling landscape that stretches out from his studio as far as the eye can see. His wife Fran builds non-functional pottery inspired by the colours of the earth or the texture of stones and fossils she finds in the hills that frame the South Saskatchewan River.
The second building to open was the Pinkham Studio. It was formerly the United Church and Town Hall in Pinkham, Saskatchewan. It and the former St. Anthony's Catholic Church from Mendham were moved onto the Sagebrush property in 2005 after much ado coordinating schedules with the mover. The Pinkham church was restored and opened as a working artist's studio in May 2006.
The couple doesn't know when to stop.