Children aged 6-10 can take a journey into the depths their imagination and creativity with the miniSAAG program at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.
“While the program, for kids age 6-10, officially began Sept. 7, it runs every Friday until Dec. 7 and drop ins are always welcome.

“The program allows children how to express themselves by creating an environment of freedom through abstract thinking,” summarized SAAG Public Engagement Co-ordinator Emily Promise Allison.

 She noted there are a a variety of colourful blocks, fabrics and accoutrements for the kids to create their own innovative environment to play in.
“I have three dimensional larger than life blocks and fabric of all kinds,“ she described.

“Every session involves a wide range of ways for them to engage with these objects. It is also dependent on the group dynamic,” she said, noting they must work with each other to create their own worlds and environments and costumes through the project.

 Mortar and Brick offers a new spaces for southern Alberta artists to display their work.
 They had a special pre-opening at their location ( at 20 316 7th street South), this week just in time for Arts Days with live music and a new exhibit “On Solid Ground.”

“It’s not specifically for Blackfoot artists but for  all contemporary  artists in the area,” said co-owner Cheryl Baxter.
“Though we have an exhibit coming up with a local curator  of Blackfoot artists,” she said, adding she has a lot of experience running an art gallery.
“I’ve been involved with Galleries for 30 years,” she said.
“I ran a  gallery in Canmore and Banff then my husband got a wonderful job halfway across the world. When I moved here I wanted to find an art community,”  she said, noting she joined up with partners Tim and Andrea Sandul, who have owned the Port Coworking space for the past two years, to incorporate a public workspace into Mortar and Brick.
“So we’ll also be holding events, weddings and corporate events here,” said Andrea Sandul.

Lethbridge artist Arianna Richardson has discovered a lot holding her Garbage Party over the past couple weeks.
 She has been spending a couple of hours each day, dressed in a shiny gold lamé jumpsuit from 2-4 p.m. picking up garbage in Galt Gardens (Sept. 15-21) and this week in Indian battle Park (Sept 22-28), chronicling the different types of garbage and putting it in a series of colourful garbage bins. She takes down the exhibit on Friday.

“ I’ve been asking people what they think think of  the city’s waste management systems and where they think it can be improved. I’ll probably give this data to the City. So far it’s been  an average of five out of 10,” she said.
“ It’s interesting collecting data when I have no idea how to do it. It’s just my hobby,” she said, adding that fits perfectly with her sobriquet of the Hobbyist.

“It’s been a great way to spend two hours a day,” she said adding it has been interesting what she has found.

“In Galt Gardens, I found 3,000 cigarette butts, which is gross. In Indian Battle Park, it’s mostly been the plastic wrappings from the straws in juice boxes. So it’s been interesting how garbage shows how people are using these spaces, though it might not be the ways I’d be compelled to use them,” she observed, adding she has also found  fake fingernails and empties and a few other objects she can't quite identify.