You’re invited to join Prairie Art Road Trip

A DAY TRIP TO WEST-CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN

By Joan Janzen

Local art enthusiasts are invited on a Prairie Art Road Trip on July 22 to visit four different venues. Cindy Hoppe hosts one of the locations, Cindy Hoppe Studio & Gallery, located just north of Biggar.

Cindy is a self-taught fibre artist who replaced her paintbrush with a sewing machine. She now integrates embroidery, knitting and sewing into wearable art and wall hangings.

This is the third year for the Prairie Art Road Trip. “We usually have early birds in the yard by 10:30 a.m.,” Cindy said. The four venues are within reasonable driving distance from each other in the RMs of Glenside, Eagle Creek and Perdue.

Photo: (Arelee Art FB page). This trio of buskers is located at Arelee Art, just outside of Saskatoon. It’s just one of four stops visitors will make on the Prairie Art Road Trip on July 22, 2023.

Photo: (Prairie Fire Alpacas FB page). Prairie Fire Alpacas is one of the venues included in the Prairie Art Road Trip on July 22, 2023, where you’ll get to feed the Alpacas and visit the gift shop.

Cindy and Prairie Fire Alpacas will offer their guests burgers and drinks throughout the day. Total driving time on the road trip is under an hour, from Cindy’s place at the west end to Prairie Fire Alpacas at the east end. Karen Pashovitz is the host at Prairie Fire, where you can feed the alpacas, purchase yarn and other products from her gift shop, and perhaps see a baby alpaca.

There are two more venue locations, which are in between visits to Cindy’s studio and the alpaca farm. Bailey Duecker’s Boondocks Flower Farm is a small-scale, seasonal flower farm, growing flowers in the field and an unheated greenhouse. She sells fresh and dried cut flowers and offers bouquets for customers who pre-pay a five-month flower subscription.

The host to Arelee Art is Ric Pollock, a metal sculptor who will welcome visitors into his gallery and sculptor park. Visitors are also welcome to camp in the unserviced park area. Ric’s impressive statues include three buskers.

“I built the guitar player so the banjo player could have a boyfriend,” Ric posted on Facebook. “Now I decided they needed a child.” So he constructed a violinist. He said the trio is currently playing at a local wedding but will be back for the road trip tour.

“There is no admission charge at the venues,” Cindy explained. “But we certainly accept donations to help with expenses and encourage people to make purchases.” Over the past couple of years, attendance has been around 150 visitors, although not all visitors register. People pick and choose which venues they check out.

Anyone interested in taking part in the road trip can get directions at prairieartroadtrip.wordpress.com