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April 25, 2013 - WDM Volunteers - We couldn't do it without them! (PDF)
The Western Development Museum has just released our statistics for the
volunteer hours that have been donated by our very dedicated volunteer core
in 2012. 60,727 hours of volunteer service were donated to the four WDM
locations in the province, Moose Jaw,
North Battleford, Saskatoon, Yorkton and the Curatorial Centre.
Volunteers are an integral work force that helps deliver programs to our visitors…everything from Vintage aircraft restoration, quilting, telegraphing, rope making, tour guides, and steam tractor operators to Xmas crafts. These dedicated folks bring the Museum to life with their energy, years of experience and stories.
Our volunteers range in age from 16 to 91 years of age, Hats off to their incredible commitment to the WDM, helping make us a living and vibrant Museum!
For further information contact:
Jan Olsen
Director of Marketing
(306) 934 - 1400
Find out more about volunteering with the WDM -->
April 16, 2013 - WDM Announces Fundraising Concert Featuring SCMA Award Winners Wyatt (PDF)
The Western Development Museum is proud to announce a concert by
Saskatoon-based country-rock band WYATT as they launch their second studio
album Should’a Been Here Last Night! featuring the single, “Jesse
James.” The music video for “Jesse James”
was filmed at the Saskatoon WDM.
This concert – the first in the WDM’s Front Porch Series – will be an
exciting fundraising event to be held on Friday, May 10, 2013 on Boomtown
Street at the Saskatoon WDM.
Funds will support the delivery of public programming events at all four WDM
locations at Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Saskatoon and Yorkton.
In addition to the live entertainment, the evening’s festivities will
include a short presentation about the WDM, a silent auction, door prize
draws, a concession and cash bar.
This will be the first chance to hear songs off WYATT’s upcoming album and
to pre-order a copy. Partial proceeds of album sales will be donated to the
WDM.
“We hope people can come out, support the Museum, and share in the fun with
this award-wining Saskatoon band,” said Joan Champ, Executive Director of
the WDM. “You won’t want people saying, ‘You shoulda been there last night!’
”
The Front Porch Series featuring WYATT
Friday, May 10, 2013
Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. – Concert: 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25 (plus service charges and taxes) in advance;
$30 at the door
www.picatic.com/wdm
Tickets now available!
For more information:
Joan Champ
Executive Director
Western Development Museum
Ph: 306-934-1400
jchamp@wdm.ca
Find out more about Wyatt at the WDM -->
April 11, 2013 - Western Development Museum and Mendel Art Gallery present Love Birds by Kim Adams (PDF)
MEDIA RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013
The Western Development Museum and the Mendel Art Gallery present Love
Birds,
an exhibition by contemporary Canadian artist Kim Adams
Saskatoon — The Western Development Museum and the Mendel Art Gallery are
delighted to
announce a collaborative exhibition, Kim Adams: Love Birds, opening to the
public Friday, April
12 at the Western Development Museum. The exhibition of the dynamic,
two-part
contemporary sculpture continues until September 2.
BMO Financial Group announced the gift of the sculpture to the Mendel Art
Gallery Monday, April 8, at a reception in Saskatoon celebrating the company’s annual
meeting in the city. The
gift represents a significant contribution to the Mendel’s collection of
contemporary art. The
artwork, valued at $175,000, increases the total value of the Mendel’s
permanent collection to
$35.7 million.
“We are thrilled with the donation of this important work,” said Angela
Larson, Acting Executive
Director & CEO of the Mendel Art Gallery. “Kim Adams is considered one of
Canada’s leading
contemporary sculptors, and this is the first of his works the Mendel has
had the opportunity to
acquire.
“We are very proud to partner with the Western Development Museum in this
exhibition,”
Larson said. “This is the first time our two institutions have collaborated,
and it’s such a fitting
installation for the WDM, given the materials Kim Adams uses in his work.”
“The Western Development Museum is truly excited about this partnership with
the Mendel Art
Gallery,” said Joan Champ, Executive Director of the Museum. “I think WDM
visitors will be
quite delighted by Kim Adams’ assemblage. It has a bit of a fun-house feel
and actually
juxtaposes quite well with WDM exhibits.”
“This is an opportunity to feature the work of an artist who considers later
19th- and early 20thcentury
technologies in his work,” said Lisa Baldissera, Chief Curator, Mendel Art
Gallery. “The
context of the WDM’s dioramic displays speaks to the social conditions of
objects, and
Adams’ work continues the conversation through a surprising reconfiguring of
materials.”
Love Birds playfully re-imagines everyday materials, like many of the items
that can be found in
the collection of the Western Development Museum. Adams uses farm machinery,
grain silos,
automobile parts, toys and model train parts to create fictional worlds and
imaginary
landscapes. His work examines the implications of technology, and the divide
between life and
art. He questions ideas of utility and mobility, and our relationship to our
environment,
domesticity, and the social world.
Adams was born in Edmonton in 1951. His highly original body of work in
sculpture and
installation has been exhibited throughout Canada and internationally since
the late 1970s.
The Western Development Museum and the Mendel Art Gallery are holding a
public reception
to celebrate the exhibition Friday, April 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission to
this event is free, but
regular admission to the museum applies through the duration of the
exhibition.
For further information, and high-res images of the Kim Adams sculpture,
contact:
Joan Champ
Executive Director
Western Development Museum
306-934-1400
Lisa Baldissera
Chief Curator
Mendel Art Gallery
306-975-8056
April 9, 2013 - Dinosaur Spotted at the WDM! (PDF)
DINOSAUR SPOTTED AT THE WDM!
Scotty is Saskatchewan’s one and only Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. Scotty
arrives at the
Moose Jaw Western Development Museum branch on April 12, at 1:30 p.m. and
will be
visiting for six months.
Scotty was found in the Frenchman River Valley, southeast of Eastend, in
1991.
Excavation work began in 1994 and was completed in 2003, under the direction
of the
Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina. Approximately 65% of this T.rex’s
skeleton
was recovered.
Step into Scotty’s world and see a full-sized replica of this dinosaur’s
skull. It’s of
average size---for a T.rex---1.33 meters (4.5 feet) long. Its mouth contains
50 teeth, the
largest 30 cm. (1 foot long). The teeth were designed for grabbing, stabbing
and crushing
prey. The T.rex was the largest meat eating dinosaur; it ate other animals.
Scotty had a
small brain, 17 cm (7 inches) long, but its olfactory bulbs and tract,
suitable for smelling,
Were 20 cm (8 inches long). The dinosaur would sniff out rotting carcasses
of other
animals from far away. For this reason it is thought that T.rex was more of
a scavenger
than a hunter. We do not know whether this was a male or female.
Scotty’s skull was found in many pieces scattered over the discovery site.
Each piece had
to be excavated and cleaned. The missing pieces were reconstructed.
Scotty is on loan to the WDM from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Please
attend the
opening:
Friday, April 12, 2013
Moose Jaw Western Development Museum
50 Diefenbaker Drive
1:30 p.m.
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For further information please call:
Kathy Fitton, Manager
Moose Jaw WDM
Ph: 306-693-5989
See the Scotty's Skull exhibit -->
March 19, 2013 - WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM TO REOPEN MONDAYS (PDF)
Effective April 1, 2013, the Western Development Museum’s (WDM) four exhibit locations in Moose Jaw, North bruary and March.
Last spring, the WDM announced that it would close Mondays in an effort to maintain a balanced budget. This cost-savings measure, along with several other initiatives, succeeded in addressing the Museum’s budget shortfall. As of the end of this fiscal year (March 31st), the WDM will have managed to absorb costs associated with inflation and eliminate its deficit.
“Because we’ve cut our expenditures, we’re no longer facing a deficit,” said Joan Champ, the Museum’s Executive Director. “Our organization will be in the black at the end of this fiscal year.”
The WDM recently conducted a thorough analysis of the impact that the Monday
closures had on its operations since last spring. The Museum concluded that,
while it saved money by closing Mondays,
it probably also missed out on revenue from admissions, gift shop sales and
food services. Museum management has no way of knowing whether or not
visitors who would have come on Mondays
came on another day of the week instead.
“We made the decision to reopen Mondays based on the best interests of both
the WDM and its visitors – especially school children,” said Champ. “The
balance between what the Museum saved by cutting its hours of operation and
what it potentially lost in revenue is close to 50/50. In the end, we
decided that maintaining a high standard of programming and services for our
visitors is most
important.”
In the coming fiscal year (2013-2014), the WDM will continue to address its
budgetary constraints through a variety of measures outlined in its new
business plan. These will include cost-saving
measures, as well as several new initiatives designed to increase the
Museum’s self-generated revenue.
“The Museum is grateful for the support that people continue to demonstrate
by coming through our doors,” Champ said. “Every admission counts towards
keeping the WDM vibrant and healthy.”
- 30 -
For further information:
Joan Champ, Executive Director
Ph: (306) 934-1400 or- 30 -
For further information:
Joan Champ, Executive Directoro
March 12, 2013 - Saskatoon WDM Recognized by National Magazine (PDF)
SASKATOON WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM
RECOGNIZED BY NATIONAL MAGAZINE
The Saskatoon Western Development Museum is the recipient of three 2013
Reader’s Choice Awards from RVwest Magazine. RVwest is a magazine dedicated
to those who
love the RV lifestyle and is primarily focused on Western Canada and the
United States.
RVwest reached over 800,000 people through the magazine, website and
eNewsletter.
The Saskatoon Western Development Museum has been awarded the highest honour,
the
Platinum Reader’s Choice Award in the following categories: Favorite
Saskatchewan
Attraction, Favorite Overall Saskatchewan RV Destination and Favorite
Saskatchewan
Historical Site. The Reader’s Choice winners have been chosen by the
readers,
representing RVers' favourite places, attractions and other RV-related
topics.
“These are fantastic awards to win and, coming from our visitors, a great
honour.” says
Jason B. Wall, Manager of the Saskatoon Branch. “Knowing we were voted for
these
awards by people who visited the museum is a wonderful feeling. It speaks
volumes
about the staff and volunteers who work very hard to ensure our visitors
have a
memorable experience.”
For information on RVwest, visit www.rvwest.com
For information on the Western Development Museum, please visit
www.wdm.ca
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For more information:
Jason B. Wall
Saskatoon Manager
Ph: (306) 931-1910
jwall@wdm.ca
Janet Olsen
Director of Marketing
jolsen@wdm.ca
Ph: (306) 934-1400 "An
insider's insight into Saskatchewan's best,"
by Kristen Mitchell, February 2013
"The series of Western Development museums in Saskatoon, North Battleford,
Moose Jaw and Yorkton are recommended for their memories of pioneer
days—each is located near an RV park."
February 6, 2013 - Heritage Day 2013 (PDF)
February 1, 2013 -
Are you what you eat? New EAT?
NEW FOOD FOR H Exhibition at the Saskatoon Western Development Museum
(PDF)
December 6, 2012 - Eaton’s Once Upon a Christmas Display 4, 2012 at the Saskatoon Western Development Museum (PDF)
December 4, 2012 - ns Exhibit (PDF)
November 15, 2012 - WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM SIGNS PARTNERSHIP WITH AGRICULTURE MORE THAN EVER (PDF)
October 22, 2012 - TWO VIEWS: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANSEL ADAMS AND LEONARD FRANK AT THE WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM - MOOSE JAW (PDF)
October 18, 2012 - “YOU ARE NOT ALONE” Book Launch at North Battleford WDM (PDF)
October 12, 2012 -"You Are Not Alone" Book Launch at Moose Jaw WDM (PDF)
2. An admission purchase will entitle the visitor to a 50% reduction for the same number and category of admissions to any one of the other three WDM branches. The offer is good for 30 days following the original admission.r discounted coupons.
