Concerts, recorder lessons, free musical improvisation for all, and making your own musical rainsticks are on the program in Val Marie and Grasslands National Park August 29 to September 8, when Prairie Wind & Silver Sage’s artist residency program continues with Saskatoon-based musicians Melissa Goodchild and Kevin Grady. Melissa Goodchild, clarinet, and Kevin Grady, percussion, individually both perform with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and together they are Duo Carmine Jewel,  named after a dwarf sour cherry developed by the University of Saskatchewan.

As part of their residency, these musicians offer two concerts over the September long weekend.

The first, on Friday September 2 at 7:00 p.m., is at the Coulee Centre, Frenchman Valley Campground, Grasslands National Park.The second, on Saturday September 3 at 7:30 p.m., is a house concert at Don’s Place on Highway 4 just north of Val Marie. Don’s Place is a courtyard of blue-roofed buildings offering vacation rentals for visitors to the area, and on this occasion it is also a concert venue. Audience members are invited to bring lawn chairs if possible as some seating may be deck-side. The concert programs will vary and may include abstract explorations of nature, modern compositional techniques and the music of France.Both concerts are free and donations to the work of Prairie Wind & Silver Sage are welcomed during the Don’s Place concert.

More information on all events is here.

Melissa Goodchild and Kevin Grady are also providing many opportunities for you to make your own music during their stay in the area.

On Tuesday, August 30 at 4:00 p.m., you can join a group recorder lesson at the Val Marie Village Square.

On Wednesday, August 31 at 4:00 p.m. at the Coulee Centre, Frenchman River Valley Campground, Grasslands National Park, or on Tuesday September 6 at 3:00 p.m. at Prairie Wind & Silver Sage in Val Marie, free musical improvisation sessions offer creative sound for everyone.

On Thursday September 1 at the Coulee Centre, or on Sunday September 4 at Prairie Wind & Silver Sage in Val Marie, you can make your own musical rainstick. Both these events are at 3:00 p.m.

All programs are suitable for all ages and instruments are provided.

For a printable poster click here.

Prairie Wind & Silver Sage is Val Marie’s award-winning ecomuseum. Its artist residency program, now in its third year, annually hosts four or five artists in all disciplines. While they are in residence, the artists spend 50{8966a670093f83c9464b8ae52b3ce656760b4fe5b607ea593a95702f606c23fa} of their time on their own work and 50{8966a670093f83c9464b8ae52b3ce656760b4fe5b607ea593a95702f606c23fa} on projects in the community. The PWSS artist residency program is cosponsored with Grasslands National Park and funded by the Saskatchewan Arts Board and SaskCulture/Saskatchewan Lotteries.

There is one more PWSS artist residency planned in 2016 with photographer Valerie Zink of Saskatoon, and registration is now being accepted for a photography workshop that she will lead. Valerie Zink will be in residence from September 19-26 and her workshop will take place Saturday September 24 from 1-5 p.m. The workshop will explore the streets, surfaces, and history of Val Marie while challenging participants to capture a sense of place. It is open to participants of all levels of experience and all different types of digital cameras including camera phones. The fee is $20 and all proceeds go to the work of Prairie Wind & Silver Sage. More information is available at www.pwss.org/artist-residency-2016 or by phoning 306-298-7782.

A Poetry Machine for Kids is coming to the Val Marie village square (corner of Centre Street and 1st Avenue North) on Tuesday, August 9 at 10:30! Hosted by Prairie Wind & Silver Sage writer in residence Bren Simmers, the event is ideal for ages 7 to 16 and features Mad Lib, Five-Senses poems, and Poem Scrambles. There is no charge and no registration is required.

Three days later, Bren hosts a Words and Music Open Mic at the Val Marie Hotel for grownups. Five minute readings or share a couple of tunes – your own or someone else’s – or be there to cheer and enjoy this celebration.  Starting at 8:00 p.m. and open to all open forms of musicianship and spoken word, the event is free of charge, though donations to the work of Prairie Wind & Silver Sage are greatly appreciated.

You can also enjoy Unexpected Poetry Encounters from August 8 to 16, with erasure poems and poetry machine for all, throughout Bren’s artist residency. Encounters will take place in Grasslands National Park and at Prairie Wind & Silver Sage and everyone is welcome. No registration or fees are required.

Bren Simmers is the second PWSS resident artist of this summer. She is the winner of the Arc Poem of the Year Award, finalist for the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award and the Malahat Review Long Poem Prize, and longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize.  Her first book of poems, Night Gears, was published by Wolsak and Wynn in 2010. Hastings-Sunrise, a book-length poem about her old East Vancouver neighbourhood, was published by Nightwood Editions in 2015. Bren Simmers lives in Squamish, BC.

The Prairie Wind & Silver Sage Artist Residency program, now in its third year, annually hosts four or five artists in all disciplines. While they are in residence, the artists spend 50{8966a670093f83c9464b8ae52b3ce656760b4fe5b607ea593a95702f606c23fa} of their time on their own work and 50{8966a670093f83c9464b8ae52b3ce656760b4fe5b607ea593a95702f606c23fa} on projects in the community. Upcoming resident artists in 2016 are musicians Melissa Goodchild and Kevin Brady from Saskatoon, and photographer Valerie Zink, also of Saskatoon. The PWSS artist residency program is cosponsored with Grasslands National Park and funded by the Saskatchewan Arts Board and SaskCulture/Saskatchewan Lotteries.