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March
Artist: Soraya Olszewski & Michelle Mongey
Location: Station Square/Downtown Fernie
This month, our moose is spotted wandering around downtown! Head on over to Station Square to try to find the large-scale moose installation created by Soraya Olszewski & Michelle Mongey. In an effort to lure our moose out from its spot, Felina Arsenault wrote a moose-themed poem that you can follow around town through some local businesses this month!
Launch: March 5th
Step 1: There’s a moose on the loose! He was last spotted at Station Square! Help us find him!
Step 2: Try to spot the Griz as well, we hear they’re friends!
Step 3: Once you spot him, take a picture with him and put it on Instagram! Tag @fernieartsstation and hashtag #mooseontheloose
Step 4: Download a copy of Felina Arsenault’s Poem (available soon). You can follow the poem through several of Fernie’s downtown businesses to support local this month!
Step 4: Head to the Fernie Chamber’s Griz Days Site to find some more activities to participate in for Griz Days!
About the Artists
Michelle and Soraya work with a variety of mediums to showcase their shared passion for the mountain lifestyle, creative expression, and sustainable futures. In true Fernie fashion, with one from Australia and one from Ontario - their friendship was forged while exchanging stories of past vanlife ventures, and the desire to pursue collaborative art projects in the local community.
Soraya’s experience with building, craft, and teaching environmental art-based workshops compliment the dedication Michelle exhibits in her detailed paintings and drawings.
As upcoming female artists, both women are dedicated to remolding perspectives and rising to the challenges that present during a changing global climate.
Our project consists of a moose sculpture created from recycled vinyl records. We use heat to turn the records into a malleable material that we then give a new shape. This year we have all had to look at familiar things in new and creative ways, especially the music scene. We wanted to echo that sentiment with an upcycled Moose on the Loose that highlights Fernie’s vibrant music community.
Upcycled records as a medium evoke nostalgia for days gone by and the music we pair with our good times and bad. Records inspire storytelling between generations. We laugh about the albums our parents saved up for and friendly debates ensue about tangibility, sound quality and the experience as a whole.
My first year in Fernie I heard what I thought was a horse walking down the street. I went out onto the front porch and saw a mama moose and her calf strolling by on their way to Coal Creek. I’ve always wondered what a moose would think of us as they walked through town. When I’m not committing absurd thoughts to verse or doing grunt carpentry labour, I like to be out on the trails with my boy and my chicken with teeth (the dog).