I.— EDITOR’S NOTE

This week we're celebrating Women's History Month alongside the city, properly and with intention. The Pihtikwe Market's 2nd Annual okimâskwêw Edition lands at Midtown Plaza this weekend, and it's exactly the kind of thing this newsletter was built to shout about. Beading, baking, beauty, bannock and a room full of female Indigenous business owners who've been quietly building something extraordinary. Don’t sleep on this.

We're also sitting down with Blair Cowell this issue: tattooist, musician, visual artist, and one of the more genuinely interesting creative people working out of this city right now. Read the full spotlight below.

On a personal note, I want to introduce someone special to us here at the BCE. Meet Scout, our pink little bird who keeps a literal bird's eye view over Saskatoon. He's the Bridge City Edit's new mascot, and your personal guide to everything this city has going on: places to eat, live music, upcoming events, hidden spots, and things to do. You can chat with Scout directly on our Instagram page @yxebridgecityedit for insider knowledge on Saskatoon's creative scene, any time. He's opinionated, plugged in, and he doesn't miss a show.

Lastly, the Edit is growing, and we want to grow with the right people. We're currently seeking sponsors & community partners to help fund the printing of promotional materials, physical in-your-hands copies of this newsletter, out in the city where they belong. If you're a local business or organization that believes in what's happening within Saskatoon's creative community, and our project, please contact us at [email protected]. We’d love to chat with you.

Now. Let's get into it.

II. — A VISUAL VIBE CHECK INSPIRED BY THE COLORS OF THE CITY ITSELF

III.— ONE QUESTION TO YXE EACH WEEK

IV. — LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

Some people just are many things at once, and trying to pigeonhole them misses the entire vibrant picture. Meet Blair Cowell: a tattooist whose work dances between abstract and cartoonish, a musician fronting the electrifying Grimelda, and a visual artist whose creations have graced everything from album covers to gallery walls. Raised in Moose Jaw and now a dynamic presence in Saskatoon, Blair embodies the true spirit of local creativity.

The creative spark ignited early. With a drawing-inclined dad and the ample free time a smaller city offers, Blair's childhood was filled with imagined worlds on paper. While high school brought a focus on drumming, bands, and touring, art was never far—it simply found new purpose. Every band poster, every shirt design, every album cover for Grimelda and beyond? That was Blair. What began as a quiet, consistent practice for friends soon blossomed into a recognized talent, a testament to dedication building without a grand plan.

Today, Blair's primary canvas is skin, found at Blink Ink on 8th Street. It's a natural fit, a culmination of a long-held desire. Blair's tattoos are unmistakably unique: semi-abstract, often playful, and beautifully ornate, offering new details with every glance.

And you can absolutely see it in the striking results.

Having experienced larger art scenes, Blair returns to Saskatoon with a profound appreciation for its unique environment. Here, there are no rigid "scenes" or pressures to conform to passing trends.

This isn't a limitation; it's a liberating freedom, allowing for a genuine, unpretentious creative ecosystem where a punk band can play a folk night, and everyone just gets it.

Blair's artistic process has evolved from a no-sketch, high-stakes approach (where 70% of twenty-four hour pieces ended up in the bin!) to a more fluid, sustainable method. Now, ideas flow from pen and paper to iPad, refined in Procreate. It's a non-linear journey, allowing concepts to simmer and emerge when they're truly ready. This organic, iterative approach is a powerful lesson in sustainable creativity.

Ask Blair what more people should understand about being an independent artist, and the answer is immediate and unwavering:

Nearing forty, still touring, still tattooing, and still drawing purely for the joy of discovery, Blair is building a life that orbits around art, not the other way around. It's challenging, yes, but profoundly worth it.

V. — CURATED COLLECTION OF A FEW UPCOMING EVENTS AROUND THE CITY

WOMAN’S HISTORY MONTH FEATURE:

VI. — AFFILIATE FINDS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Things we're genuinely obsessed with — books that shaped the whole reason this newsletter exists, and products that make the local experience even better. When you shop through these links, you're supporting the Edit at no extra cost to you. (click photo for a direct AFFILIATE link TO PRODUCT)

✦ Affiliate links — books via Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops, products via Amazon are meant to add Value to / complement your local purchases, not substitute them

VII. — MADE FOR CREATIVES, BY CREATIVES. CLASSIFIEDS, COLLABS, CALLS FOR ARTISTS, & LISTINGS

A spot for the city to talk to itself. Classifieds, calls for artists, collabs, gigs, sublets, services, oddities - if you’re a creative in Saskatoon with something to say or something to offer, this is your wall. built by creatives, for creatives, and for anyone else who’s paying attention. Your first listing is free. Find pricing and submission details at yxebridgecityedit.online