The Gallery is closed as per government's instructions. Stay tuned for spring programming.
NO PARTICULAR TOPIC
Annual, non-juried, open exhibition of works from local and area artists. Jan 24 - Feb 21
Burmis Blueweed
acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 Allan R. Brooks Blueweed (Echium vulgare) is a noxious and invasive species in Southern Alberta. But in late summer there are meadows and hillsides that are covered with its brilliant blue flowers. You have to search them out because the weed patrol has spent the spring and early summer spraying and digging in an effort to eliminate the plant altogether. Noxious? Yes, but still beautiful.
Waldron Ranch, Hwy 22
acrylic on wtc paper, 16 x 19 Kathleen C Brooks Over the 22 years we have been part-time residents of the Crowsnest Pass, we have driven up and down Highway 22 and I have observed it in all seasons and weather. This Spring I stopped at one of my favourite spots on the Whaleback, and this painting is the result.
Resistance
graphite drawing, 12 x 14 Phil Burpee The astonishing apparent futility of this legless man confronting a modern warmachine in the Palestinian occupied territories with a three thousand year old weapon speaks to the deep essence of resistance in its many forms – there is a line beyond which a man will not yield. Such is true of all grossly imbalanced power relationships, and a lesson to be learned for all who countenance complacency or mute acceptance.
Vigilance
graphite drawing, 8 x 10 Phil Burpee It is a common and valuable thing to imagine that we have some sort of guardian angel looking out for our better interests somewhere behind the scenes of everyday life. This watchful woman with her old shotgun is a fictitious character, but she stands vigilant to any and all approaching threats. We need to feel as though we are being looked out for, by whomever, or it is otherwise a lonely and daunting world.
Winter Solstice
acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16 Sherry Chanin Winter Solstice is a closeup of a snow-covered ridge seen from Highway #3 on the route between the Crowsnest Pass and Sparwood, a familiar scene as the highway winds around mountain passes and once the clocks turn back, this route is mostly taken in the dark from 4:30 on on any given day. The quiet of evening, the buffering insulation of snow on rock, the silent sentinels of trees marking the passage, for me capture the solemnity of the solstice.
Grace O'Malley 1560 - Pirate Queen of Ireland
encaustic on wood panel, 8 x 10 Lynnette Jessop Fierce 16th century pirate, looking forward optimistically over the land, she ruled from a young age. She cut her red locks to convince her father she could lead the men, which she did successfully for decades. A courageous woman who overcame boundaries of gender imbalances and bias, fighting for independence and control of the Irish coast.
Rodeo Way #1
ledger drawing with paper ephemera (ca. 1970's Indian Finals Rodeo Program), 24 x 14 Michael J. Leeb This piece entitled Rodeo Way #1 is a ledger drawing that depicts the calf roping event at the Indian Finals Rodeo held in Lethbridge ca. 1970’s. It was drawn using an archival photo from the Galt Museum, and is an expression of Indigenous rodeo culture in response to the colonial experience of cattle ranching that replaced traditional buffalo hunting. This artwork was created during a residency at the Gushul Studio in October 2020.
Flags of Summer
hand dyed cotton, silk, wool, 43 x 30 Esther Neufeld 
Splendour of the Dawn
silk, cotton, felted wool, 15 x 29 Esther Neufeld 
Gold
mortar shell, gold, birch, aluminium, glass, fir, poplar, paint Ryan Smitham 
The de-activated mortar shell used in this work was procured at National Salvage in Lethbridge nearly 15 years ago. I was immediately drawn to its precise form and elegant balance. Conversely I was repelled by its designed function – to explode and destroy human targets. Gold produces a similar response from me. Its luscious surface draws my gaze, but its symbolism conjures a history of bloodshed and present-day environmental degradation. Consider that a piece of gold jewelry today may contain within it the same gold that was once the coveted property of another. Its history simply melted away and reformed. Our species has stock piles of the stuff worldwide yet we continue to create elaborate mines to obtain more. By combining this element with the mortar shell, I am hoping to heighten the attraction/repulsion response from the audience, and to highlight the vulgarity of war as commodity (the military industrial complex).
Dancer
pastel, 19 x 14 Bobbi Wendland 
Bonnie
mixed media, 14 x 17 Bobbi Wendland 
still-life with thistle
conte drawing, 3.5 x 5.5 Finbar Wood This drawing was made in art class at school. The still-life objects were supplied by the teacher. The exercise was to learn to use conté media and the use of the limited colour palette (red, black, white) on coloured background.
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Fisher Peak in the Kananaskis
acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 Allan R. Brooks You only have a week or so each year to get this image across the Kananaskis valley. For most of the year the view through the trees from the perimeter trail at Kananaskis Village is beautiful but when autumn comes and the Aspens turn yellow the views become spectacular.
Hastings Ridge, Adanac Road
acrylic on wtc paper, 9 x 12 Kathleen C. Brooks Whenever we have visitors to our home in Hillcrest, we take them on a hike to Hastings ridge. I think the panoramic view captures what is special about this area.
Crowsnest Pass, AB - Your Adventures Await
photography with poster effect, 18 x 24 Vic Bergman Crowsnest Pass attracts countless adventure seekers throughout the year. There are numerous recreational activities available here, regardless of your outdoor interests and pursuits.
While snowshoeing one sunny afternoon last winter, I came across a high vantage point, overlooking Crowsnest Mountain and the Seven Sisters. The view reminded me of some of the travel posters that were popular years ago. While processing the image on my computer, I applied various effects to the photo and added text, creating a modern version of a poster, advertising Crowsnest Pass to the World. 
New Beginnings
acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 Sherry Chanin I am profoundly influenced by the natural environment and spend a great deal of time both hiking and kayaking in my surroundings in the Crowsnest Pass. As a result, a lot of my art features what I see, hear, and experience in the great outdoors. New Beginnings is a painting based on calves born in spring and of new life, of continuation, of joy, of hope, and the connection of mother with child and the protection of the herd. It has been particularly poignant for me, and a reminder of what I share with my own mother, and support of family, as my mother deals with Alzheimers and has been moved into a home. Contact has been difficult since Covid hit this spring, for, as a family, we were unable to contact Mom. We were removed from our mother’s presence, and I thought of the life of a cow, of calves raised for slaughter, and forced separation of calves from their moms. In this way, New Beginnings, is also an ironic take, as what was at first hopeful and joyful, eventually will bring death, separation, and sorrow. What, then, is the message or theme here? I deal with the ambiguity of both and the double edged sword of love and all that it brings.- connection and separation, beginnings and ends, life and death, joy and sorrow.
Appendages
raku clay & melted glass Deborah Goldstein 
Dark Rosaleen 1904
encaustic on wood panel, 8 x 10 Lynnette Jessop Gloomier image of Dark Rosaleen looking back over bleaker landscapes and broken lyrics. The queen rose from Irish patriotic poem which was disguised as a love song but voiced nationalistic expression that was outlawed at the time.
Do not sigh, do not weep. She’ll glad your heart, shall give you hope. She’ll give you health, and help, and hope. My Dark Rosaleen. 
Glacier Mountain Range
acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 19 x 26 Dorian Mindru 
Above the Clouds
acrylic and spray paint, 13 x 20 Dorian Mindru 
Tension
aluminium (manually machined), thread, magnets, steel, birch, glass, fir, poplar, paint Ryan Smitham 
This project uses magnetic levitation to suspend two bullet-like objects in a perpetual standoff. The idea formed while contemplating the absurd cold-war-era concept that if nations amass nuclear arms no nation will be daring enough to use them, as it would lead to mutually assured destruction. For me, the work also speaks to the polarizing of humans based on criteria such as race, gender, religion and politics. I find this work to be unsettling, like a bleak warning sign or haunting memory. My hope is that through facing this darkness one can reflect on their own capacity for love, curiosity, openness and compassion.
In the Crop
acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 Jacquie Stork I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life. Everywhere I go I seem to gravitate to the local art galleries. It was while in South Africa, surrounded by a lot of paintings of children, that I came up with the idea of a series I’ve started entitled “Remember When”. This painting is the first of that series. Memories of one’s childhood are so very precious.
“In the Crop” represents the senses of sight, sound and touch. While painting this picture it took me back to the feeling of the wheat beards tickling the palms of my hands while watching the wind rolling across the wheat field and listening to birds singing. Close your eyes for a moment and “Remember When” you had the same peaceful feeling I’ve captured here. 
Majestic
acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 Jacquie Stork To me, there is nothing so beautiful as the gifts of stunning landscapes and animals that mother nature has provided. Majesty and splendour are all around. Down every path, around every corner and in the ever-changing skies above. The colours that greet me can be irresistible at times. Sunrises, sunsets, and the purples in every shadow stand out and linger in my mind waiting to be put down on canvas.
main square and fairy lights (winter), Gyöngyös, HUN
watercolour, 3.5 x 5.5 Krisztina Wood Both small paintings are based on photographs of my home town’s main square in Hungary. I was born and bread in this town, and I have lived abroad for longer now than back there, Gyöngyös still feels like home.
Although I call them watercolours, for the summer version I used watercolour crayons. It is an interesting medium that requires 2 steps, the colour drawing first, then the use of water. This could mean double the risk of the watercolour media or the opposite, double the certainty of what the final image might look like. Either attitude to painting is fun. The hard outlines give some definition without the loss of looseness, sketch-like quality. 
St. Bartolomew’s church and lanterns (summer), Gyöngyös, HUN
watercolour, 3.5 x 5.5 Krisztina Wood |
Funded by Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
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