FALL HOURS
TUESDAY to FRIDAY 12 - 4
SATURDAY, SUNDAY 1 - 4
MONDAY CLOSED
TUESDAY to FRIDAY 12 - 4
SATURDAY, SUNDAY 1 - 4
MONDAY CLOSED
Annual, non-juried, open exhibition courtesy of local and area artists! Come and visit us this February to see new works form our local artists, and also some, from artists new to the gallery. We are excited to open on January 29th.
Be a man... Man up...This will make a man out of you...Take it like a man....
Boys and men hear such statements throughout their lives but what, exactly, does it mean to be ‘a man’? In feminist theory the phrase ‘the male gaze’ refers to the act of depicting women in the visual arts and literature from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents women as objects for the pleasure of the male viewer. The travelling exhibition The Male Gaze disrupts this performance by presenting the work of three male artists from Edmonton who investigate male subjects and concerns as themes in their work; exploring concepts of gender and what it means or could mean to be ‘a man’.
Since the 1980s the history of masculinity and the nature of gender identity have come under the microscope and been debated by psychology and gender theorists in the western world. Such studies have given birth to the concept of ‘toxic’ masculinity and a belief, in some circles, of a ‘crisis’ in masculinity which has found voice in social and political clashes throughout the world. The exhibition The Male Gaze addresses these conflicts and through the art works presented invites viewers to consider and question the character and roles of men in society through both the lens of history and in the present day.
The exhibition The Male Gaze was curated by Shane Golby and organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta for the Alberta
Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program. The AFA Travelling Exhibition program is supported by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
Boys and men hear such statements throughout their lives but what, exactly, does it mean to be ‘a man’? In feminist theory the phrase ‘the male gaze’ refers to the act of depicting women in the visual arts and literature from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents women as objects for the pleasure of the male viewer. The travelling exhibition The Male Gaze disrupts this performance by presenting the work of three male artists from Edmonton who investigate male subjects and concerns as themes in their work; exploring concepts of gender and what it means or could mean to be ‘a man’.
Since the 1980s the history of masculinity and the nature of gender identity have come under the microscope and been debated by psychology and gender theorists in the western world. Such studies have given birth to the concept of ‘toxic’ masculinity and a belief, in some circles, of a ‘crisis’ in masculinity which has found voice in social and political clashes throughout the world. The exhibition The Male Gaze addresses these conflicts and through the art works presented invites viewers to consider and question the character and roles of men in society through both the lens of history and in the present day.
The exhibition The Male Gaze was curated by Shane Golby and organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta for the Alberta
Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program. The AFA Travelling Exhibition program is supported by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
EMERGENCE
local high school show
April 9 - May 8, 2022
SERENITY - Donna Bilyk
May 14 - June 12, 2022
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“The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.” This is what I felt on a warm summer’s day back in the summer of 2017.
The weather was perfect, no wind and the sun was shining as we made our way up the mountain. All along the way stopping to marvel at the beauty, from the tiniest flower to the broad vista that surrounded us on all sides. Fresh mountain air filled our lungs with each stride forward. The reward that lie ahead was Window Mountain Lake, a beautiful clear water lake surrounded by mountain tops. Beauty was all round as we continued our hike around the lake stopping along the way to gaze down at the water to see what we could through its clearness. The shiny rocks that reflected back at us, a glimpse of a fish as it swam past, the pretty little wild flowers all along the way. Then there was me stopping to document everything with my camera, gazing through the lens from time to time to compose an image that would capture the beauty and serenity of this special place. I hope this body of work will somehow transport you to a place of serenity. |
"You could be quoting Shakespeare"
from SPECTRA
June 18 - July 17, 2022
"My Salad Days" - detail, fibre art, Marie McEachern
Members of the Spectra Textiles Arts group were challenged to depict common phrases introduced to the English language through the writings of William Shakespeare. It is surprising and fascinating how much of our language today can be traced back through time to the bard himself.
The inspiration for this exhibition came about when one of our members read the following excerpt from Bernard Levin’s 1983 book, Enthusiasms. This paragraph captures the essence of this challenge.
If you cannot understand my argument and declare, “It’s all Greek to me,” you are quoting Shakespeare. If you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have ever been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle; if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremonies, danced attendance on your lord and master, laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool’s paradise—why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you clear out, bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that is the long and short of it, if you believe the game is up and that the truth will out, even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low until the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then—to give the devil his due—if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a doornail, if you think I am an eye-sore, a laughing stock, the devil’s incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then—by Jove! it’s all one to me, you are quoting Shakespeare.
Each piece in this exhibit represents one of these common phrases.
SPECTRA is a new group (2017) of Canadian women who have studied and are committed to the exploration and presentation of textiles as art. Each of us has her own unique style and textile interest which results in our varied approach to exhibition subjects. Our members are from Southern Alberta, including Calgary and surrounding area. We have produced two exhibitions to date. The first, Abstraction, toured venues in Calgary, Edmonton, High River, Canmore, and Millarville in 2018 / 2019. The second exhibition, You Could Be Quoting Shakespeare, has showings scheduled in Calgary and Crowsnest Pass. More information is available at spectratextilearts.com
The inspiration for this exhibition came about when one of our members read the following excerpt from Bernard Levin’s 1983 book, Enthusiasms. This paragraph captures the essence of this challenge.
If you cannot understand my argument and declare, “It’s all Greek to me,” you are quoting Shakespeare. If you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have ever been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle; if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremonies, danced attendance on your lord and master, laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool’s paradise—why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you clear out, bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that is the long and short of it, if you believe the game is up and that the truth will out, even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low until the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then—to give the devil his due—if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a doornail, if you think I am an eye-sore, a laughing stock, the devil’s incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then—by Jove! it’s all one to me, you are quoting Shakespeare.
Each piece in this exhibit represents one of these common phrases.
SPECTRA is a new group (2017) of Canadian women who have studied and are committed to the exploration and presentation of textiles as art. Each of us has her own unique style and textile interest which results in our varied approach to exhibition subjects. Our members are from Southern Alberta, including Calgary and surrounding area. We have produced two exhibitions to date. The first, Abstraction, toured venues in Calgary, Edmonton, High River, Canmore, and Millarville in 2018 / 2019. The second exhibition, You Could Be Quoting Shakespeare, has showings scheduled in Calgary and Crowsnest Pass. More information is available at spectratextilearts.com
EXPLORING the UNEXPECTED
annual, juried, group show from local and area artists
July 23 - August 21, 2022
Artists, as creators, are always evolving, always showing a new way of telling their unique story. Whatever the chosen medium, every artist is familiar with the experience of starting from nothing without a plan in mind for what they wish to create, to engage themselves in the creative process totally, simply for the joy it brings. They eventually come out the other side of their activity with some unexpected, yet interesting results in hand.
Where, then, do these objects of wonder and beauty fit into the theme and style already inherent in our work, and for which we have already become know as artists and creators? Do we sit them upon the shelf until that day we, the artists, are better prepared to further explore or challenge their essence? Do we give these creations away, thinking them better suited as a gift into the hands of a friend whose tastes run more to the unusual? Do we pretend never to have seen their beauty, never to have created such wonder, never to have trailed our fingers over their magnificent textures, never heard their echoing melodies, never pressed our fingers into a mass of grey hardness and eased beauty from it.
I, like many others, have engaged in the pursuit of the unexpected throughout my artistic career. Figures coaxed from random pencil scribbles, tucked between the pages of my sketchbooks; beautiful words on scraps of paper pinned randomly to my studio walls, encircling each other before they wind their way towards the floor to be forgotten; or collage interwoven into a painting in an unexpected way. My studio is bursting at the seams with these little gems, their sparks dulled by my lack of sharing them. As artists, isn’t it time that we celebrate the unexpected and show them off in the light of day?
You are invited as artists of all mediums to gather together your own unexpected artistic endeavours and share them within the artistic community! Please join us in celebrating the unexpected and the unusual beauty which emerges during the creative process, when we least expect it. We look forward to seeing you and your creations in the exhibit! Angelique M Gillespie BFA, AFCA
Where, then, do these objects of wonder and beauty fit into the theme and style already inherent in our work, and for which we have already become know as artists and creators? Do we sit them upon the shelf until that day we, the artists, are better prepared to further explore or challenge their essence? Do we give these creations away, thinking them better suited as a gift into the hands of a friend whose tastes run more to the unusual? Do we pretend never to have seen their beauty, never to have created such wonder, never to have trailed our fingers over their magnificent textures, never heard their echoing melodies, never pressed our fingers into a mass of grey hardness and eased beauty from it.
I, like many others, have engaged in the pursuit of the unexpected throughout my artistic career. Figures coaxed from random pencil scribbles, tucked between the pages of my sketchbooks; beautiful words on scraps of paper pinned randomly to my studio walls, encircling each other before they wind their way towards the floor to be forgotten; or collage interwoven into a painting in an unexpected way. My studio is bursting at the seams with these little gems, their sparks dulled by my lack of sharing them. As artists, isn’t it time that we celebrate the unexpected and show them off in the light of day?
You are invited as artists of all mediums to gather together your own unexpected artistic endeavours and share them within the artistic community! Please join us in celebrating the unexpected and the unusual beauty which emerges during the creative process, when we least expect it. We look forward to seeing you and your creations in the exhibit! Angelique M Gillespie BFA, AFCA
THE LANGUAGE OF TREES
Troy Nickle
August 27 - September 25, 2022
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This exhibition is an enquiry into the materiality of trees and their language, whether real or imagined, whether metaphorical or literal, whether written or spoken. For me the tree is a medium to express form, symbol and the tree’s nature, in this way the variety of processes I use to interact, alter and bring attention to the tree is like a language. Through the installation, sculptures, printmaking and photography in this exhibition I also want to illuminate how trees communicate and how they are connected to each other and to the greater ecosystem.
Scientists have discovered that trees can trade carbon and send signals to each other through large underground networks of mycorrhizal fungi connected to their roots. “Mother” trees or “Hub” trees are found to be connected to the majority of trees near them through this vast network of thread like mycelium and can protect their kin by sending nutrients and water during times of drought. Trees are also able to detect dangers by sending warning signals to neighbouring trees to activate defence enzymes to protect against an insect infestation. Are the underground networks of mycorrhizal fungi connected to the trees similar to the neural networks in our brain? What are trees telling us though their ring patterns and the marks left upon the tree? Are trees sentient? These are some of the insights and questions I am asking the viewer to consider while viewing this exhibition. ~Troy Nickle |
FISH OR A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER
October 1 - November 6, 2022
Bob Costa, Deb Goldstein, Gordon Petersen, Judy Trafford
An exhibition of photography, painting and sculpture, relating to birds and fish featuring the photography of Gordon Petersen and Bob Costa, paintings by Judy Trafford, and sculptures by Debbie Goldstein.
Humans are restricted to living on the surface of the earth. Even with mechanical aids we remain temporary visitors to the realms of water and air. Perhaps that is why we are fascinated with the fish that live their secretive lives below the surface, and with the birds that move so freely through the air.
Birds and fish live their lives in a three-dimensional space and with a freedom humans can only dream about. Who amongst us hadn’t wished they could fly? And how many have wished that they could freely explore the underwater world?
And if we envy their freedom, we also admire their beauty—their form, shape, and colour.
Humans have always celebrated our feathered and finned friends through art, whether through paintings on a cave wall, a feather in our hats, a monumental sculpture, or an image from a high-resolution digital camera.
In a way, we have come full circle. For most of history, artists could only observe and then render their imperfect memories and impressions with brushes and paint, or clay and stone. With the advent of photography some 150 years ago, we gained the ability to lock a moment in time. With that ability to stop time we also gained the ability and luxury to dwell on, and admire, the details.
A good photograph can do more than simply record the details, however. It can also communicate a sense of the creature itself—how it lives, moves and travels through the world. Arguably, painting and sculpture have an even greater ability to do so.
Humans are restricted to living on the surface of the earth. Even with mechanical aids we remain temporary visitors to the realms of water and air. Perhaps that is why we are fascinated with the fish that live their secretive lives below the surface, and with the birds that move so freely through the air.
Birds and fish live their lives in a three-dimensional space and with a freedom humans can only dream about. Who amongst us hadn’t wished they could fly? And how many have wished that they could freely explore the underwater world?
And if we envy their freedom, we also admire their beauty—their form, shape, and colour.
Humans have always celebrated our feathered and finned friends through art, whether through paintings on a cave wall, a feather in our hats, a monumental sculpture, or an image from a high-resolution digital camera.
In a way, we have come full circle. For most of history, artists could only observe and then render their imperfect memories and impressions with brushes and paint, or clay and stone. With the advent of photography some 150 years ago, we gained the ability to lock a moment in time. With that ability to stop time we also gained the ability and luxury to dwell on, and admire, the details.
A good photograph can do more than simply record the details, however. It can also communicate a sense of the creature itself—how it lives, moves and travels through the world. Arguably, painting and sculpture have an even greater ability to do so.
"BACKYARD WILDERNESS"
Leila Armstrong
November 12 - December 11, 2022
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Backyard Wilderness is an ongoing project of which exhibitions are a vital part. The goal is to create spaces and opportunities for people to pause and (re)consider their relationship to wildlife. Here I draw on the work of theorist Alva Noë who positions art as a field of research or a domain of investigation. He argues that art exhibits us to ourselves and, in doing so, gives us the resources to make change. For Noë, art gives us the chance to catch ourselves in the act of bringing the world into focus. It is my hope to encourage people to embrace the everyday and to think of their yards and gardens as places for wildness to not only exist, but to flourish.
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