ARTWALK 2003
September 19 to 21
Check listings
As far as Artwalk is concerned, fun is the operative word. Now entering its 20th year, Artwalk challenges Calgarians to drop any misconceptions they may have about snooty gallery owners with highbrow attitudes and come out to view art that flows into, and sometimes is a part of, the streets.
"Artwalk has really become an event for the Calgary public to come out and have fun," says Stephen Murphy, chairman of the Artwalk Society.
Artwalk organizers are underscoring that point by including the Chinook Manhole Covers Project as part of this year’s festival. It’s a project that turns the city’s sewer system into a work of art. Initiated by the City of Calgary’s wastewater department, local artist Garry Williams was commissioned to come up with a design for manhole covers that would have artistic merit.
What he arrived at is a design that incorporates a mythological figure blowing leaves – think Poseidon of the public sewers. A limited edition set of 500 manhole covers have been manufactured and will be installed in high-traffic pedestrian areas like Olympic Plaza, 17th Avenue, Kensington, Eau Claire and various LRT stations.
For those who still like art that they don’t have to walk over, there is plenty to choose from during Artwalk.
"For two days Calgarians can expect the best of (the) visual arts," says Jacek Malec, chair of marketing for Artwalk. "This event has grown from a handful of galleries in 1983 to a citywide event."
Artwalk now encompasses more than 40 destinations and, as a result, the best way to approach the two days is to think about visiting specific areas of town that are the "hot zones" of the festival: downtown, Inglewood/Ramsay, 11th Avenue S.W., Fourth Street S.W. and 17th Avenue. What follows is a highlight of some of the shows in each area.
· Downtown
Inusivut at the Glenbow Museum enters its last weekend during Artwalk and it’s an excellent opportunity to find out more about the people who live and work in the North. Look for a fine lineup of Inuit prints from the Holman Artists Co-operative as part of this exhibition and a strong representation of video works from a group of Inuit women.
Triangle Gallery has Habitat, an exhibition that highlights elements of contemporary Canadian design that come out of domestic environs. From stainless steel rocking chairs to a stool made out of recycled plastic, this show demonstrates why Canadian designers are starting to gain international reputations.
The Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC) also gets into the design frame of mind with Idle, which is a survey of 20th century chair design for public spaces. Also at AGC is John and Lou’s 1923 Voyage, including photographs from John Will, who has taken negatives that he purchased at a Calgary yard sale to create new works that focus on the journey of Louis W. Shulman as he travelled from Vancouver to Yokohama, Japan.
· Inglewood/Ramsay
Burns Visual Arts Society throws open the doors to 19 artists’ studios during Artwalk to give the public an opportunity to find out more about the creative process. And Artspace continues to thrive as an expansive gallery space where, in a relatively short period of time ,you can view works from more than 60 artists.
· 11th Avenue
Image 54 Gallery presents Canadian Historical Print with works from such notable artists as Marion Nicoll. This show was curated with assistance from Doug Maclean from the Canadian Art Gallery.
· Fourth Street S.W.
Fourth Street S.W. is often considered more of a destination for dining but it has a number of private galleries and one of the largest collections of public art located on the streets throughout the area. The 4th Street Public Arts Society will host Walk and Talk at 1 p.m., on both the Saturday and Sunday of Artwalk. The idea is to enlighten art lovers about the trials and tribulations of installing public art including vandalism, theft and Calgary’s mercurial weather. Another piece of public art will also be unveiled, this time from local artist Derek Besant.
· 17th Avenue S.W.
One of the pioneer galleries of Artwalk in 1983 was Kensington Fine Art Gallery and this year they continue a 20-year tradition by presenting works by B.C. painter Christine Reimer.
Masters Gallery is bringing out the beast in Artwalk by showing an exhibition of paintings by Maureen Enns. The artist traveled to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far East of Russia to study grizzly bears. What she brought back was a deep appreciation for these animals and inspiration to create this series of mixed media works.
More than 20,000 visitors are expected to take in Artwalk this year which would make this edition of the event the best attended in its 20-year history. And as with any festival that features walking as a major component, Artwalk organizers have one more piece of sound advice to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the experience.
"Wear good shoes!" |
Copyright ©2003 FFWD. All rights reserved.