| In 2005, perhaps because of the attention prompted by Alberta’s centennial celebrations, a popular notion that has taken root was stated over and over again by pundits and national "observers." It goes something like this: Finally the cowboy culture rooted in the West is being swept aside by more refined tastes in art.
The notion is wrong on both of its key assumptions. The mythology of the cowboy lives on (for better or worse) and sophisticated works of art – including abstract paintings, metal sculpture, multimedia installations and various forms of electronic media – have been created in Alberta for decades.
While stereotypes and misinformation about Alberta continue to be perpetuated, the people on the ground know better. Alberta, and specifically Calgary, has been, and continues to be, a nexus of artistic activity. Any doubt about this assertion is quickly silenced when you visit the public and commercial art galleries, artist-run centres and educational facilities, as I have throughout the year. Calgary artists, collectives, classes, workshops and entire communities are creating works of art and slowly the rest of the country and the world are beginning to sit up and take notice.
In presenting this 2005 year-in-review, I add one cautionary note: this is merely a snapshot of the exhibitions, installations, festivals and happenings that took place in the past 12 months and is not intended to be an encyclopedic overview.
The year started off on the right foot with the inaugural Banff-Calgary photography festival, Exposure 2005. Organized by Craig Richards, the head of photography at Banff’s Whyte Museum, it proved that this region is ready to support an annual photography festival. A highlight of the three-month event was a presentation by legendary documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark.
In February, the Nickle Arts Museum on the University of Calgary campus presented Maxwell Bates: At the Crossroads of Expressionism. One of the best exhibitions of the year, it showcased the achievements of a celebrated Canadian artist who started out in Calgary.
March saw a couple of clowns in drag trapped in a Plexiglas case at Truck Gallery. Entitled One Month, this piece of "living sculpture" was a presentation of performance artist Don Simmons. Strange, disturbing and just plain weird, it remains a memorable experience.
In April, the Walter Phillips Gallery at The Banff Centre was the site of the 2005 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art. The province’s fifth biennial, the 2005 version featured more than 20 artists from Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge. That same month saw the work of Toronto-based photographer Edward Burtynsky on display at the Telus World of Science. Organized as part of the province’s centennial celebrations, Burtynsky’s show consisted of large-format photographs of blighted landscapes, which serve as powerful reminders of why we must start to take care of the Earth before it’s too late.
Spring also brought the 30th birthday of The New Gallery. Since opening its doors in March of 1975, TNG has provided a safe haven for contemporary artists to explore their creative ambitions.
Calgary has two high-quality post-secondary educational facilities where young artists are trained. And each spring, both the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) and the University of Calgary host exhibitions for their grads. This was a very good year at both institutions and I can think of at least one student from the pack, Ryan Sluggett, who has, in less than one year, been profiled in a national newspaper and found representation at one of the best commercial art galleries in the city.
This was also the year the new art emporium, Art Central, found its footing in downtown Calgary. Its presence has brought a lively mix of commercial art galleries to the people, with Dashwood Gallery being one that continues to make its mark on the local art scene. In May, Kim Dashwood hosted the exhibition Crossing Boundaries, featuring the works of some top-notch ceramic artists. Included was Calgarian Evelyn Grant, whose humorous pieces were inspired by the Minton Monkey Teapot collection created in 1849.
In June, Newzones Gallery presented the photography of Calgarian James Holroyd in an exhibition entitled Palais Royal. A frequent visitor to France, Holroyd’s images evoke the romance and atmospheric beauty of the place.
That same month saw Bodies in Motion, a presentation from The Rice Studio at The Banff Centre that showed how art, computer technology and fashion are merging. It was part of the annual Banff Summer Arts Festival.
Summer at The Banff Centre also brought the exhibition CAMPsites in the Walter Phillips Gallery. Exploring shelter in its many forms, this was another smart and intriguing show presented by the talented curator Melanie Townsend, who now works at Museum London in Ontario.
One of the most interesting initiatives of the year came from ACAD in the form of its Stirring Culture lecture series. The inaugural speaker was American artist and arts educator Tim Rollins, founder of Kids of Survival or KOS, an after-school arts program based in New York’s South Bronx. Dressed entirely in black à la Johnny Cash, Rollins took the stage of the Jack Singer Concert Hall on September 7 to tell the audience "art is love."
Every fall, Artcity takes over Calgary’s streets and 2005 was no exception. Trans was the theme, with 20 locations serving as sites for Artcity’s programming, which included a graphic design competition, the ArtTalk lecture series and the ever-popular Peepshow, an annual international pavilion design competition.
Another exhibition tied to Alberta’s (and Saskatchewan’s) centennial celebrations, Beyond Emma Lake at Triangle Gallery featured 80 pieces of contemporary art created by artists who have all (over the past 50 years) participated in the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshop experience. The works by Marion Nicoll and Ted Godwin stood out.
The Mountain Standard Time performative arts festival returned this fall in its third incarnation. M:ST3 was an expanded event reaching beyond Calgary to include the communities of Banff and Lethbridge. Highlights included performances by the Nihilist Spasm Band as well as an outdoor audio installation by local artists Ian Birse and Laura Kavanaugh.
In November, the Glenbow Museum unveiled another major exhibition with Petra: Lost City of Stone. A primer on the ancient city of Petra, this multimedia extravaganza (which continues until February 20) also includes an adjunct exhibition of documentary photography by American Vivian Ronay. The Washington, D.C.-based photojournalist has spent the past two decades capturing images of the five Bedouin tribes who live near the UNESCO World Heritage site in Jordan.
Also in November and December, Stride Gallery marked its 20th anniversary with a retrospective exhibition, 20 Years of Contemporary Art, Gossip and Lies: 1985-2005 at Stride. Artists whose works were included in this celebration included local favourites Chris Cran and Shelley Ouellet.
Wrapping up the year was the Art Gallery of Calgary’s Painting Under Pressure. In this show about the murky world of graffiti, Kido, Bugs and Kaput, along with four of their fellow "writers," prove the point that this kind of art can be much more than scribbles on the side of a wall.
Once again thanks to all the people who invited me to see their artwork in 2005. It’s a privilege that I hope to continue to enjoy in 2006. Happy new year! |
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