December Exhibitions
Cap off 2018 and visit some of Calgary’s amazing galleries and artists
December might be a busy time of year but there’s still plenty of art to check out including show and sales, receptions, pop-ups, and so much more. Be sure to cap off the year on a high note with these great events.
The Most Beautiful Art Tour in Alberta
December 1, 2018
Multiple locations
Free admission
Hit the road to start of December and check out this open studio event. The Most Beautiful Art Tour in Alberta sees galleries and private studios located in the beautiful foothills of southern Alberta throw open their doors for open houses and special events. Check out its website for hours and participating locations.
themostbeautifularttourinalberta.com
Drawing the Line
December 1, 2018, 1:00 – 5:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Using the exploration of line and the grid in Esker’s fall exhibitions, this workshop with Sondra Meszaros brings together the intellectual and emotional experiences that inform drawing processes
eventbrite.ca
Youth Works 2018
December 1, 2018 – January 5, 2019
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
Admission by donation
Back for its fifth year, this exhibition showcases artwork by junior and senior high school students from the Alberta School of Fine Arts, Bishop Carroll High School, Central Memorial High School, Foundations for the Future Charter Academy, Holy Trinity Academy, and Sherwood School. Support these young artists at the opening reception, running from 2:00 to 4:00pm on December 1.
leightoncentre.org
This+That+TheOther
December 1, 2018 – January 26, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission
A playful alternative to the thematic holiday show, This+That+TheOther features unconventional groupings of artworks by seemingly disparate artists. Featuring work by Madeleine Lamont, Ulrich Panzer, Carl White, and more, swing by the reception from 1:00 to 4:00pm on December 8.
christineklassengallery.com
Wildflower Art Salon & Sale
December 2, 2018, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Wildflower Arts Centre (3363 Spruce Dr. SW)
Free admission
Its eighth annual holiday salon and sale, this one-day-only event showcases artwork created by the professionally trained, practicing instructors of the Wildflower Arts Centre. From ceramics and fibre arts to paintings and drawing there is something for everyone on your list. A portion of all sales go to support footprints Dance Project Society programs.
eventbrite.ca
Alternate Endings, Activist Risings
December 2, 2018, 3:00 – 4:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
A special screening for AIDS Day With (out) Art, Alternate Endings, Activist Risings highlights the impact of art in contemporary AIDS activism and features new short videos from six inspiring community organizations and collectives—ACT UP NY, Positive Women’s Network, Sero Project, The SPOT, Tacoma Action Collective, and VOCAL NY.
eventbrite.ca
1968: The Year that Rocked the World
December 3 – 5, 2018
Hal and Marnie Wyatt Atelier, Mount Royal University (18 Mount Royal Circle SW)
Free admission
Marking the 50th anniversary of the global protests of 1968, this museum exhibit showcases student projects on the various movements of 1968 and their broader influence. Swing by the closing reception at 12:00pm on December 5 to interact with the students and learn more about their approach.
taylorcentre.ca
Travelling Fibers
December 4 – 21, 2018
Framed on Fifth (1207 5th Ave. NW)
Free admission
Cindy Lee works with a variety of animal, plant, and synthetic fibers to create one-of-a-kind hand-crafted wearable art pieces. Using felting, stitching, and surface design techniques, her work is intimately linked to the natural world. Swing by the opening reception from 6:00 to 9:00pm on December 7.
framedonfifth.com
Mini Masters
December 6, 2018, 11:00 – 11:45am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration essential
Calling Calgary’s newest contemporaries! Join the Esker Foundation on the first Thursday of every month for a hands-on art class. Parents and guardians are invited to bring their little ones, ages two to five, to explore art making in this fun and social program. All are welcome to participate, just dress for mess.
eventbrite.ca
Humanly 2018
December 6, 2018, 5:00 – 8:00pm
Riddell Library and Learning Centre, Mount Royal University (74 Mount Royal Circle SW)
Free admission, registration required
Hosted by information design students at Mount Royal University, participants have tackled a variety of topics ranging from sustainability, access to clean water and healthy food, decolonization and reconciliation, the effectiveness of the education system, and many more. Using human centred design strategies to understand, explore, and ideate potential futures, this exhibition showcases that work.
eventbrite.ca
Free First Thursday Night
December 6, 2018, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
A great way to find some peace this December, head to Glenbow for this fantastic night out. Open late with free admission, be sure to swing by on the first Thursday of each month!
facebook.com
11th Annual Under $100 Art Show
December 6 – 9, 2018
Art Spot (523 Cleveland Cres. SE)
$5 admission
A Calgary favourite featuring thousands of pieces of original art and handmade items, everything is priced under $100 in this fun show. New artwork is brought out daily and you can even check it out at the opening reception taking place from 6:00 to 10:00pm on December 6.
facebook.com
Bring the Baby Art Tour
December 7, 2018, 12:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended
A relaxed, social tour, bring your baby to the Esker Foundation and have tot-friendly fun while discussing the exhibitions.
eventbrite.ca
It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
December 7, 2018, 6:00 – 10:00pm
Village Brewery (5000 12A St. SE)
Free admission
A collaboration between two abstract painters, join Keely Sorette and Kyla Alty, real life friends and neighbours, as they celebrate the opening of their first art show together. Enjoy colourful art, delicious beer, and live music.
facebook.com
With My Back to the World
December 7, 2018, 7:00 – 8:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
This moving documentary on the internationally renowned painter Agnes Martin was shot over a period of four years, from 1998 through 2002, and includes interviews intercut with shots of her working in her studio located in Taos, New Mexico. Swing by the Esker Foundation for this upcoming screening.
eventbrite.ca
MC10Year/Holiday
December 7 – 9 & 14 – 16, 2018
BMO Centre, Stampede Park (20 Roundup Way SW)
$5 for the weekend
With lots of room for artists new and old, as well as all kinds of interactive special installations and features, come on down for a weekend of food trucks, DJs, live music, and shopping. This holiday market also celebrates Market Collective’s 10th anniversary, so there are sure to be lots of surprises.
marketcollective.ca
Not-So-Mini Print Exhibition and Sale
December 7 – 20, 2018
Alberta Printmakers Gallery & Studio (4025 4th St. SE)
Free admission
Each year, Alberta Printmakers holds a print exchange that is open to local, national, and international artists working in print media. A/P retains two copies of each limited edition that is submitted to raise funds towards Alberta Printmakers’ artistic and educational programming. The perfect spot to pick up original contemporary prints for everyone on your list, swing by the opening reception on December 7.
facebook.com
Bee Kingdom Christmas Glass Sale
December 8 & 9, 2018, 12:00 – 5:00pm
Bee Kingdom (427 22nd Ave. NW)
Free admission
Avoid the mall frenzy, kick back with a hot chocolate, and enjoy glassblowing demonstrations with the Bee Kingdom. These local pieces make the perfect gift.
facebook.com
When the mind is untroubled
December 9, 2018, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
The exhibitions of Tammi Campbell, Agnes Martin, and Sarah Stevenson are united in an austere formal language of grid and line. Join Esker curator Shauna Thompson on this conversational walking tour that aims to illuminate the nuanced and affecting inspirations behind these three artists’ practices.
eventbrite.ca
Art … On the Side
December 9, 2018, 1:00 – 6:00pm
Bridgeland Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave. NE)
Free admission
After many years of creating vibrant art on-the-side, Marjorie Hale and Fiona Warren are looking to sell their work at an affordable price with 10% of sales going to local charities.
eventbrite.ca
Conspiracy & Date Night
December 9 – 20, 2018
Main Level Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
A solo exhibition by Doug Driediger showcasing recent paintings and drawings from two separate but related bodes of work, all are welcome to attend the reception from 5:00 to 8:00pm on December 13.
dougdriediger.com
Holiday Centrepiece Workshop
December 11, 2018
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
$60 – $65
Create your own fresh, festive holiday centerpiece while being inspired by the thrilling Christmas decor designs throughout Lougheed House. This festive hands-on workshop is led by award-winning floral designer Lea Romanowski.
eventbrite.ca
Art Baby Tour: The Arctic
December 12, 2018, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free – $5
Take a relaxed one-hour guided tour of The Arctic: Real and Imagined Views from the Nineteenth Century with your wee ones in tow. Recommended for parents and caregivers with children aged two and under, this tour is stroller friendly.
facebook.com
Community Evening at Esker
December 14, 2018, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Swing by the Esker Foundation for a family-focused exhibitions tour, film screenings, and art making fun for kids and adults. There will even be seasonal treats from Bite Grocery + Eatery.
facebook.com
Because the Night Solstice/Holiday Karaoke Fundraiser
December 21, 2018, 9:00pm – 2:00am
Main Space, TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
As the winter solstice falls on December 21, join TRUCK and spend the night singing your heart out! Karaoke is free but $2 will bump you up in the cue and any song by Patti Smith will put you at the front of the line.
facebook.com
Ongoing Exhibitions
Evidence of Paint
Until December 5, 2018
Jubilee Gallery, Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14th Ave. NW)
Free
A partnership between CARFAC Alberta and the Friends of the Alberta Jubilee Auditoria Society, this Alberta-wide juried exhibition of artwork features a fresh perspective on art, celebrating diverse points of view, styles, and techniques.
carfacalberta.com
Unpacking IKG: 60 Years a Gallery
Until December 8, 2018
Alberta College of Art + Design (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free
Curated by Ashley Slemming as part of the IKG’s Curatorial Internship with the support of Dr. Jennifer Salahub, don’t miss the first attempt to document the history of exhibiting art, craft, and design at the Alberta College of Art + Design (ACAD). With the aid of the archival holdings of SAIT, Glenbow, the University of Calgary, and ACAD’s Luke Lindoe Library, the exhibition illustrates not only the past 60 years but also the four decades leading up to having a designated gallery space.
ikg.acad.ca
BVCG Calligraphy Show
Until December 8, 2018
Fish Creek Library (11161 Bonaventure Dr. SE)
Free admission
An exhibition of calligraphic art created by members of the Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild, swing by during regular library hours and enjoy this opportunity to view traditional and contemporary hand-lettering styles. You can even catch demonstrations from 1:00 to 3:00pm on December 1.
bvcg.ca
Recent Acquisitions 2017
Until December 9, 2018
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
An opportunity to show how Glenbow’s collection is growing and evolving, each of these objects or artworks holds a story. Stop by the museum to explore pieces that include Kananginak Pootoogook’s Young Arctic Owl, Dorothy Henzell Willis’ Joseph Plaskett in Paris, and many more.
glenbow.org
Jude Griebel: Illuminated Collapse
Until December 15, 2018
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free
Offering a series of dioramas that explore metaphorical end-of-time narratives, these richly detailed works represent anatomies and landscapes engaged in dramatic acts of self-consumption and destruction. An illustrated catalogue with a critical essay by Tammer El-Sheikh accompanies the exhibition.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Shona Rae: Re-Imagined Narratives
Until December 15, 2018
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free
An exhibition of 22 narrative sculptural rings made using goldsmith techniques, each is an imaginative representation of a fairy tale combined with one of the Higher Arcana from the Tarot. Save the date for an artist talk at noon on November 15. An illustrated catalogue with a critical essay by Jennifer Salahub accompanies the exhibition.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Lyndal Osborne: Mutation in the Commons
Until December 15, 2018
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free
Curated by Michele Hardy and organized by Nickle Galleries, Lyndal Osborne: Mutation in the Commons offers a survey of Osborne’s sculptural work and speaks to transformation within nature and issues relating to the environment. An illustrated catalogue with a critical essay by Natalie Loveless accompanies the exhibition.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
You hold me, as I fumble to emulate your care
Until December 15, 2018
TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
You hold me, as I fumble to emulate your care speaks to the complexities of care, intimacy, vulnerability, and relationality through the lens of mothering. Curated by Ginger Carlson and featuring new work by Farheen HaQ, Kablusiak, and Nicole Kelly Westman, don’t miss this intriguing show.
truck.ca
Encounters
Until December 15, 2018
Eau Claire Market (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free admission
With the aim to foster the growth of emerging and mid-career artists, celebrate the opening of Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art with its first pop-up exhibition. Featuring work from Susan Bouzane, George Doust, Dusti Gomery, Matt “Hawk” Trinh, and long-time Calgary artist Terry Gregoraschuk, swing by to see this inaugural offering.
terrygregoraschuk.com
This Place Is Ours: Coven Retrospective
Until December 15, 2018
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission
A retrospective of Coven Gallery’s shift in focus towards becoming a recognized space for artists of marginalized identities, This Place Is Ours explores the resilience of queer bodies in times of change through the respective works of NIK, Michaela Bridgemohan, Ryan Danny Owen, and Taylor Harder. Claiming and reclaiming space, these artists come together as distinctive voices challenging patriarchal understandings of identity and place.
stride.ab.ca
Dear Agnes
Until December 21, 2018
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free
Starting in 2010, Tammi Campbell would start each day in her Saskatoon studio by drawing a different variation of a grid in graphite on Japanese rag paper. Campbell would then write the salutation “Dear Agnes” in the top left corner, fold the drawing twice like a letter, and then store it in sequence. Campbell completed her last letter to modernist artist Agnes Martin on December 31, 2017. See the final three months in this intriguing show.
eskerfoundation.com
The mind knows what the eye has not seen
Until December 21, 2018
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free
An unprecedented focus on Agnes Martin’s print works, this exhibition includes selected paintings that exist in dialogue with the prints. The exhibition is curated by Bruce Hugh Russell and Naomi Potter, with Elizabeth Diggon, and co-produced by Esker Foundation and Regina’s MacKenzie Art Gallery.
eskerfoundation.com
Nothing Hidden
Until December 21, 2018
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free
For the past 30 years, Sarah Stevenson has been making sculptural work that considers and defines space in the most simple and elegant of ways. Like drawings in air, wire and string are arranged and are suspended from the ceiling like a weightless bloom of jellyfish.
eskerfoundation.com
Kyle Beal
Until December 21, 2018
VIVIANEART (1114 11th St. SW)
Free admission
A solo exhibition of new drawings by local artist, Kyle Beal, don’t miss his debut showing at VIVIANEART. Beal brings his characteristic intellect and wit to bear on what could be considered a mundane everyday object, the mirror.
vivianeart.gallery
The Seductiveness of Life
Until December 21, 2018
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Marjan Eggermont’s work fluctuates between macro and micro structures and the similarities in pattern, function, and evolved form. Work in this series is inspired by local flower anatomy.
herringerkissgallery.com
Looking Through
Until December 21, 2018
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Bill Laing’s series of prints and constructions reflect on the experience of looking and looking through layers that combine to form complex images of nature.
herringerkissgallery.com
Double Healing
Until December 22, 2018
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission
A new solo exhibition by Calgary-based, multidisciplinary artist Robin Arseneault, her new series evokes a doubling of image, material, and meaning throughout. Swing by the opening reception from 5:00 to 8:00pm on November 23, 2018 with the artist in attendance.
facebook.com
The Topography of Bodily Sentiments
Until December 22, 2018
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. S)
Free admission
A group show featuring Ambivalently Yours, Kablusiak, Rachel Livedalen, and Kasia Sosnowski, The Topography of Bodily Sentiments exists at the convergence of four practices, each ethically entangled with bodies host to precarious labels.
thenewgallery.org
Lay your weight on me, I will make you free
Until December 22, 2018
Main Space, Untitled Art Society (343 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Ceramic and mixed-media artist Jocelyn Reid uses toys, objects, childhood material accumulations to study the physical and emotional worth that lingers in possessions we no longer need, but somehow continue to long for.
uascalgary.org
ebb and flow
Until December 22, 2018
Cellar, Untitled Art Society (343 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Hannah Petkau’s affinity with materials began at an early age when the twice-daily tides washed up an endless source of inspiration—plastic, plywood, and rope were collected and assembled with driftwood, rocks, and shells.
uascalgary.org
Contrast + Camouflage
Until December 22, 2018
Ruberto Ostberg Gallery (2108 18th St. NW)
Free admission
Featuring a new series from Anna Ostberg, this show uses the landscape to construct an atmosphere that can either be viewed as concealing or revealing the wildlife within.
facebook.com
Deck the Walls
Until December 22, 2018
Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free
Ever evolving, Deck the Walls is always a seasonal highlight and features an entire wall of small-to-medium sized artworks, perfect for gift-giving this holiday season. A salon-inspired exhibition to entice viewers to give the spectacular gift of art for the holidays, there is always something for everyone.
newzones.com
Northern Reflections: A Winter Window Exhibition
Until December 31, 2018
Multiple locations
Free admission
Northern Reflections is back with more artists, more animators, and more window magic. Buds Collective has again paired local businesses with local artists and animators to bring Calgarians a unique opportunity to participate in an immersive art experience. Celebrate the magic of wintertime as you stroll the streets searching out painted windows with the help of the AUGLE app. Then use AUGLE to reveal the animation through augmented reality.
facebook.com
Tamara Lee-Anne Cardinal: Feet on the Ground
Until January 6, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Part of Glenbow’s One New Work series, check out new work by Tamara Lee-Anne Cardinal, a Calgary-based emerging multi-media and performance artist and community activist. Cardinal, whose ancestral roots are Cree and German, uses the women’s Pow Wow Jingle Dress Dance and its regalia as key elements of her art practice to seek a deeper understanding of herself and her Indigenous culture.
glenbow.org
Cosmos: Gathie Falk, Margaret Nazon and Erik Olson
Until January 6, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Curated by Mary-Beth Laviolette, the mysteries of the universe come to life in celestial studies by three fascinating contemporary artists. Featuring Calgary-born Erik Olson’s sumptuous planetary paintings, Canadian artist Gathie Falk’s expressionist depictions of the sun, moon, and stars, and Margaret Nazon’s interpretation of images from the Hubble space telescope using traditional beadwork techniques, this show is out of this world.
glenbow.org
The Arctic: Real and Imagined Views from the Nineteenth Century
Until January 6, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
With artworks depicting 16 separate Arctic expeditions between 1818 and 1876, this exhibition examines the enduring colonial iconography of Canada’s North as a by-product of the age of British Arctic expansion. Curated by Travis Lutley, Inuit cultural consultants, Sophia Lebessis and James Kuptana, provide a perspective on the exhibition’s content and themes including both Indigenous and European artifacts.
glenbow.org
Equus and the Others
Until January 12, 2019
Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free
A solo exhibition by Kevin Sonmor, this new series focuses on large scale, often life sized, paintings of horses. Looking at ways to animate the paintings without allowing the paint itself to be the vehicle of animation, his earnest subjects seem intent on living up to their appointed status and expected image.
newzones.com
Tour of Duty: Canadians and the Vietnam War
Until January 13, 2019
The Founders Gallery, The Military Museums (4520 Crowchild Tr. SW)
With admission
This personality-based exhibit shares a range of soldiers’ perspectives on the Vietnam War and includes artifacts and oral histories from Canadians who were there. Covering the estimated 40,000 Canadian citizens who enlisted in the U.S. military and fought overseas in the war, other stories presented include U.S. and South Vietnamese veterans who later moved to Canada. The exhibition also includes 20 protest posters from the Whitney Museum of American Art to give shape to social forces and cultural history alongside a sample of Vietnamese block prints from the village of Dong Ho.
themilitarymuseums.ca
The Artist’s Mirror: Self Portraits
Until January 16, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
The first in series of exhibitions developed in collaboration with Library and Archives Canada, head to Glenbow to see self-portraits from the two institutions’ impressive collections. Curated by Sarah Todd, see pieces that allow their creators a chance to look deeply at themselves.
glenbow.org
A tender proposition to the din
Until January 27, 2019
Esker Project Space (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Jen Reimer and Magnus Tiesenhausen take to the Project Space to explore a moment extracted from a cycle of water storage, distillation, distribution, consumption, and transformation. The industrial civic processes recorded are the vibrations of water treatment and circulation taken from within Calgary’s Glenmore reservoir and Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant, facilitated by the City of Calgary WATERSHED+ Dynamic Environment Lab and by many gracious and patient Water Services workers.
eskerfoundation.com
Have a visual arts event that’s not listed above? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
