Exhibitions December 2017
Take a break from the hustle and take in some visual arts
December is always a busy time of year but be sure to take a moment for yourself and go see an exhibition. There’s still plenty to choose from this month including show and sales, receptions, pop-ups, unexpected urban galleries, and so much more.
Bring the Baby Art Tour
December 1, 2017, 12:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration essential
A relaxed, social tour, bring your baby to Esker Foundation and have tot-friendly fun while discussing the current exhibitions from Mary Anne Barkhouse and Postcommodity.
eventbrite.ca
Neon & Cream Pop Up Art Show
December 1 & 2, 2017, 3:00 – 9:00pm
St. Louis Hotel (430 8th Ave. SE)
Free
A two-day, pop-up art show featuring 17 local artists from a wide spectrum of experience, check out never-before-seen artworks that have been recently produced with the intent to investigate the exotic lure of fluorescent pigments.
facebook.com
She Who Dares
December 1 – 10, 2017
Fort Calgary (750 9th Ave. SE)
Free
Heading to its final stop, YW Calgary’s Canada 150 project is a creative, engaging, and interactive installation highlighting the stories of 150 women who have impacted Calgary during the last 150+ years.
ywcalgary.ca
Market Collective Cheer
December 1 – 3, 8 – 10 & 15 – 17, 2017
Inglewood Warehouse (1390 17th Ave. SE)
$5 for the entire weekend
This independent market and Calgary staple was created to showcase the works of local artists, artisans, and musicians, and to strengthen the local community. Featuring makers alongside live music, DJs, and a whole bunch of festive cheer, be on the lookout for all kinds of interactive installations throughout the season.
marketcollective.ca
Northern Reflections Window Exhibition
December 1 – 31, 2017
Throughout Downtown Calgary
Free
Celebrating the magic of wintertime through a series of painted windows created by local artists, this immersive experience allows visitors to use Augmented Reality to explore this urban art gallery. Just download the app AUGLE and use it to find the window locations.
facebook.com
Authentically Indigenous Craft Show Holiday Edition
December 2 & 9, 2017, 10:00am – 7:00pm
Kerby Centre Gym (1133 7th Ave. SW)
$2
Featuring more than 30 Indigenous artist vendors from the Calgary and Treaty 7 area of Southern Alberta, this show is full of amazing handmade crafts, art, jewellery, food, and more.
authenticallyindigenouscraftshow.com
Wildflower Art Salon & Sale
December 3, 2017, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Wildflower Arts Centre (3363 Spruce Dr. SW)
Free admission
Join Wildflower Arts Centre for its annual holiday showcase featuring artworks created by the centre’s professionally trained, practicing instructors. From ceramics and fibre arts to paintings and drawings, there is sure to be something for everyone on your list and a portion of all sales go to support Footprints Dance Project Society programs.
facebook.com
Wolf Willow Winter Sale
December 3, 2017, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Wolf Willow Studio (9 Spruce Centre SW)
Free admission
Wolf Willow Studio’s annual gathering of local, artists, musicians, and community, this is a great chance to get some shopping done and pick up an aromatic piece of sustainable, native, Rocky Mountain Wreath decor.
facebook.com
Contemporary Kids: Writing with Sculpture
December 3, 2017, 2:00 – 4:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (117 8th Ave. SW)
Free, registration required
Focusing on one specific artwork, artist, or theme found in its current exhibition, Writing with Sculpture allows children to colourfully sculpt their favourite letters, words or poetry through the use of various mediums.
eventbrite.ca
Art Baby Tour
December 5, 2017, 10:00 – 11:00am
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free – $5
Bring the baby to the museum for an infant-friendly tour of The Eye of the Needle. This tour is perfect for adults accompanied by children under two.
facebook.com
Films of Moyra Davey and John Latham
December 5, 2017, 6:00 – 9:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (117 8th Ave. SW)
Free, registration required
Check out Contemporary Calgary’s Lit Flicks as senior curator Lisa Baldissera presents the films of Moyra Davey and John Latham.
eventbrite.ca
Elder Series
December 6, 2017, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (117 8th Ave. SW)
Free, registration required
A tour and roundtable discussion with Lisa Baldissera, this program is geared towards senior members of Contemporary Calgary’s community.
eventbrite.ca
Out for Lunch Tour: Eye of the Needle
December 6, 2017, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free – $5
Join curator Mary-Beth Laviolette for an insightful tour of current exhibition exploring the history of needlework.
facebook.com
Mini Masters
December 7, 2017, 11:00am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration essential
A hands-on art class, bring your little ones, ages two to five, and explore art making in this fun and social program. All are welcome to participate, just make sure you dress for the mess!
eventbrite.ca
Boy
December 7, 2017, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration essential
Continuing its film series, join the Esker Foundation for this film directed by Taika Waititi. Exploring the relationship between Boy and his absentee father who makes a sudden appearance after seven years, don’t miss your chance to see this coming-of-age comedy-drama from New Zealand.
eventbrite.ca
Festival of Crafts
December 7 – 10, 2017
BMO Centre, Stampede Park (20 Round Up Way SE)
$7
One of Canada’s biggest holiday handcrafted shopping events, this marketplace features over 250 artists, artisans, and designers. Look for locally and nationally sourced handmade goods including fashion, jewellery, home decor, sculptures, glassware, body care, and gourmet treats.
festivalofcrafts.ca
10th Annual Under $100 Art Show
December 7 – 10, 2017
Art Spot (4030 8th St. SE)
$5 admission
Bigger than ever, see works from nearly 100 participating artists with new artwork being brought out daily. With a variety of items including paintings, photography, pottery, glassware, jewelry, clothing, prints, woodwork, leather work, sculpture, accessories, and more, you can even hit up the opening reception taking place from 6:00 to 10:00pm on December 7.
facebook.com
PULL 3.0
December 7 – 14, 2017
cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free
Presented by students from the University of Calgary’s Department of Art, this show provides an opportunity for the school’s emerging artists to showcase and sell their work. Check out the exhibition at one of its opening nights, 5:00 to 7:30pm on December 7 and 8.
facebook.com
Christmas Miniature Show
December 7 – 24, 2017
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free
A selection of small works perfect for that special gift under the tree, check out pieces by William Duma, Toni Onley, David Sorensen, Nancy Boyd, William Webb, Simon Andrew, David Alexander, and many more.
wallacegalleries.com
This+That
December 7, 2017 – January 27, 2018
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free
A playful alternative to the thematic holiday show, This+That is made up of unconventional groupings of artworks by seemingly disparate artists. Featuring work by Diana Thorneycroft, Ulrich Panzer, Madeleine Lamont, Michael Schreiner, and more, check it out at its opening reception from 1:00 to 4:00pm on December 9.
christineklassengallery.com
The Side Door To Perception
December 8, 2017, 1:00 – 3:00pm
cSPACE King Edward (Room 310, 1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free
Exploring art and social justice, this 45 minute talk introduces a number of artists whose work is gaining recognition followed by an open discussion.
facebook.com
Not So Mini Exchange & Exhibition
December 8 – 23, 2017
Alberta Printmakers (4025 4th St. SE)
Free
Each year, Alberta Printmakers holds this non-juried show and sale to showcase the work of local and international print artists. Raising funds towards its artistic and educational programming, swing by the reception on December 8 at 7:00pm.
albertaprintmakers.com
Lunch Hour Author Readings
December 13, 2017, 12:15 – 12:45pm
Contemporary Calgary (117 8th Ave. SW)
Free, registration recommended
Take a break and join Barbara Sutherland and Richard Harrison as they discuss their collaboration on the Print(ed) Word project. Initiated by Alberta Printmakers Society(A/P) and Loft 112, Print(ed) Word unites writers and printmakers to create artists’ books which feature artist interpretations from the text.
eventbrite.ca
Sleigh My Name, Sleigh My Name
December 15, 2017, 8:00pm
TRUCK Contemporary Art In Calgary (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Get ready to sing with TRUCK’s holiday karaoke fundraiser! Snuggle up with Calgary’s art community and sing away your winter blues—$2 gets you to the front of the karaoke line.
truck.ca
Whose side are you on anyway?
December 16, 2017, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended
Rescheduled from December 9, 2017, there’s still time to go on an exhibition tour with Shauna Thompson and explore the subtexts of violence in the Esker Foundation’s current shows.
eventbrite.ca
Ongoing Exhibitions
France Jodoin: Recent Works
Until December 2, 2017
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free
As CKG celebrates its 10th anniversary, it honours an original and admired gallery painter, France Jodoin. Her sixth solo exhibition since her Calgary debut during its grand opening exhibition in October 2007, this long-anticipated solo exhibition showcases 10 new oil paintings in her signature marine genre.
christineklassengallery.com
Ten
Until December 2, 2017
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free
From its inception as The Weiss Gallery in 2007 to its relocation to a mid-century warehouse in 2014, CKG has come to be known as an innovative and welcoming space to experience contemporary art. Celebrate this legacy with a survey of gallery artists.
christineklassengallery.com
Future Memories (Present Tense)
Until December 2, 2017
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta College of Art + Design (1407 14th Ave. NW)
free
Bringing together six contemporary Indigenous artists from different regions of Canada, their work challenges linear ideas of time through storytelling. Each artwork showcased uniquely relates to the theme by either surfacing silenced narratives, deconstructing current dominant narratives, or imagining a past yet to be.
acad.ca
Escapism
Until December 6, 2017
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free
It’s cold outside, the days are short, so why not get away from it all? This group exhibition features bright, happy, and sunny art works for you to escape into.
wallacegalleries.com
SPARK Disability Art Festival
Until December 8, 2017
Multiple locations
Free
Featuring juried and satellite exhibitions as well as other public programs, the SPARK Disability Art Festival is Calgary’s largest and longest running arts festival for visual artists with disabilities. This year’s festival saw submissions from 82 artists from across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
sparkdisabilityartfestival.com
Thumb Through
Until December 9, 2017
Main Space, TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary
Free
Jade Yumang’s Thumb Through is a series of sculptures that reference a 1972 legal scandal in New Jersey where police officers, without warrant, entered a gay bookstore and seized publications that were deemed obscene. Each sculpture represents a page from My-O-My, a 1970s North American gay erotic magazine that was used as evidence in the case.
truck.ca
Dancing On My Own
Until December 9, 2017
Resource Centre, The New Gallery (115 2nd Ave. SW)
Free
The New Gallery and Femme Wave have teamed up to present this visual archive of femme-centric queer space and community by Toronto’s Maddie Alexander. A new beat in the rhythm of Alexander’s archival practice, this work is interactive, ongoing, and conversational. Visit the The New Gallery’s Resource Centre to experience this interactive and shifting archival work.
facebook.com
The Writing on the Wall: Works of Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert, RCA
Until December 16, 2017
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free
Organized by Nickle Galleries and curated by Lindsey V. Sharman, don’t miss this long overdue examination of Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert’s artwork. Featuring 60 pivotal pieces, the exhibition reflects the cyclical nature of Cardinal-Schubert’s work and includes pieces in painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, ceramic, and installation.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Rage Hope
Until December 16, 2017
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free
Organized by Nickle Galleries and curated by Dick Averns, Rage Hope addresses the theme of mental wellness and features the work of Edmonton artist Richard Boulet. Mounted in conjunction with the SPARK Disability Arts Festival, Boulet’s artworks feature highly crafted textiles, text-based art, drawings, and artist books.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Everywhere Possible Therefore True
Until December 16, 2017
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free
Calgary-based multidisciplinary artist Miruna Dragan utilizes diverse techniques including encaustic paint, photography, textiles, and architectural intervention to examine archetypes, myths, and symbols.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
A Very Long Line
Until December 22, 2017
Esker Foundation (1011 8th Ave. SE)
Free
An immersive four-channel video and sound installation, A Very Long Line is made up of four screens of moving images framed by the constant presence of a fence. Interdisciplinary arts collective Postcommodity shot the piece along a portion of the border between Douglas, Arizona, USA and Agua Prieta in Sonora, Mexico.
eskerfoundation.com
Le rêve aux loups
Until December 22, 2017
Esker Foundation (1011 8th Ave. SE)
Free
Guest curated by Jennifer Rudder, Mary Anne Barkhouse invokes animal inhabitants and the flamboyant interiors of the Sun King, Louis XIV of France to create artworks that reveal the transitory nature of empire.
eskerfoundation.com
it’s damned if you don’t and it’s damned if you do
Until December 22, 2017
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free
Exploring counter narratives of female sexuality in relation to nature and fetishism within her own work, Sondra Meszaros presents her first solo exhibition at Jarvis Hall Gallery.
jarvishallgallergy.com
sediments and sunlight
Until December 22, 2017
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free
A new body of work by Tyler Los-Jones, his photographs focus on the material history of the Crowsnest Pass area of South Western Alberta.
jarvishallgallergy.com
Ancient Follicle Seeks Green Wish
Until December 23, 2017
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free
A collaborative effort of four artists with varying studio practices and experience, Puddle Popper makes its Alberta debut with this new, site-specific installation.
thenewgallery.org
Post-Forest
Until December 23, 2017
VIVIANEART (1114 11th St. SW)
Free
Scott Everingham’s latest series of paintings explores themes of loss and regrowth. Reflecting on forests as an underlying subject, Post-Forest showcases invented spaces that are an abstraction of these environments.
vivianeart.gallery
Worn Out Shoes and Back Page News
Until December 23, 2017
Herringer Kiss Gallery (709A 11th Ave. SW)
Free
Jason Frizzell continues his exploration of undefined narratives and uncertain relationships in 1:87 scale. These sculptural dioramas feature imaginary environments, architectural spaces, and miniature tableaus.
herringerkissgallery.com
Signs of the Time
Until December 23, 2017
Herringer Kiss Gallery (709A 11th Ave. SW)
Free
Joe Fleming’s newest work combines post-consumer imagery with a variety of paint applications to create a diary of observations of contemporary times.
herringerkissgallery.com
Higher States: Lawren Harris and His American Contemporaries
Until January 7, 2018
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
After Lawren Harris’ soaring depictions of mountains and icebergs became quintessential Canadiana, the iconic landscape painter and member of the Group of Seven turned to abstraction. Also featuring an important presentation of Harris’ American counterparts—Georgia O’Keeffe, Arthur Dove, Raymond Jonson, and Marsden Hartley—over 60 works make up this exhibition that shows another side to one of Canada’s greatest artists.
glenbow.org
DaveandJenn: The Wellspring
Until January 7, 2018
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
The fourth piece in the One New Work exhibition series curated by Nancy Tousley, Calgary artists DaveandJenn showcase their first installation work, an immersive environment that transforms the gallery into an undersea grotto populated by an enigmatic presence.
glenbow.org
Beautiful Mess
Until January 13, 2018
Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free
A solo exhibition by Calgary-based artist Colleen Philippi, Newzones celebrates its 25th anniversary with Beautiful Mess. With a sense of existential mysticism, don’t miss this show.
newzones.com
Jennifer Wanner: Second Nature
Until January 14, 2018
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
An exhibition of exquisitely created collages and a stop-motion animation, Calgary artist Jennifer Wanner upends traditional botanical art by splicing images of endangered Canadian plant species together to create new hybrids.
glenbow.org
extratextual
Until January 21, 2018
Contemporary Calgary (117 8th Ave. SW)
Free
An international exhibition of contemporary art informed by modes of writing, head to Contemporary Calgary to see this show curated by Lisa Baldissera and Joanne Bristol. The project explores writing techniques, as well as concepts of textuality and narrative, that have informed artistic production and is linked to international symposium Never the Same: what (else) can art writing do?
contemporarycalgary.com
Maxwell Bates and Fellow Expressionist William Leroy Stevenson
Until January 25, 2018
Gallery 505 (505 8th Ave. SW)
Free
This window gallery features exceptional works by both Maxwell Bates and William Leroy Stevenson including pieces from both Glenbow and The City of Calgary Public Art collections.
calgaryalliedartsfoundation.ca
Eye of the Needle
Until May 13, 2018
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Looking at how needle and thread, the shiny bead and sequin, the porcupine quill and tuft of moose hair have all been used to create objects of incredible beauty, explore intricate works found in Glenbow’s historical textile and fashion collection.
glenbow.org
The Black Gold Tapestry
Until May 21, 2018
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Organized by Glenbow, make sure you explore Sandra Sawatzky’s hand-embroidered illustrative tapestry that tells the story of how oil has impacted human civilizations around the world. The Black Gold Tapestry took nine years to complete with Sawatzky spending an average of eight to ten hours a day—every day—on the project either researching, drawing, planning, or embroidering.
glenbow.org
