January Exhibitions
Kick off the new year—and decade—with some amazing art
A new year means you have a chance to check out a bunch of fresh visual arts exhibitions around town. From the return of Free First Thursday Nights at Glenbow to new programming at Contemporary Calgary and the Esker Foundation, it’s a great time to get out and about.
Free First Thursday Nights
January 2, 2020, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Glenbow is a place for everyone. Thanks to a partnership with Servus Credit Union, this free evening at the museum returns for 2020. Committed to expanding the reach and impact of art and culture in our community, be sure to swing by to see amazing exhibits before they close including Ladylikeness: Historical Portraits of Women by Women.
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Collider: Land
January 6 – December 31, 2020
Centennial Planetarium, Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
The second year of the Collider open studio artist residency at Contemporary Calgary adopts a new thematic lens to better understand and engage. Exploring the theme of land, incoming artists are asked to reflect on the complex relationships our communities have with the environment and the diverse ecosystems that shape our lives.
contemporarycalgary.com
Refractionsim
January 7 – February 1, 2020
Framed on Fifth (1207 5th Ave. NW)
Free admission
Taking a stroll through a forest is like looking through a prism with a million facets. Cecile Albi brings attention to nature’s rhythm of patterning using an impressionist style with elements of cubism and abstract expressionism.
framedonfifth.com
Olivier Du Tre: New Works
January 7 – February 28, 2020
HUB @ 302 (302, 1235 26th Ave. SE)
Free admission
This exhibit brings together a collection of 11 new photographs created in the past two years during Olivier Du Tre’s travels to Saskatchewan, Tofino, and Yukon. Check out the show’s reception from 1:00 to 3:00pm on February 8.
albertasocietyofartists.com
Chantal Snodgrass: Recent Work
January 10 – February 1, 2020
Artpoint Gallery & Studios Society (1038 17th Ave. SE)
Free admission
As the temperature drops, Calgarians long for warmer days. A dream-like depiction of Reader Rock Garden in full bloom is the focal point of Snodgrass’s new untitled experimental super 8 film. The show’s reception takes place from 5:00 to 8:00pm on January 10.
artpoint.ca
Between the Salt of the Sun and the Light of the Sea
January 10 – February 22, 2020
TRUCK Contemporary Art (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
This solo exhibition from Samuel de Lange asks what could be revealed by taking the histories of salt and photography into mutual consideration. An opening reception takes place January 10 at 7:00pm, so don’t miss it.
truck.ca
Telling Stories Otherwise
January 10 – February 28, 2020
Alberta Printmakers Gallery and Studio (4025 4th St. SE)
Free admission
Brad Necyk is a multimedia artist and writer in Canada whose practice engages with issues of medicine, mental health, and precarious populations and subjects. His works include drawings and paintings, still and motion film, sculpture, 3D imaging and printing, virtual reality, and performance.
facebook.com
Art in the Dark Workshop
January 11, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Centennial Planetarium, Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
$10
Indefinite Arts Centre artist Andrew Harding leads this special edition of Contemporary Kids. Join Harding as he expands his practice as an artist with a visual impairment. Explore the non-visual qualities of art making and ways to address colour and form.
eventbrite.ca
Katie Ohe & Harry Kiyooka
January 11 – 25, 2020
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
This exhibition showcases a small selection of early works by Katie Ohe and Harry Kiyooka. Married since 1969, this amazing artistic couple have spent the last six decades making art, teaching, and fostering the Alberta arts community. Explore the opening reception from 2:00 to 5:00pm on January 11.
herringerkissgallery.com
Winter 2020 Group Show
January 11 – 25, 2020
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
A group show of gallery artists Jason Frizzell, Blake Senini, Ben Skinner, Aron Hill, Dennis Ekstedt, Rhys Douglas Farrell, and Darija Radakovic, be sure to check out the opening reception from 2:00 to 5:00pm on January 11.
herringerkissgallery.com
Youth Works 2020
January 11 – February 15, 2020
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
Pay-What-You-Can
Youth Works features artwork by local high school students who make use of photography. This might mean photography as the finished product, incorporated into the finished product, or as inspiration. Check out the opening reception from 2:00 to 4:00pm on January 11.
leightoncentre.org
Made-Up Orchard
January 11 – February 29, 2020
Lightbox Studio, Arts Commons (225 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Lightbox Studio in Arts Commons features Avril Lopez whose work is inspired by whimsical creations designed to evoke a child-like state of imaginative worldview. Be sure to swing by as she works on creating an experimental environment that explores the use of creativity as a healing process.
artscommons.ca
Inception 2020
January 14 – 31, 2020
Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free admission
A contemporary art exhibition featuring artists Chlan Grant, Jane Lochrie, Mao (Kun) Chen, J. Broz, Laura Erdman, Nuit, Janie Lockwood, Matt Trinh (AKA “Hawk”), Keegan Karlsen, Terry Gregoraschuk, and the provocative work of TAG, be sure to check out this show.
knoxgalleryofart.com
Ready Player 2
January 16 – March 7, 2020
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission
Brendan Lee Satish Tang and Sonny Assu combine elements from science fiction, comic book, and gaming cultures to consider how these forms both reinforce and transcend racial boundaries in youth culture. Check out the show’s opening reception from 5:00 to 8:00pm on January 16.
ikg.acad.ca
Reliant Objects
January 16 – March 7, 2020
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission
Curated by Lyndsay Rice and Courtney Kemp, this group exhibition of interdisciplinary craft work challenges notions of form, function, and the future of domestic objects. The works rely upon a viewer’s recognition of their sameness and difference. Explore the show at its reception on January 16.
ikg.acad.ca
Hopping for Hope
January 17 – February 22, 2020
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free admission
Ahreum Lee explores both the freedoms and limitations presented by globalization and digital technologies by using playful game elements and Korean pseudoscience. Addressing her research on Google’s mapping methodology, an opening reception takes place January 17 at 8:00pm.
thenewgallery.org
The Sowers
January 17 – February 29, 2020
VIVIANEART (1114 11th St. SW)
Free admission
Laura St. Pierre’s new series of photographs depicts interventions in the urban landscape that comprise of small gardens that thrive in unlikely places, such as parkades or pool decks, devoid of life other than what the sowers have introduced. These ignored derelict spaces become richly transformed through enlivened interaction.
vivianeart.gallery
The discipline of constructing
January 17 – March 6, 2020
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission
A stunning fibre artist, Jolie Bird’s exhibition collates weavings, textile installation, in-gallery performances, and idea and skill sharing with the community. Throughout the duration of the show, Bird will be working in a representational artist’s studio, complete with a four-harness floor loom, assorted weaving tools, materials and snippets from her recent trip to Japan that informs the new body of work. Check it out at the opening reception, 7:00pm on January 17.
stride.ab.ca
I’m Only Going to Show You Once, Now You Try
January 17 – March 6, 2020
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission
Alyssa Duck Chief explores deep traumas of a ruptured family circle in the hopes of healing themselves through the medium of photography, text, and storytelling. Check out the opening reception at 7:00 on January 17.
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Cultivate | Instigate
January 18 – March 21, 2020
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Cultivate | Instigate is about the influential creatives at the forefront of post-secondary craft education in Alberta. Acting as torchbearers, instructors hailing from Alberta University of the Arts, Red Deer College, and Portage College, bridge Alberta’s rich craft legacy with contemporary craft culture through the exceptional work they create. Check out the reception from 2:00 to 4:00pm on February 15 to meet the artists.
albertacraft.ab.ca
This House is On Fire
January 20 – June 24, 2020
Vertigo Theatre (161, 115 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
The feeling of something not quite right, the sensation of missing a step or noticing something in a new light. These are some of the perceptions and interpretations being explored by Indefinite Arts Centre artists in This House is On Fire. See it this season at Vertigo Theatre.
ouriac.ca
Recognition… Validation… Reassurance…
January 21 – February 3, 2020
cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
This unique show is a social practice art project led by artist Dick Averns features collage, drawings, and text-based art that depict personalized visions of mental wellness. Each piece has been created by community participants for community benefit.
obad.ca
SPOTLIGHT: Gillian Mitchell & Sally Dobbin
January 22 – March 8, 2020
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Gillian Mitchell and Sally Dobbin, both ceramic instructors at the Wildflower Arts Centre, use varying techniques to balance design and function in their unique approaches to ceramics. Check out the reception on February 13.
facebook.com
Planetary & Museum of the Moon Opening Reception
January 23, 2020, 6:30 – 10:00pm
Centennial Planetarium, Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free admission, registration required
From stars and planets to nebulae and blackholes, to the highly personal and nostalgic relationships we share with this iconic city landmark, the Centennial Planetarium is an endless expanse of inspiration in Planetary. Combined with Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, be sure to check out these shows at this opening reception.
eventbrite.ca
Museum of the Moon
January 23 – March 15, 2020
Centennial Planetarium, Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
The moon continues to captivate humanity and inspires us to reach for the stars. UK artist Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon is a scale model of the moon measuring six metres in diameter and featuring detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. See it this season at Contemporary Calgary.
contemporarycalgary.com
Planetary
January 23 – April 26, 2020
Centennial Planetarium, Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
Grounded in contextual investigations around shaping vision through site and placemaking, 36 artists living in Calgary respond to the Centennial Planetarium, creating works that draw upon the building’s architecture, its cosmological connections, and its relationships to personal memory and nostalgia.
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Exposure Photography Festival HQ
January 23 – April 26, 2020
Centennial Planetarium, Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
An annual festival that celebrates photography, Exposure Photography Festival settles into the Contemporary Calgary space this January. Hosting three festival feature exhibitions—International Open Call, Emerging Photographers Showcase, and, 2019 Emerging Photographer of the Year, Boon Ong’s Our Closets. The festival wraps on February 29, but don’t worry if you can’t make it this winter—all the exhibitions continue until April 26, 2020.
contemporarycalgary.com
Winter Exhibition Opening
January 24, 2020, 6:00 – 10:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
An in-depth look at Katie Ohe’s sculptural practice and her unparalleled approach to material, form, space, and movement, this exhibition brings together work spanning six decades of Ohe’s remarkable career. Celebrate the show and her impressive body of work at this not-to-be-missed opening reception.
facebook.com
Katie Ohe
January 25 – May 3, 2020
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Presenting an in-depth look at Katie Ohe’s sculptural practice, this exhibition brings together work spanning six decades of Ohe’s remarkable career. You won’t want to miss the largest and most comprehensive solo show of her work to date.
eskerfoundation.com
Frozen in Time
January 27 – April 3, 2020
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission
With an emphasis on stillness, these works may be time-lapse or still frame inspired and include photography and pieces separated from time as in the fragment of a dream or a fleeting memory of the past. Join the Alberta Society of Artists from 1:00 to 3:00pm on February 16 for the show’s reception.
albertasocietyofartists.com
Rebellious: Alberta Women Artists in Conversation
January 28, 2020, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
Art Gallery of Alberta Curator Lindsey Sharman moderates a series of conversations with artists featured in the current AGA exhibition Rebellious: Alberta Women Artists in the 1980s. Speakers include Vera Gartley, Toyo Kawamura, Lylian Klimek, Katie Ohe, and Teresa Posyniak.
eventbrite.ca
Recognition… Validation… Reassurance…
January 29, 2020, 10:00am – 1:30pm
See website for details
Free admission, registration required
Presented by lead artist Dick Averns, this free public program takes place on a City of Calgary Transit bus. Drawings, collage, and text-based art fill the overhead interior panels, all addressing how do you create a framework for mental wellness. The event takes place on Bell Let’s Talk Day and is part of a social practice art project led.
eventbrite.ca
Open Studio
January 30, 2020, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Calgary Allied Arts Foundation, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Join current resident artist, Cassie Suche, to see the drawings she has been working on throughout the month of January. She has been developing a body of experimental, process-based work, aiming to develop a series of large-scale abstract illustrations.
facebook.com
akunnirun kuupak
January 30 – February 29, 2020
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission
This exhibition of photographs quintessentially shows Kablusiak’s use of humour as a coping mechanism to address cultural displacement. Kablusiak reconnects to an important part of their being while simultaneously creating a presence for Inuit wherever they may be. An opening reception takes place on January 30 from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
jarvishallgallery.com
Black Forest (dark waters)
January 30 – April 11, 2020
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission
An exhibition that brings together three interconnected bodies of work by Diana Thorneycroft, thematically, the work addresses issues of difference, alteration, and abjection all tied together as in a fairy tale. Explore the opening reception from 4:00 to 9:00pm on January 30 or hear an artist talk from 12:00 to 1:00pm the same day.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Storied City: Early Calgary Through the Eyes of Writers
January 30 – April 26, 2020
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
With admission
This exhibit imagines a fictitious 1923 dinner party in which 12 real writers gather at Lougheed House, a home where Calgary culture was often celebrated and fostered via parties, performances and salons. Check out the free opening reception from 5:30 to 8:00pm on January 30.
lougheedhouse.com
Everywhere We Are
January 30 – May 29, 2020
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission
Everywhere We Are explores boundaries in art. If a boundary can be thought of as a line that separates, who then sets the boundary? Are there rules? How are they negotiated? And what are the implications for art? Don’t miss part one of this ambitious exhibition and public program series addressing many of the challenges, merits, impacts and advantages associated with art collecting. See the opening reception from 5:30 to 9:00pm on January 30.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Exposure Photography Festival
January 31 – February 29, 2020
Various venues
Ticket prices vary
Celebrate the art of photography this February with Exposure. Alberta’s one and only photography festival, it hosts over 25,000 attendees annually with most events being free and open to the public. You can even check out publication launches, special tours, artist talks, and receptions.
exposurephotofestival.com
PARTICLE + WAVE: Group Exhibition
January 31 – February 29, 2020
EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society (2005 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Showcasing Albertan artists that utilize television screens and monitors to question relationships with social media, this show looks at the feelings of solastalgia as we enter an unpredictable future. Part of EMMEDIA’s PARTICLE + WAVE Media Arts Festival, the show features works by Laura Anzola, Brad Necyk, and Aran Wilkinson-Blanc.
emmedia.ca
Ongoing Exhibitions
Nicole Kelly Westman: Pastoral | Calamity
Until January 5, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
The 10th installment in curator Nancy Tousley’s ongoing series One New Work features two short works by Alberta multi-media artist and poet, Nicole Kelly Westman. The exhibition features moving-image works, for every sunset we haven’t seen and for nights bathed in sodium vapour.
glenbow.org
Unravelling Identities
Until January 6, 2020
HUB @ 302 (302, 1235 26th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Diana Ohiozebau is a visual artist and currently in the MA program in history of art, design and visual culture at the University of Alberta. Be sure to explore her solo show!
albertasocietyofartists.com
A Natural Progression
Until January 11, 2020
Newzones Gallery (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Considering the layering of surfaces and repeated applications of varnish as a way of exaggerating the qualities of the passing of time, be sure to check out this solo exhibition by Peter Hoffer.
newzones.com
Deck the Walls
Until January 11, 2020
Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Ever evolving, Deck the Walls is always a highlight and features an entire wall of small-to-medium sized artworks. A salon-inspired exhibition to entice viewers to give the spectacular gift of art, there is always something for everyone.
newzones.com
ExtraOrdinary Objects
Until January 12, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
From linoleum to drywall, dead flowers to toilet paper, ordinary, disposal, and perishable objects serve as the point of departure for the array of contemporary artworks found in ExtraOrdinary Objects.
glenbow.org
Gerald Ferguson
Until January 12, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Pioneering Canadian artist Gerald Ferguson used quotidian materials to create striking, large-scale paintings that speak to the poetics of everyday life. The titles of his artworks literally describe what the artist used to make them—just wait until you see the monumental multi-panel painting 1,000,000 Grapes.
glenbow.org
Sybil Andrews: Art and Life
Until January 12, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
This major retrospective celebrates the fascinating life and remarkable career of artist Sybil Andrews. Glenbow is the major study centre for the life and work of this beloved English-Canadian printmaker.
glenbow.org
Soft Bodied Oddities
Until January 18, 2020
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Featuring powerful new work by Laura Findlay and Corri-Lynn Tetz, each begins their process for the painted image from a different point of departure. The exhibition explores the theme of empowerment.
jarvishallgallery.com
an Object, outdated (or antiquated)
Until January 24, 2020
Marion Nicoll Gallery, Alberta Univeristy for the Arts (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission
On October 24, 2019, a Canada’s Economic Action Plan sign located on the Alberta University of the Arts campus was taken down as a documented performance. This collaborative exhibition from Liam J Black and David Videla re-contextualizes that useless object.
facebook.com
Backgrounding
Until January 25, 2020
The Edge Gallery (1416 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Philip Kanwischer and Chloe Kinsella present a selection of their collaborative projects. Combining their individual material explorations and shared experiences of time spent in the wild, this show is made up of camouflaged forms against natural backdrops.
facebook.com
All of the Above
Until January 25, 2020
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Christine Klassen Gallery’s holiday show is an eclectic and playful mix of new work by CKG artists. Join them for a seasonal celebration with their artists and be the first to see new inventory for 2020. Featured artists include Karrie Arthurs, Ben Cope, Rocio Graham, France Jodoin, Lori Lukasewich, Robert Pierce, Michael Schreiner, and Carl White.
christineklassengallery.com
Iitsi’poyi
Until January 26, 2020
Project Space, Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Marjie Crop Eared Wolf continues her ongoing project to learn Blackfoot in the drawing, sound, and video installation, Iitsi’poyi. Using thousands of Blackfoot words transcribed from the Blackfoot Dictionary as well as an audio tape made by her mother, this work addresses cultural legacy and resilience by actively engaging in language preservation.
eskerfoundation.com
Honouring the Passage
Until February 1, 2020
Artpoint Gallery & Studios Society (1038 17th Ave. SE)
Free admission
An exhibition of collaborative etchings and paintings by Calgary artist, Carole Bondaroff, and her late mother, Francis Gurevitch Bondaroff, swing by on Saturdays for printmaking demonstrations and talks on this multi-generational exhibit.
artpoint.ca
Window Galleries
Until February 28, 2020
Window Galleries, Arts Commons (225 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Arts Commons’ Window Galleries features four varied artists this season, each working in the mediums of photography, paint, illustration, and wire sculpture. The work explores the themes of divergent viewpoints, fantasy, female empowerment, and community. See Abi Buchberge’s Land of Plenty, Kaitlyn Copithorne’s La Vie en Rose, Nada Khatib’s Veil Or Frail: Modest Women, and Ryan Puchalski’s Faction.
artscommons.ca
Dialogue with a Bone Teacup
Until February 29, 2020
Ledge Gallery, Arts Commons (205 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission
The result of Elijah Wells’ research into Blackfoot story archives such as winter counts and story robes, this investigation is also an exploration discovery of Blackfoot visual language. An artist reception takes place from 5:30 to 8:30pm on February 28 so mark your calendars.
artscommons.ca
Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out
Until March 1, 2020
TELUS Spark (220 St. Georges Dr. NE)
With admission
See the world’s most spectacular animals like never before! This rarely seen perspective guides visitors through skeletons, muscles, organs, and circulatory systems of a variety of animals.
sparkscience.ca
Images of Rapture
Until March 6, 2020
Centre Street CTrain Station (7th Ave. & 1st St. SE)
Free admission
Molly Caldwell explores the ecstatic in vapid and ostentatious yet somehow joyful for it. It channels the sticky sweetness of hair stuck in lip gloss as you flip through a glossy magazine and rub the perfume ads on your wrist.
uascalgary.org
Have a visual arts event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
