July Exhibitions
Rain or shine, Calgary’s visual arts programming is always a treat
If you haven’t had a chance to get to know Calgary’s awesome visual arts community, this summer offers you a great time to do so. With a mix of ongoing exhibitions and special events, there’s plenty to see and do.
We can’t wait to explore this July.
Roam
July 1 – August 3, 2019
Central Library (800 3rd St. SE)
Free admission
Finger painter Prameesha Abeysekera and sculptor Gordon Pengilly caress the heart of the horse and the magic of their movement in this series of paintings and sculptures. Explore this show in the west window of the Central Library.
prameeart.com
A Closer Look Tour: Mavericks
Tuesdays, July 2 – September 10, 2019, 1:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Each Tuesday throughout the summer, join Glenbow’s educators as they share some of their favourite stories about the maverick spirit that continues to characterize contemporary Alberta.
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Interrelation: Mohkinstsís
July 3, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00pm
At the Confluence, near Fort Calgary (750 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Interrelation: Mohkinstsís is the third in a series of land-based endurance performances by Meagan Musseau, with prior iterations on Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain, Treaty 7 Territory (Banff), and on Wolastoqiyik territory (Fredericton, NB). In the performance, Musseau braids vinyl flagging tape from a tree, offering a point of engagement with the land, water, and spirit of this region.
truck.ca
Mini Masters
July 4, 2019, 11:00 – 11:45am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
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
Free First Thursday Nights
July 4, 2019, 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Get into Glenbow without paying a dime and check out its popular Thursday night affair, this July offers a great chance to explore all the new exhibitions including Nick Cave: Feat. and Ed Pien: Our Beloved.
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A Closer Look Tour: Niitsitapiisinni
Thursdays, July 4 – September 12, 2019, 1:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Journey through the award-winning Niitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life gallery and uncover the traditions, values, and history of the people who have lived for thousands of years in the northwestern plains of Alberta and Montana. The Blackfoot share their story in their own words with interactive displays that guide visitors through Nitsitapii history.
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Bring the Baby Art Tour & Tummy Time
July 5, 2019, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
A relaxed, social tour, bring your baby to the Esker Foundation and have tot-friendly fun while discussing the exhibitions. This program starts with a casual half-hour tour of the current exhibitions, followed by a half-hour of tummy time social fun for both baby and guardian!
eventbrite.ca
These Threads Hold Memory
July 5 – August 10, 2019
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free admission
Carrie Allison uses beading in her practice to connect to ancestors, to gain insight with Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies. This exhibition utilizes beading as a tool to share statistics, thoughts, and contemplate stereotypical and perhaps unknown narratives. Explore the show at its opening reception at 8:00pm on July 5.
thenewgallery.org
In Between and the Resolve
July 6 – August 17, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Jennifer Weihmann is a Calgary-based nature lover and emerging photographer. Her extreme close-up images of decomposing leaves, mushrooms, moss sprouts, and petals harken back to a childlike wonder in the smallest of details. Check out the reception from 5:00 to 7:00pm on July 11.
christineklassengallery.com
Chroma: Group Show
July 6 – August 17, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Christine Klassen Gallery’s annual group show celebrates colour and the diversity of their artists has an emphasis on experimentation and deviation. Featuring intimate drawings from well-known photographer Diana Thorneycroft, innovative large-scale paperworks by Carl White, pattern exploration from Michael Schreiner, and experimental mark-making by Verna Vogel, explore the show at its reception on July 11, from 5:00 to 7:00pm.
christineklassengallery.com
Cache
July 6 – August 31, 2019
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Curated by Kevin Kanashiro, this exhibition shines a light on a group of talented, well established artists that are not necessarily familiar to the public eye. Explore the show at its opening reception from 2:00 to 5:00pm on July 6. Curator and artists’ remarks take place at 3:30pm.
herringerkissgallery.com
Print(ed) Word Salon Series
July 9, 2019, 7:00 – 8:00pm
Simmons-Harvie Community Living Room, Central Library (800 3rd St. SE)
Free admission
Join artist Tim van Wijk and writer Erin Emily Vance as they discuss their artist book, The Night Will be Long but Beautiful: The Life and Death of Jeff Lakes. This free event is the seventh in a series of 12 talks.
facebook.com
Lifelong Learners
July 10, 2019, 2:30 – 3:15pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
Seniors are invited to join the Esker Foundation for a tour and discussion of the current exhibitions in a relaxed, social environment. Explore new ideas and engage creatively with arts and culture.
eventbrite.ca
Hats Off An Artist Roundup
July 11, 2019, 5:00 – 8:00pm
cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
The cSPACE Showcase Series is the perfect time to experience the diverse, living, breathing, and ever-changing arts hub that is cSPACE. Bring a date or bring yourself! This July sees a Stampede themed hootenanny where you can introduce yourself to an arts community that is shaping where Calgary is going.
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Spotlight YYC: Mackenzie Kelly-Frère
July 11 – August 24, 2019
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Mackenzie Kelly-Frère is an artist and educator whose work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally. Explore some of his new work in the Alberta Craft Gallery’s Spotlight YYC exhibition. The opening reception takes place from 5:00 to 8:00pm on July 11.
facebook.com
Northern Animals: Indigenous Beading Workshop
July 13, 2019, 1:00 – 5:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Drawing inspiration from the themes and work in Among All These Tundras, multi-disciplinary Blackfoot artist Jared Tailfeathers shares two different techniques of traditional beading. Participants can create a northern animal design on leather or vegan leather. All materials are provided.
eventbrite.ca
Art Baby Tour
July 17, 2019, 10:00am
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free – $5
Make some time for you and take a relaxed one-hour tour of the exhibition Nick Cave: Feat. with your wee one in tow. This tour is designed to allow parents and caregivers of small children, aged two and under, an opportunity to engage with Glenbow’s content in a baby friendly environment.
facebook.com
Cocktails & Cave
July 18, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
$65
Join Glenbow for unique, handcrafted cocktails inspired by the exhibition Nick Cave: Feat. Created by Sugar Water Bar, each ticket includes two cocktails and a tour. No minors.
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Date Night at Esker
July 19, 2019, 6:30 – 8:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Looking for a pre-sunset craft-happy summer activity? Let Esker be your host for date night! Drawing inspiration from its current exhibitions, roll up your sleeves and create your own artwork while honing your creative skills.
eventbrite.ca
Futurology
July 19 – September 6, 2019
Alberta Printmakers (4025 4th St. SE)
Free admission
Celebrate Alberta Printmakers’ beginnings, where they’ve come through the years, and the many members, partners, and supporters who have helped them get to where we they are now. This exhibition kicks off with A/P’s 30th anniversary celebration from 7:00 to 10:00pm on July 19.
facebook.com
Recent Acquisitions
July 19 – October 11, 2019
Centre Street CTrain Station (1st St. & 7th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Exploring ideas of theft and authorship, Collin Zipp’s Recent Acquisitions is made up of 11 seemingly identical forgeries from an art reproduction company based in China. Seeing the paintings side-by-side encourages the viewer to further investigate their similarities.
uascalgary.org
500 Shades of Summer
July 20 – August 13, 2019
Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free admission
The Knox Gallery presents a pop up exhibition of leading edge contemporary visual art by artists Chlan Grant, Jane Lochrie, Mao (Kun Chen), Matt Trinh (a.k.a. Hawk), Terry Gregoraschuk, and its newest artist J. Broz.
knoxgalleryofart.com
Master Class for Families
July 21, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Head to the Esker Foundation for an afternoon of family fun at the gallery and delve into new mediums with art projects that relate to the current exhibitions. This is an educational, energetic, hands-on program for kids ages five to 10. An adult is required to stay for the duration of the workshop and all materials are provided.
eventbrite.ca
Cinematic Sunday: Nick Cave AS IS
July 21, 2019, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
$8 – $25
This behind the scenes documentary shows how one man brought people from all walks of life together using the power of art. Screened in conjunction with Glenbow’s exhibition Nick Cave: Feat., see the film then take in the exhibition.
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Building 1967 Architecture
July 21, 2019, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Contemporary Calgary, Centennial Planetarium (701 11th St. SW)
$10 per child, registration required
The next Contemporary Kids program invites families to learn about modern and contemporary art through unique and engaging art activities. The afternoon begins with a kid-friendly tour of the current exhibition Brutal Visions which explores the rich history of the Centennial Planetarium. Then the children create their own structures inspired by this iconic architecture style.
eventbrite.ca
A Closer Look Tour
July 24, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Join Glenbow curator Sarah Todd as she shares details about the artists and their ideas as you tour through two summer exhibitions, Ed Pien: Our Beloved and Second Skin.
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together but apart
July 26 – August 31, 2019
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Featuring new works by Robin Arseneault, Laura Findlay, Larissa Tiggelers, Mark Dicey, Jeff Nachtigall, Corri-Lynn Tetz, Rachel MacFarlane, and many more, check out this summer group show at its opening reception, July 26 at 8:00pm.
jarvishallgallery.com
Throat Singing with Jenna Broomfield and Barbara Akoak
July 27, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Join Inuit throat singers Jenna Broomfield and Barbara Akoak for a performance, workshop, and talk. Learn more about their practice, the history and significance of traditional songs, and the importance of building new traditions through contemporary collaborations. Participants have the opportunity to learn about the fundamentals of throat singing in a culturally appropriate space.
eventbrite.ca
what do I say to strangers
July 28, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
The works in Among All These Tundras embrace and address concepts of language, land, sovereignty, and home. Join curator Shauna Thompson for a tour through the works in this exhibition.
eventbrite.ca
A New Star in our Planetarium
July 28, 2019, 2:30 & 3:30pm
Contemporary Calgary, Centennial Planetarium (701 11th St. SW)
Free admission, registration required
As part of Historic Calgary Week, Contemporary Calgary is hosting a guided tour of the Centennial Planetarium led by Cynthia Klaassen. Participants can learn about the history of this architectural landmark and future plans to transform the space into a world-class destination for modern and contemporary art.
eventbrite.ca
Kablusiak: Qiniqtuaq
July 29 – October 20, 2019
Project Space, Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Qiniqtuaq (searching/looking) invites viewers to peer through a multi-eyed ghost sheet to witness a looping projection of a video collage screened in front of a piece of oil-stained cardboard. Inviting a presence of nostalgia, spectatorship, and diaspora, the piece was created by Kablusiak, an Inuvialuk artist and curator based in Mohkinstsis.
eskerfoundation.com
Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Indigenous Studies Collection
July 31, 2019, 2:00 – 3:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
The Chinook Country Historical Society presents this special behind-the-scenes tour at Glenbow for Historic Calgary Week. Join Joanne Schmidt, Glenbow’s Indigenous Studies Curator, for a look at a wide range of toys and games from Glenbow’s Indigenous Studies collection.
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Ongoing Exhibitions
Xposed
Until July 13, 2019
Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art, Eau Claire Market (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free admission
The Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art presents its first juried figurative show this summer. Featuring artists from Canada, Great Britain and the US, make sure you swing by to see what’s in store.
knoxgalleryofart.com
Antoni Tàpies: Prints, 1948-1976
Until July 14, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
One of the most significant Spanish artists of the 20th century, Antoni Tàpies’ printmaking is intense, politicized, and defiant. This collection was acquired by Glenbow in 2010 and has never before been publicly exhibited at the museum.
glenbow.org
The Yellow Forest
Until July 20, 2019
TRUCK Contemporary Art Gallery (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Jessie Rose Vala and Stephen Nachtigall’s The Yellow Forest focuses around an expansive multiple channel video installation, sculptural ceramic forms, cut vinyl structures, and printed imagery that reference deep psychological connections to plant and non-human consciousness.
truck.ca
Money and Calgary: The City’s History of Numismatics
Until July 20, 2019
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission
A unique exhibition that celebrates the city’s extensive history of numismatics—the study and collecting of currency—explore it at the reception, 3:00 to 5:00pm on July 12.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Closer Look: Investigating the Every Day
Until July 20, 2019
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission
Curated by Christine Sowiak from the collection of Nickle Galleries, Closer Look: Investigating the Every Day brings together works that spring from the objects, environments, and cultural surroundings that we fail to see because they are so integrated into our daily existence.
nickle.ucalgary.ca
Occlusion Field
Until July 21, 2019
Project Space, Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
May G N’s Occlusion Field is a singular moment in time and space made of the stuff of trans defense mechanism: tattoos, liquid gender concepts, and hormonally transforming surfaces that come together to speak to a whole that transcends its constitutive parts.
eskerfoundation.com
good grief
Until July 26, 2019
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission
Kasia Sosnowski’s exhibition, good grief, is an examination of how negotiation through grief, anxiety, and mental recovery are directly tied to their art practice as a means of articulating difficult or innate narratives.
stride.ab.ca
grassstains
Until July 26, 2019
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission
Julie D. Mills’ exhibition positions the viewer in between two soccer players, clad in painting-turned-into-clothing, cleverly meeting at the cross section of painting, performance, sound, and video.
stride.ab.ca
A Point on the Horizon
Until August 4, 2019
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
Admission by donation
Each with a unique perspective, this exhibition showcases the work of a series of emerging artists as they look around themselves and respond to their surroundings and personal histories.
leightoncentre.org
Water Features
Until August 18, 2019
The Peanut Gallery, John Fleuvog Shoes (304 8th Ave. SW)
Free admission
An obsession with the river and its evolution from day to day, season to season inspired Chris Brooks to explore new materials and methods for creating landscapes. The foundation of each piece in the exhibition is fine resin for its ability to retain fluid properties as a solid.
chrisbrooks.art
Portraits
Until August 24, 2019
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
From quirky self-portraits to iconic personalities, this exhibition is as diverse as each person depicted. Portraits features the work of 33 fine craft artists.
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Hand Pic’d 2019
Until August 29, 2019
VIVIANEART (1114 11th St. SW)
Free admission
Celebrating emerging artists and recent graduates within the local Calgary arts community, see works by Alyssa Ellis, Adriane Vant Erve, and Jessie Fraser, three artists who are using fibre as a key element in their visual art practice.
vivianeart.gallery
ᐊᕙᑖᓂᑦᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᑦ Among All These Tundras
Until August 30, 2019
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Among All These Tundras is a title taken from the poem My Home is in My Heart by famed Sámi writer Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and features contemporary art by Indigenous artists from around the circumpolar world.
eskerfoundation.com
CHANNEL 51: IGLOOLIK – Celebrating 30 Years of Inuit Video Art
Until August 30, 2019
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Curated by asinnajaq, this is the first large-scale tour of Igloolik Inuit video art from the Isuma and Arnait Women’s Video Collective. It celebrates a young cinematic tradition that has its own distinct voice and worldview.
eskerfoundation.com
Second Skin
Until September 15, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Second Skin is an exhibition of contemporary art that features work by five Canadian artists—Brendan Fernandes, Skeena Reece, Barbara Astman, Winnie Truong, and Tia Halliday—who explore the transformative potential of adornment, costume, and disguise.
glenbow.org
Kent Merriman Jr.: Remnants
Until September 15, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
The ninth installment in curator Nancy Tousley’s ongoing series One New Work features new work by emerging Calgary artist Kent Merriman. The exhibition features highly laborious sculptural paintings that fool the eye by masquerading as flattened cardboard boxes, poured concrete, and clear plastic baggies.
glenbow.org
Ed Pien: Our Beloved
Until September 22, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Ed Pien’s 144 framed photographs of flowers are hung together in a monumental, wall-filling installation. The artist photographed the flowers at grave sites at a cemetery in Sanitiago, Chile which is the final resting place for many of the political dissidents and victims of the murderous dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
glenbow.org
Nick Cave: Feat.
Until September 22, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Organized by the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee, Nick Cave is one of America’s most acclaimed contemporary artists. This major touring exhibition makes its only Canadian stop and features the artist’s signature sound suits as well as sculpture, video, and installation works.
glenbow.org
Vital Lines
Until September 29, 2019
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
Admission by donation
Vital Lines is a land-based installation conceived by Calgary francophone artists Sabine Lecorre-Moore and Patricia Lortie, who together form the artistic duo known as Conversation. They have designed this interactive installation specifically for the Leighton Art Centre landscape, creating an artwork that offers a receptive site where visitors can rest their dreams, wishes, and life affirmations.
leightoncentre.org
Collider
Until September 29, 2019
Contemporary Calgary, Centennial Planetarium (701 11th St. SW)
Free admission
Taking a cue from particle accelerators, Collider serves as a catalyst for collaborative experimentation and discovery through a collision of ideas and actions. This inaugural project employs a peer nomination process to invite 30 local artists to make Contemporary Calgary and the former Centennial Planetarium their studio and community hub.
contemporarycalgary.com
Brutal Visions
Until September 29, 2019
Contemporary Calgary, Centennial Planetarium (701 11th St. SW)
Free admission
Providing a rich and engaging context for the recently reawakened Centennial Planetarium, Brutal Visions invites viewers to explore the history, architecture, and future ambitions of Contemporary Calgary’s new home.
contemporarycalgary.com
A Future City from The Past
Until September 29, 2019
Contemporary Calgary, Centennial Planetarium (701 11th St. SW)
Free admission
Clemens Gritl’s body of work, A Future City from The Past, is based on a mystifying vision of a radically aggressive urban dystopia—an uncompromising design in the brutalist dogma. Explore it as Contemporary Calgary opens every Sunday and Thursday starting on June 2.
contemporarycalgary.com
Artist In Residence: Albertine Crow Shoe
Until January 5, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Glenbow’s artist-in-residence program invites multidisciplinary artists to interact with Glenbow’s vast collection of art and cultural material to inspire new works. Albertine Crow Shoe is known primarily for her exquisite jewellery and this exhibition features highlights of her past work as well as entirely new creations based on her discoveries from working with Glenbow’s collection.
glenbow.org
Ladylikeness: Historical Portraits of Women by Women
Until January 5, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Presented in partnership with Library and Archives Canada, head to Glenbow to see a varied selection of portraiture produced over a 200-year period, with works dating from 1768 to 1960. Ladylikeness offers a fascinating look at how these artists chose to work within the genre in different ways, making it their own.
glenbow.org
Art of Resilience
Until March 2, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
The result of four art workshops held at Glenbow for children and families served by Kainaiwa Children’s Services Corporation Prevention and Support, explore their work in this unique showcase.
glenbow.org
Have a visual arts event that’s not listed above? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
