July Exhibitions
Calgary’s visual arts community opens up with public exhibitions
After a very quiet year of visual arts in Calgary, things are springing to life again with galleries opening back up and new exhibits launching. Most are offering pre-bookings, lots of safety protocols, and tons of great art so be sure to check out what you can this July.
Avert
July 1 – 10, 2021
University of Calgary (2500 University Dr. NW)
Free to explore
As you move throughout the University of Calgary campus, you may notice images of a young woman awkwardly negotiating the spaces through which you move. Attempting to avoid unwarranted interactions, she regulates her body by making herself small. Go for a walk and see if you can find Avert.
facebook.com
Stories from Early Chinatown
July 1 – October 17, 2021
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
With admission
The Chinese community has been in Calgary since the early days of settlement. By 1885, the year after Calgary became incorporated as a town, the first Chinese residents were settled in the town centre. Despite racism and discriminatory government policies, the community slowly grew. This exhibit explores the stories of these early Calgarians through creative writing, illustrations, audio, and historical photographs.
lougheedhouse.com
Beyond the Edge
July 1 – October 17, 2021
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
With admission
Beyond the Edge is a traveling exhibit by artist Kay Burns that looks at the Flat Earth Society of Canada and its later iterations, along with curious details about two of its enigmatic members. The exhibit embodies how inquiry plays an important role in critical thinking and knowledge acquisition.
lougheedhouse.com
Paper Suns
July 2 – 31, 2021
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free to explore
The New Gallery is thrilled to present its current Main Space and Main Frame exhibition, Paper Suns by Livien Yin. It features fictionalized portraits of early Chinese Americans. Sensual Chinese men and androgynous figures take center stage throughout Paper Suns’ vignettes of leisure.
thenewgallery.org
The Courage Journey
July 6 – 18, 2021
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
$5
The Courage Journey exhibition features artwork from WP Puppet Theatre Society’s the VIEW from the Inside program. It was originally curated by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts’ Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX) and toured throughout Alberta for two years. Don’t miss it.
loft112.org
Algorithmic Rituals
July 7 – 10, 2021
Stream online
Free to participate
Attend a participatory movement workshop for creating rituals that ponder how we can create space for ourselves in the context of worlds structured so largely by computers. Use movement and conversation prompts to think about how our lives and bodies relate to computer-related systems. Register to take part.
kathrynblair.com
Joy
July 8 – August 29, 2021
ATB Art Vault Gallery (102 8th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Joy is a collaboration between the Alberta University of the Arts and ATB Art Vault. This free exhibition showcases artwork from six AUArts alumni. Each artist shares work in this exhibition that embodies their relationships to the joy they feel in their lives.
auarts.ca
Stampede Art Show
July 9 – 18, 2021
BMO Centre, Stampede Park (20 Roundup Way SE)
With admission
This art show connects artists with art enthusiasts, offering an opportunity to learn about different art mediums and chat with some of the artists directly. This year, take in a mix of traditional and contemporary work from painters, sculptors, silversmiths, and photographers!
calgarystampede.com
Nasarimba
July 9 – August 15, 2021
VIVIANEART (1018 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
The collaborative practice of artists Rachel Ziriada and Mikhail Miller, Nasarimba is a fictional word created by the duo which means playful mischief. They are perhaps most recognized for their dynamic and colourful murals, many of them gracing walls around Calgary, across Canada, and in Mexico City.
vivianeart.com
Lands to Travel Through
July 9 – August 27, 2021
Alberta Printmakers Gallery (4025 4th St. SE)
Free to explore
As part of the Lands to Travel Through artist-run gathering, Alberta Printmakers highlights alternative forms of knowledge dissemination and creative exchange with Martha Street Studio’s Trio and a portion of l’Atelier Presse Papier’s Vague démographique: mouvance des cultures.
albertaprintmakers.com
Youth Earth Art Series
July 10, 2021, 1:00 – 4:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
$77.13
Learn basic knife carving skills and discover the art of whittling! Participants can expect to learn how to safely use a wood carving knife and develop some whittling skills. Part of the Earth Art Series, the things you can make in the forest with a sharp knife are endless!
facebook.com
Chroma
July 10 – August 28, 2021
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
This summer group and invitational show at Christine Klassen Gallery features artworks by Karrie Arthurs, Ronald Boaks, Heather Close and Sarah Nordean, Rick Ducommon, Julya Hajnoczky, Madeleine Lamont, Robert Pierce, Lori Lukasewich, Carl White and many more! Be sure to check it out!
christineklassengallery.com
Summer Broom Making
July 11, 2021, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
$155.84
Join local broom maker David Campbell for a one-day workshop in the centuries-old craft of handwoven broom making. Participants are provided with all of the materials, tools, and instruction needed to make their own broom from start to finish. Register early to take part!
facebook.com
On The Road
July 17, 2021, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
$94.87
Learn the secrets of capturing architecture, nature, and indoor scenes while you’re on the road, using a variety of techniques with watercolour and ink. This class focuses on a wide range of approaches for quickly capturing the moment with easy-to-transport supplies as you explore!
facebook.com
Youth Earth Art Series
July 17, 2021, 1:00 – 4:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
$77.13
Learn basic knife carving skills and discover the art of whittling! Participants can expect to learn how to safely use a wood carving knife and develop some whittling skills. Part of the Earth Art Series, the things you can make in the forest with a sharp knife are endless! You won’t want to miss it.
facebook.com
Threading Black
July 17 – August 8, 2021
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
eva birhanu and Simone Elizabeth Saunders define for themselves, in this body of work, permanent manifestations through practices that reckon with the necessary conversations surrounding race, gender, roots, and identity.
albertacraft.ab.ca
Special Thymes
July 22 – September 29, 2021
Window Installation, EB Centre Street CTrain Station (124 7th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
The Bows presents works by artist Les Ramsay, reflecting images of organic states of fractured evolution, text and figure that mingle in lucid landscapes. Ramsay creates his works by recycling the excess of everyday ideas and domestic objects using constructive and deconstructive strategies.
thebows.org
Something To Hoot About
July 24, 2021, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
$17.27 – $56.07
Visit the beautiful foothills for a morning of exploring and creating at the Leighton Art Centre! Join its art and nature educators for a nature walk, learn about the native plants and wildlife, and create a nature inspired artwork— this one explores the owls that reside in Alberta.
facebook.com
RELATIONS: Diaspora and Painting
July 24 – November 27, 2021
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
This group exhibition explores the multiple and complex meanings of the idea of the diaspora, its condition, and its experiences as expressed in painting, offering a selection of works by artists who address the question from various points of view. Be sure to make it a priority to visit.
eskerfoundation.com
Hot Hot Hot
July 29 – August 31, 2021
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Wallace Galleries presents a group exhibition with a handpicked selection of works by its roster of artists to celebrate the summer. The show includes work by Dorothy Knowles, Gregory Hardy, Simon Andrew, Hilda Oomen, and more so be sure to check it out this season!
wallacegalleries.com
Beyond Van Gogh: An Immersive Experience
July 30 – August 29, 2021
BMO Centre, Stampede Park (20 Roundup Way SE)
Prices vary
In an imaginative and immersive presentation crafted for our unique times by world renowned audiovisual designers, Beyond Van Gogh uses cutting-edge projection technology to create an engaging journey into the world of Van Gogh. Tickets are selling out so grab yours quickly.
calgaryvangogh.com
Birds Eat Mosquitoes
July 31 – September 5, 2021
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
By donation
Inspired by our powerful prairie surroundings, Doug Levitt began a series devoted to painting Alberta. Along the backroads and scenic piques and valleys, Doug fell in love with the birds he inevitably encountered on his explorations. Check his work out at the Leighton Art Centre!
leightoncentre.org
Where Do We Stand?
July 31 – September 5, 2021
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
By donation
An exhibition of sculpture and two-dimensional works by Neshka Krusche, the artist finds the driftwood, mostly cedar and fir, on the West Coast and completely transforms it to take on a new, sharp, thought-provoking presence. You won’t want to miss it.
leightoncentre.org
Ongoing Exhibitions
Always
Until July 10, 2021
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
Just in time for spring, the show features Madeleine Lamont’s beloved florals, but with the considerations and explorations of the pandemic as an influencing factor. A strong and remarkably vivid palette acts as a visual segue to the resiliency within the botanical world.
christineklassengallery.com
Manitohkewin
Until July 17, 2021
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Sharon Rose Kootenay’s Manitohkewin series explores the artist’s relationship between cultural practices, spiritual beliefs and global concerns. As the world’s values change, can traditional artistic practice still communicate with the sentient cosmos?
albertacraft.ab.ca
Exposure Photography Festival
Until July 18, 2021
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
Presenting exhibitions that showcase photographic work by internationally renowned practitioners alongside emerging and established talent from Alberta, celebrate Alberta’s rich photography scene and thriving creative communities. Explore it in-person or online.
contemporarycalgary.com
What a Difference a Day Makes
Until July 25, 2021
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
By donation
What a difference a day makes. For that matter, what a difference a year, an hour, a minute, and a second make in our world. Over the past year, artists have become more aware of the changes and differences that occur within time. Check out this exhibition featuring ASTA Dale, Cindy Delpart, Greg Pyra, Cameron Roberts, David Harrison, Seka Owen, Aaron Sidorenko, Susan Kristoferson, and Jean Pederson.
leightoncentre.org
Group Exhibition 2021
Until July 28, 2021
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Wallace Galleries present a variety of works throughout the summer, with a focus on abstraction with hints of landscape for this first rotation. Artists featured include Harold Town, Laurie Steen, Bruce Head, Camrose Ducote, Robin Smith Peck, Nancy Boyd, Toni Onley, Jim Stokes, and more.
wallacegalleries.com
knowingdoing
Until July 31, 2021
The Bows (2001B 10th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
What lessons do we find in knowing and doing? In this exhibition, works by Helah Cooper, Erika DeFreitas, and Susan Jahoda and Caroline Woolard of BFAMFAPhD exist between modes of practice, play, embodiment, sensing, and pedagogy, recoupling knowing and doing.
thebows.org
Thinking of You
Until August 8, 2021
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
Thinking of You explores writing, connection, and memory through the process of making postcards for friends and family. Youth artists synthesized text and images to capture the sense of missing one another, and an attempt to link with those separated by space and time.
eskerfoundation.com
Unmasking Imagination
Until August 8, 2021
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
Through multiple artistic mediums, children aged eight to 13 worked with artist Katie Green to explore what it meant to embody the mask and character they were creating in art camp. Check out the artistic results these children achieved through mindfulness and creative practice!
eskerfoundation.com
Unspoken Incantation
Until August 21, 2021
Alberta Society of Artists (222, 1235 26th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
Mao (Kun) Chen’s works explore themes of socio-cultural identity, female representation, and gender politics associated with growing up in a male-dominated society in China. This exhibition explores kawaii culture in Asian-Canadian identity through ceramics and paintings.
albertasocietyofartists.com
You Could be Quoting Shakespeare
Until August 21, 2021
Alberta Society of Artists (222, 1235 26th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
SPECTRA Textile Arts showcases a collection of textile art inspired by Shakespeare quotes, with many of the popular phrases and sayings in common use today. Come be inspired to learn more about Shakespeare’s influence on our language through art!
albertasocietyofartists.com
Summer Group Show
Until August 28, 2021
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Herringer Kiss Gallery presents an in-person rotating exhibition of diverse works by gallery artists, including Howard Lonn, Katie Ohe, Shelley Adler, Harry Kiyooka, Renee Duval,Genevieve Dionne, David Burdeny, Fiona Ackerman, Sara Robichaud, and more. You can also view it online.
herringerkissgallery.com
Highlights From the Art Collection
Until August 29, 2021
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Spend some time with a selection of beautiful, surprising, and feel-good artworks from Glenbow’s diverse art collection. Whether you’re seeking a window into another world or a calm moment of contemplation, each of these artworks will reward your attention.
glenbow.org
Maud Lewis
Until August 29, 2021
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Glenbow presents the work of one of Canada’s most beloved folk artists, Maud Lewis, who was famous in her lifetime for her brightly coloured and endearing paintings of rural Nova Scotia, producing hundreds of small works that captured aspects of country life that were rapidly changing.
glenbow.org
Shuvinai Ashoona
Until August 29, 2021
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Take in Mapping Worlds courtesy of Glenbow. Shuvinai Ashoona’s drawings imagine the past and present fused into a prophetic future, populated by human-animal hybrid creatures, women birthing worlds, and mystical or other-worldly landscapes clearly inspired by the terrain of her northern home.
glenbow.org
A History For Today
Until September 6, 2021
Gasoline Alley, Heritage Park (1900 Heritage Dr. SW)
With admission
This engaging and inspirational exhibit shares the story of Anne Frank and her family, their life in hiding, WWII, and the atrocities of the Holocaust. The stories unfold through the words of young Anne and her family, with excerpts taken from her diary.
heritagepark.ca
Eat & Seek
Until September 30, 2021
Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Rd. SE)
Free to explore
Eat & Seek is an inventive, interactive outdoor dining space featuring artwork from local Alberta artists. Explore vibrant interactive designs and wordplay that will inspire you to hunt for hidden messages in a larger-than-life word search, attempt an unconventional hopscotch, and more!
southcentremall.com
Threads of Living Memory
Until October 3, 2021
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Drawing on Glenbow’s Inuit textiles collection and loans from across Canada, these objects and artworks are manifestations of the dynamic connections between the makers, the viewers, the land, the spirit world, and future generations of memory makers. Be sure to book your visit and check it out.
glenbow.org
With One Hand Tied Behind My Back
Until October 10, 2021
Project Space, Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore
A 30-foot tapestry, cherry red and bubble-gum pink, Molly JF Caldwell’s site-specific installation is a love letter to Penelope from Homer’s Odyssey who repeatedly wove, unraveled, and rewove a tapestry to avoid suitors while awaiting her husband’s return.
eskerfoundation.com
Everywhere We Are
Until October 10, 2021
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
An ambitious exhibition and public program series addressing challenges, merits, impacts, and advantages associated with art collecting, it is intended to express that boundaries are often mutable, flexible and even artificial, and that art is owned by the person who sees it.
contemporarycalgary.com
Notes for Tomorrow
Until October 10, 2021
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission
This exhibition features artworks selected by curators from around the world to reflect on a new global reality ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic, with artworks addressing spirituality as a grounding mechanism, sharing ways to make sense of the world when so much is in doubt.
contemporarycalgary.com
The Boxed Stories Gallery
Until December 1, 2021
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
$5
Housed within a vintage card catalogue, the library’s one time answer to organizing a collection of books for readers to locate on a shelf, visitors are encouraged to discover varied artworks as they open each drawer. This gallery is curated by 32 Calgary artists and writers.
loft112.org
Have a visual arts event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
