June Exhibitions
Kick start your summer with Calgary’s awesome visual arts programming
As we roll into another month and another season, June is the perfect time to get to know Calgary’s amazing visual arts community. From ongoing exhibitions and opening receptions to pop-up sales and tons of festivals, there’s lots to see and do. We can’t wait to check out these shows and events.
Among All These Tundras Artist Exhibition Tour & Talk
June 1, 2019, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
Join the Esker Foundation for a tour with Among All These Tundras artists Kablusiak, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Barry Pottle, Inuuteq Storch, and Couzyn van Heuvelen as they discuss their work in the exhibition.
eventbrite.ca
Clothesline Festival & Art Sale
June 1 & 2, 2019, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. W)
Free admission
Enjoy the 80-acre historic Leighton property with many family-friendly activities including live music, artist demonstrations, children’s art activities, face painting, and local food vendors. Admission is free all weekend.
leightoncentre.org
Ageism
June 1 – 28, 2019
Fish Creek Library (11161 Bonaventure Dr. SE)
Free admission
A juried group exhibition exploring age, the Alberta Society of Artists is holding a reception on June 1 from 1:00 to 3:00pm, with an artist talk by Mary Whale at 1:30pm, or explore it during the month of June at the Fish Creek Library.
albertasocietyofartists.com
Portraits
June 1 – 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 and you can check it out at the reception from 2:00 to 4:00pm on June 1.
facebook.com
ᐊᕙᑖᓂᑦᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᑦ Among All These Tundras
June 1 – 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
June 1 – 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
What a World Without Colours
June 3 – 14, 2019
ATB Branch for Arts + Culture (102 8th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Known for his bright, vibrant, and colourful work, join Lanre Ajayi for this solo exhibition of paintings at the ATB Branch for Arts + Culture. The opening night kicks off at 6:00pm with spoken word from Wakefield Brewster and African contemporary music by Olu Rock Band.
lanreajayi.com
Water Features
June 5 – 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
Mini Masters
June 6, 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
June 6, 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 June offers a great chance to explore exhibitions like Art of Resilience, Recent Acquisitions, and Kent Monkman’s The Rise and Fall of Civilization.
facebook.com
Conspiracy of Crones
June 6 – 15, 2019
U-Hall, TRUCK Contemporary Art (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
This exhibition of recent and evolving work by Patricia Dawkins, Jane Grace, Angela Inglis, Melody Jacobson, Cat Schick, and Leslie Sweder features diverse subjects, themes and mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed-media works. Check it out at the opening reception from 1:00 to 4:00pm on June 8.
facebook.com
Bring the Baby Art Tour & Tummy Time
June 7, 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
Nvrlnd Open House
June 7, 2019, 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Nvrlnd (1048 21st Ave. SE)
Free admission
Nvrlnd is opening to the public on the first Friday of every month. An artist-driven collective, it’s a great chance to have a wander through the halls, explore the space, and meet the resident artists to see what they are creating.
facebook.com
The Yellow Forest
June 7 – 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. Explore the show at its opening reception on June 7.
truck.ca
Fix your hearts or die
June 11, 2019, 6:30 – 7:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Esker Foundation and the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) present artists Daniel Cardinal McCartney, Adrian Stimson, and Kablusiak for this discussion with AGA Adjunct Curator of Indigenous Arts, Jessie Ray Short. The panel explores gender, sexuality, and the intersection of cultural identity and colonial traumas represented in the artists’ work currently on display at the AGA.
eventbrite.ca
ArtMatch Summer Exhibition
June 11 – 16, 2019
cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Join ArtMatch as they showcase 22 local artists exhibiting over 100 original paintings. Meet the artists at the wine and cheese reception on June 13 or swing by the farmer’s market on June 15.
facebook.com
There Are No Fakes
June 14, 2019, 7:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
$10.80 – $12
A journey into the largest art fraud scam in Canadian history from award-winning director Jamie Kastner, join Glenbow for this screening of There Are No Fakes.
eventbrite.ca
Art for the Artist in You
June 15, 2019, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Framed on Fifth (1207 5th Ave. NW)
Free admission
This Neighbour Day, join Framed on Fifth to chat with over 25 artists, watch artwork come alive, and check out their skills. See finished artworks on display and available for sale alongside demonstrations of art making.
framedonfifth.com
A Point on the Horizon
June 15 – 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. Explore the show at its opening reception from 2:00 to 4:00pm on June 15.
leightoncentre.org
Indefinite Arts Centre’s Open House + Block Party 2.0
June 18, 2019, 5:30 – 7:30pm
Indefinite Arts Centre (8038 Fairmount Dr. SE)
Free admission
Community members, supporters, friends of Indefinite Arts Centre are invited to celebrate and enjoy an interactive open house where you can browse through the studio and galleries, meet the artists, and participate in fun activities.
facebook.com
Acts of Resistance
June 21, 2019, 7:00 – 8:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended
A conversational exhibition tour with Elizabeth Diggon, it considers how the artists in Among All These Tundras draw upon strategies such as humour, the resistive power of language, and a sustained and embodied connection to land as a means of defying and subverting the logic of settler colonialism.
eventbrite.ca
The Collage Mindset
June 22, 2019, 1:00 – 5:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
This introductory workshop hosted by queer artist May G N is part collage construction basics, part philosophy of objects and images. Focusing on layering and obscuration, the artist shares how the tactics they use in art-making transfer to strategies of representation as a trans person. All materials are provided.
eventbrite.ca
Master Class for Families
June 23, 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
Hand Pic’d 2019
June 27 – 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
Hand Blown Glass Sale
June 29 & 30, 2019, 12:00 – 4:00pm
Bee Kingdom Glass (427 22nd Ave. NW)
Free admission
A great destination for free family activities, enjoy live glassblowing performances and explore this home studio full of playful, vibrant, one-of-a-kind, glass pieces.
facebook.com
Second Skin
June 29 – 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
June 29 – 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
Nick Cave: Feat.
June 29 – 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
Ed Pien: Our Beloved
June 29 – 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
Ongoing Exhibitions
Dear Nevermore
Until June 1, 2019
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Blake Senini is one of Alberta’s most highly regarded sculptors. Light and photography, with their peculiar characteristics and relationships to form, have always been of particular interest to Senini’s studio practice and research, and you can explore them at this unique show.
herringerkissgallery.com
Grad Show
Until June 1, 2019
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission
This annual show features the work of graduates from AUArts’ ceramics, drawing, fibre, glass, jewellery and metals, media arts, painting, photography print media, sculpture and visual communications design programs. This year, the IKG presents work in the gallery and throughout the university by nearly 200 graduating students, including the recipients of the Board of Governors Awards.
auarts.ca
Life Cycles
Until June 1, 2019
Artpoint Gallery & Studios (1038 17th Ave. SE)
Free admission
See interpretations of the theme life cycles by three seniors who have experienced life as artists, wives, mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers. Each piece reflects on various aspects of their and their families’ lives.
artpoint.ca
17th Annual Juried Members Show
Until June 2, 2019
Main Gallery, Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
Admission by donation
With 61 pieces selected from 450 submissions, this year’s Leighton Art Centre Juried Members Show promises to be a varied and exciting exhibition. Represented media include acrylic, oil, watercolour, photography, felting, silk screen, pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, pastel, printmaking, textile arts, and mixed media, and all work is available for purchase.
leightoncentre.org
Christian Dior
Until June 2, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Experience a selection of breathtaking fashions ranging from daytime to evening wear for grand occasions in this much-anticipated international fashion exhibition. Organized by the Royal Ontario Museum, Christian Dior explores the ground-breaking work of one of fashion’s greatest couture houses and a glimpse into the rise of a fashion icon.
glenbow.org
Meryl McMaster: Confluence
Until June 2, 2019
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission
Ottawa-based artist Meryl McMaster transforms her appearance, whether by layering photographic images onto her body or through elaborate costumes and props she creates and inhabits as alter egos. An individual of Plains Cree and Euro-Canadian heritage, McMaster uses her work to explore the dimensions of her own sense of identity and the complex history of the photographic representation of Indigenous peoples.
glenbow.org
ImaginAsian 2019 Arts Exhibition
Until June 3, 2019
cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission
This exhibition includes artwork of Asian-Canadian artists who will be on hand to give demonstrations of their form as well as to talk to attendees interested in learning about their art.
asianheritagecalgary.com
Soft Focus
Until June 5, 2019
Open Spaces Gallery, Centre Street CTrain Station (124 7th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Failed, frozen, or partially-rendered images create blurry, digital mirages of people, places, and moments. Images that have not fully resolved or loaded gel into beautiful, contemplative washes of colour, sometimes with traces of intentioned content. Hazel Eckert’s Soft Focus brings together large-scale printed works of nearly-captured moments from her iPhone.
truck.ca
Traversing the line, with no fixed point
Until June 7, 2019
Alberta Printmakers Gallery and Studio (4025 4th St. SE)
Free admission
Using unusual combinations of media materials, Briana Palmer arranges enchanted worlds where the objects and images are transported from their original source. Her primary practice is in printmaking, sculpture, and installation where she creates works that reflect an intersection between perception, experience, and social ideologies taken from her own cultural practices, up-bringing, and daily experiences.
albertaprintmakers.com
When I Can No Longer Lay Waste to What is Already Ruined
Until June 15, 2019
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Marking Martin Bennett’s first solo show in Calgary since 2011, this extensive body of work is a reflection of his formative years in Calgary and its rich characters.
jarvishallgallery.com
I Am Not Here For Your Amusement
Until June 22, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Fed up with how women are represented in art and the media—primarily driven by the male gaze—Karen Klassen set out to portray women as the strong and fierce individuals they are. Klassen’s refreshing portraits are unabashed representations of women, gazing right back at you.
christineklassengallery.com
Effloresce
Until June 22, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Celebrated for her exquisite and contemporary take on the Dutch tradition of botanical illustration, Madeleine Lamont conveys a sense of urgency with her expressive floral paintings on mylar.
christineklassengallery.com
Accent
Until June 22, 2019
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free admission
Combining a history of product marketing alongside archival materials from the Toronto Star, Shellie Zhang’s Accent presents a case study of the nuanced and racialized undertones within the everyday.
thenewgallery.org
Clint Neufeld + Jocelyn Reid
Until June 22, 2019
VIVIANEART (1114 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission
For these two artists, their choice of material has an intriguing relationship with the objects they recreate—porcelain and fine ceramics garner associations with luxury, delicacy, and decoration.
vivianeart.gallery
Thelonious
Until June 22, 2019
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Toronto-based painter Michael Davidson’s work is bold, moody, and abstract. His work can be found in collections in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and you can explore it at this fresh solo show.
herringerkissgallery
Relevant Space
Until June 24, 2019
The Collector’s Gallery of Art (1332 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission
The Collectors’ Gallery of Art presents this solo exhibition by Canadian sculptor Blake Ward. The Spirits Collection illustrates Ward’s contemporary approach to the classical figure, revealing a liberating style of expressionism.
blakeward.com
Past (Tense)
Until June 28, 2019
HUB @ 302 (302, 1235 26th Ave. SE)
Free admission
An exhibition by David Scott, join the Alberta Society of Artists for Past (Tense). Explore it during the opening reception from 1:00 to 3:00pm on May 11, with an artist talk taking place at 1:30pm.
albertasocietyofartists.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
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
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. Explore it at the opening reception from 2:00 to 4:00pm on June 15.
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.
