September Exhibitions
Check out new visual art exhibitions around Calgary this September — from the very best in woodworking craftsmanship, to a pop-up exploring the history of Calgary’s Beltline. Each month, we spotlight a new or outgoing visual art exhibition in the city, followed by a roundup of others you can enjoy.
Opening this month, The War Years is part of a travelling exhibition developed by the Canadian War Museum presenting more than 40 works by Sir Alfred Munnings that document the Canadian Cavalry Brigade and Forestry Corps during the final months of the First World War.
Known as one of England’s finest painters of horses, Munnings captured landscapes, portraits and stirring equestrian scenes that reveal both the power of the animals and the endurance of the soldiers who worked alongside them.
Head over to Nickle Galleries, located inside the Taylor Family Digital Library at the University of Calgary, to get a glimpse at this chapter of Canadian war art, on view from September 18 – December 6, 2025.
(Exhibition info adapted from Nickle Galleries)
More September exhibitions:
Late Summer Expressions
August 28 – September 17, 2025
Wallace Galleries (500 5 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Autumn is on our doorstep, and Wallace Galleries is taking the opportunity to highlight a selection of works in a group exhibition that focuses on beautiful fall colours.
wallacegalleries.com
Reconciling Home
August 30 – October 26, 2025 | Opening Reception: September 6, 1 – 4pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144 St. W, Millarville)
By donation
Theresa Williams’ Reconciling Home is an exhibition of oil paintings inspired by her mixed European settler and Secwepemc ancestry. Rooted in questions of identity, belonging and our relationship to the land, the show invites reflection on heritage, healing and the legacy we shape for future generations.
leightoncentre.org
Audacious
September 2 – 27, 2025 | Opening Reception: September 5, 6:30 – 9pm
Framed on Fifth (1209 5 Ave. NW)
Free to explore
Artists Shona Rae and Barb Temple transform discarded, once-loved objects into vessels of critique, reflection and resilience. Through Rae’s tin landscapes and Temple’s doll-filled shadow boxes, they invite viewers to question cultural narratives and find possibilities within everyday life.
framedonfifth.com
INFLUENTIAL
September 4 – October 11, 2025 | Opening Reception: September 4, 5 – 8pm
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
In celebration and honour of Katie Ohe’s new exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Alberta (with Marie Lannoo) and with the City of Calgary at Devonian Gardens, INFLUENTIAL features work by Herringer Kiss Gallery Artists who have been taught, mentored or inspired by the work and life of Katie Ohe.
herringerkissgallery.com
SAWS Fine Works in Wood Exhibition
September 5 – 14, 2025
Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Rd. SE)
Free to explore
This Southern Alberta Woodworkers Society’s (SAWS) exhibition represents the very best in woodworking craftsmanship, incredible artistry and creativity. Entries cover a broad range from functional to simply artistic, and from furniture to fine wood turnings and artwork.
saws.ca
A House of Story: Notes on the Neighbourhood
September 11 – November 16, 2025
Lougheed House (707 13 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Lougheed House presents a pop-up exhibition exploring the history of Calgary’s Beltline through photos, stories and an interactive map. Expanding on the historic site’s current exhibition, it traces the evolution of local homes and community spaces, with a speaker series adding deeper perspectives.
lougheedhouse.com
where we surrender
September 13 – October 4, 2025, | Opening Reception: September 13, 6 – 9pm
Gibson Fine Art (730 11 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
This exhibition by Calgary-born artist Joanna Johnston blends the softness of French château interiors with the untamed beauty of the forest. Inspired by Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese and three years in the making, these layered works explore surrender, memory and imagination.
gibsonfineart.ca
River’s Way & Painted by Candle and Neon Light
September 13 – October 11, 2025
Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art (730 11 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Yechel Gagnon | River’s Way
Newzones presents River’s Way, a solo exhibition by Canadian artist Yechel Gagnon, known for her innovative use of plywood to create sculptural bas-reliefs. She blends abstraction with nature-inspired imagery.
newzones.com
Casey McGlynn | Painted by Candle and Neon Light
Newzones presents Painted by Candle and Neon Light, a solo exhibition by Canadian artist Casey McGlynn. Known for his surrealist pop art style and autobiographical symbolism, McGlynn layers personal and historical narratives into playful, emotive works that read like visual journals of his life.
newzones.com
Laura Findlay | The Darkest Hour
September 19 – October 25, 2025 | Opening Reception: September 19, 5 – 7pm
Norberg Hall (333b 36 Ave. SE)
Free to explore
Laura Findlay’s paintings explore the tension and humour between the natural and built worlds, often through the lens of gardens as transitory spaces.
norberghall.com
In the Garden & You there
September 25, 2025 – February 15, 2026 | Opening Reception: September 25, 6 –9pm
Contemporary Calgary (730 11 Ave. SW)
With admission
Erik Olson: In the Garden
Erik Olson presents large-scale oil paintings inspired by Germany’s Hofgarten, evolving into dreamlike explorations of memory, longing and transformation. Animals, figures and surreal landscapes blur the line between the observed and imagined.
contemporarycalgary.com
Preston Pavlis: You there
You there by Preston Pavlis layers painting and quilting to capture traces of everyday life, portraits and quiet gestures of presence. Using discarded fabrics and richly textured surfaces, Pavlis creates suspended moments that explore intimacy, memory and the act of seeing.
contemporarycalgary.com
For more visual arts events and exhibitions, head over to the arts and culture events section of yycwhatson.ca.
