Western Canada’s art magazine since 2002
24 December 2024 Vol 9 No 26 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2024
Shelley Boettcher
From the Editor
Happy holidays, everyone! I hope this finds you sitting with your feet up in front of the fire, ready to get caught up on Canadian art news and more.
Daydream a little — and make plans for 2025 — with Galleries West contributor Nancy Tousley's lookahead to some of the best art shows to see next year. Pack a Suitcase, See Some Art will take you on a journey across North America and beyond.
Perhaps you're looking for a good book to read. Agnieszka Matejko recently reviewed Outsider Art of Canada by Linda Rainaldi. As Matejko writes, “Rainaldi rummaged through garbage cans, wandered through flea markets and thrift stores, searched for people selling art on the streets, and spread the word through her blog.” Now you can read all about it in her book.
If you find yourself in Toronto in 2025, consider stopping by the former Art Gallery of York University, which has been transformed into The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery of York University. The gallery — now in a different location — is closed over the holidays but reopens with a fresh exhibition in January.
And as always, we have lots of news, including the passing of two well-known Canadian artists. Anna Banana was renowned for her mail art, performance art, writing and publishing. And Bratsa Bonifacho first gained global attention for his rooftop art in his home country of Serbia before moving to Canada.
Glenbow in Calgary has announced the closure of its pop-up location, meaning visitors won't see Glenbow exhibitions until the unveiling of the new space in 2026.
Alaynee Goodwill-Littlechild has been named as the Art Gallery of Alberta's new TD Curator of Indigenous Creativity.
And Contemporary Calgary announced the dedication of the Heather Edwards Theatre this week, in honour of the Calgary philanthropist’s $1 million gift to the gallery.
Last but not least, check the Galleries West website over the next couple of weeks, as we take a look back at some of the highlights and stories of 2024. We will publish our regular report on the fall art auctions in Canada in early January, too. And again, happy holidays to you!
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Agnieszka Matejko, Nancy Tousley
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
