Western Canada’s art magazine since 2002
9 July 2024 Vol 9 No 14 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2024
Shelley Boettcher
From the Editor
When Canadian artists Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies worked at Winnipeg's Misericordia Health Care Centre, they met Edith Almadi. Her son had recently died and she had no family in Canada. In her 90s, she “transformed her loneliness into fairy tale-like drawings filled with hope, poetic magic, and wide-eyed wonder,” writes Galleries West contributor Agnieszka Matejko.
Almadi's story intrigued the artists so much, they turned her story into a short film and exhibition, on view until July 21 at Buhler Gallery. Find out more and see the film, in Matejko's beautiful story, Draw We Are Together. It's time well spent.
If you're a movie buff or a collector or know someone that is, you'll find Yani Kong’s story, The Prop House: A Collection of One Million Objects, to be a fun read. On view at Griffin Art Projects in North Vancouver until Aug. 18, it’s a tribute into the diverse, colourful collection of things that make up Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant Furniture, a legendary movie rental prop house that is scheduled to close after more than 40 years in business.
Speaking of legends, Robert Bateman made a rare public appearance last week in Penticton, British Columbia for a showing of more than 80 artworks from his personal collection. The exhibition, entitled Unexpected Bateman, can be seen until Sept. 14 at the Penticton Art Gallery.
Best known as a muralist, Edmonton artist AJA Louden shares his colourful new rug tufting work in the show, Prairie Star Deck, at the Alberta Craft Council’s Discovery Gallery until July 20.
Calgary sculptor Svea Ferguson's latest exhibition, weight lifted, is on through Aug. 2 at VivianeArt in Calgary.
Marigold Santos, of armour bespoke, of fabric, of skin, of within / binubuo ng pasadyang proteksyon, ng tela, ng balat, at ng kalooban, is on view through Aug. 24 at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in Brandon.
And last but not least, the Biennale Elektra: Illusion — the seventh International Digital Art Biennial — is at Arsenal Contemporary Art in Montreal until July 21.
And please consider supporting us if you shop on Amazon. We have an association with Amazon that lets you support independent arts journalism in Canada by buying books directly through our site. If you purchase a book by clicking on the Amazon link in a review, Galleries West may receive a small commission.
As always, thank you for reading. Our entire team appreciates it.
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Megan Klak, Agnieszka Matejko, Yani Kong
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
