We sent FIVE new exhibitions out into our Northwestern Region last week! September marks the start of the TREX (Travelling Exhibition) touring year with the first venues receiving their exhibitions on September 5th.

The Travelling Exhibitions (TREX) program brings engaging art exhibitions directly into communities across Alberta by partnering with local venues to host month-long exhibitions in their spaces, helping to share art experiences with communities of all sizes. We welcome Northwest Alberta venues of all kinds, including schools, libraries, theatres, archives, museums, galleries, community centres, health centres, visitor centres, and tourism centres to book month-long exhibitions.

Read all about the program by clicking here.

Here are the exhibitions which started their two year journey;

Folk Memoirs

Folk Memoirs is a collection of visual narratives experienced while growing up on the Alberta prairies. Sourcing these rare historical moments from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts permanent collection, you will see paintings by Hazel Litzgus, Irene McCaugherty, William Panko and Doris Zaharichuk. The works are described as folk art, which is a unique style of art that reflects the cultural life of a community. Inspired by scenes from everyday life including: helping with housework, farm labor, playing outside, going to rodeos and more.

Read more…

Mysterious Forest Life

Centred in the forest life of the Peace Country in Northwestern Alberta, the 24 photographs in Mysterious Forest Life embody three types of life forms: fungi, lichen and moss. As each striking image presents us with a new species, the viewer is taken on an exploratory tour of the forest. You will find seven different types of fungi displayed in this exhibition, but there are actually over 1.5 million species of fungi (6 times more than plants) and about 20,000 of them produce mushrooms. In the Mother Earth Boreal Beauty of the Peace Country book, included in this exhibition, you will learn that lichen is not actually a plant, it’s not a moss, it’s a relationship. Also presenting a close up, sensory view of moss in spruce bogs and fens, you will see sphagnum moss photosynthesizing under water, creating bubbles of oxygen.

Raed more…

Self Reflection 

The four artists in Self Reflection employ unique ways of expressing their identities in the works on display while allowing the viewer to reflect and even relate them to their own identity. Kelsey Holzli’s artistic identity is composed of personal and collective experiences, using a vibrant colour pallet and small details to draw the viewer in. As Kelsey writes, ‘My artistic identity is composed of personal and collective experiences in relation to trauma, healing, gender expression, and nature.’

Read more…

Rooted Connections

The exhibition, Rooted Connections tells a story. Storytelling is a way in Indigenous communities to pass down, teachings, traditions and language from generation to generation. The importance of learning how to hunt and tan hide, how to sew different patterns with beads, or how to play drums and rattles are shown here in this display. You will journey through the various cultures and teachings these artisans wanted to represent in their Indigenous heritage.

Read more…

Touching the Sky 

How can an artwork capture the dynamic experience of space? What does the smell of rain look like in a painting? Or our dream experiences in relationship to our waking experiences? Even in a moment when the landscape appears still, there is tons of activity happening that cannot be captured in a single frame—from the intricate and complex patterns of weather and climate to the buzzing of cellular exchanges on a micro level. The landscape is alive, and fluctuating—and so is our own journey through it.

Read more…

Join us on Thursday, September 5th, for the screening of “The Path of Ashes,” a documentary by the David McGregor and Forrest McGregor.

“The Path of Ashes” is a contemplative portrait of wood-fired ceramic artist Bibi Clement. The film unfolds over two years, following Clement in her home and studio while also observing the connection between the seasons and landscape in her practice. “The Path of Ashes” is a study of the ways in which an artist lives in a reciprocal relationship with their work.

David McGregor and Forrest McGregor are filmmakers and artists living and working in Goodfare, AB.

🌟 Event Highlights:
🕣 8:30 pm Q&A with the Filmmakers and artist Bibi Clement
🎥 9:00 pm Outdoor Screening
📍 Venue: Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Westside Concourse Area, 99 St and 103 Ave

The documentary is supported by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Bring your friends, grab some popcorn, and join us for a night of art and inspiration.

The event is free and open to everyone!

Event is sponsored by Freshly Squeezed Entertainment.

Location

The film screening will take place at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Westside Concourse Area (pictured here), on the corner of 99 St and 103 Ave.

Bring your friends and join us for a night of art and inspiration.

The event is free and open to everyone!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Please Note….

Just a few housekeeping notes to ensure everyone has a wonderful and comfortable evening:

• The duration of the film is 45 minutes.
• Free parking is available on the street and the gravel parking lots north and south of the Montrose Cultural Centre.
• General seating. There are no assigned seats.
• There will be no public access to washrooms after 9 pm. The Montrose Cultural Centre will close at its regularly scheduled time.
• The book, “Bibi: A Life in Clay” will be for sale for $20 (cash only) before the Q&A portion and after the film concludes.
• The Gallery is providing complimentary popcorn, cookies, water and pop.
• Seating will be provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own comfortable chair, like a camping chair or lawn chair.
• Please dress appropriately and bring any clothing or blankets you need to be comfortable outside.
• In the event of poor weather conditions, the film screening will move indoors.

About the Filmmakers

David McGregor is an artist and filmmaker from Goodfare, Alberta. He studied film at the University of Manitoba and holds a Master’s of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. In his art and film practice he focuses on themes of time, memory, ecology and the subtle moments that shape our lives and the environment.

Forrest McGregor is a dedicated wood-fired ceramics enthusiast, and lover of many other artforms as well. She has also been working on film and photography projects on and off for over fifteen years.

About Bibi Clement

Biography from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Permanent Collection

Born in Amersfoort, Netherlands, ceramic artist Bibi Clement has lived, worked and studied in France, Algeria and Canada. She studied sculpture in clay at Red Deer College; ceramics at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, British Columbia; apprenticed with a studio potter in Amsterdam; and studied watercolour and sculpture workshops in Paris. Bibi is also a professional dancer.

An extremely dedicated potter, Bibi has become an expert in wood-firing and takes great pride and pleasure in firing her pieces in her custom made kiln – one that has travelled with her to many locales. Although precarious, the wood-firing process produces interesting and unique finishes for her stunning pieces. Eastern art and philosophy are essential to Bibi’s life, as demonstrated by her simple approach to pottery that honours Japanese ceramic tradition. Inspired by the people and experiences in her life, both positive and negative – Bibi’s work is sometimes functional, but always expressive and aesthetically beautiful.

Bibi taught clay workshops in British Columbia and Alberta. Her work has been exhibited in Western Canada, and many of her pieces reside in private and public collections all over the world, including in Japan, China, Malaysia, England, Denmark, Switzerland, France, the United States and Canada. Bibi now lives near Hythe, Alberta.

Purchase the Book “Bibi: A Life in Clay”

The book, “Bibi: A Life in Clay” will be for sale for $20 (cash only) before the Q&A portion and after the film concludes.

Documents the life and work of Bibi Clement, a remarkable Dutch-Canadian maker of traditional Japanese pottery, living and working in northwestern Alberta. Published in 2009, to accompany the exhibition Vigil of Angels at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie (Alberta), Bibi: A Life in Clay illustrates and documents the remarkable life of Bibi Clement, whose skill and accomplishment in ceramics as well as her traditional Japanese kilns attract potters from around the world to visit her in northwestern Alberta to make and fire their work with her. Works from all periods of her long career are illustrated, as are her remarkable kilns, and her home and family. Introductions by Yasuo Terada and Ross Bradley, text by the artist’s own daughter Dymphny Dronyk.

*** Class is Full *** 
Any new names will be added to a wait list.

Join TREX Northwest and the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie for a printmaking workshop on August 22nd!

Carolyn Gerk will be in Grande Prairie for a printmaking workshop, come learn the basics of linocut printmaking and explore your ideas in a group setting.

Printmaking Workshop

Thursday, August 22, 2024

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Location: Art Gallery of Grande Prairie

Price: FREE! All materials provided. Limited Space – Call 780-532-8111 to register.

Caroyln’s exhibition, Otherhood, is now on display on the TREX Wall at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie. Caroyln was the very first recipient of the TREX Northwest “Northern Alberta Artist Print Residency” in 2022.

SNAP (The Society of Northern Alberta-Print-Artists) and TREX Northwest invited applications from artists in Northern Alberta with a printmaking practice who wish to work in the SNAP Printshop (Edmonton) for a 4-week residency to develop a new body of work. Otherhood is a curated exhibition of the work Carolyn produced during her time at SNAP in 2022. Otherhood has already travelled Northern Alberta for one year and, following the TREX Wall exhibit, it will be travelling to the Calgary and Edmonton regions later this year.

About the Exhibition

Otherhood raises the question, what happens when we look back at legend and lore and examine the evolution of the feminized other? In this exhibition, Carolyn Gerk features nineteen relief prints on various papers. Each piece depicts an interpretation of a monstrous woman who has appeared in legends and folklore. She may be frightening and gruesome in some ways, but in others, perhaps her authority shines through. Carolyn’s work seeks to depict recurring themes and patterns that arise in our literary views of the feminine. Learn more at aggp.ca.

Curated by Jamie-Lee Cormier, Curator/Manager of TREX Northwest

Otherhood is on view until August 28, 2024 at AGGP.

The Paint a Puck Raffle is a fundraiser for the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

In April, community members of all ages were invited to the Montrose Cultural Centre to paint a hockey puck! Following the event, we also received painted pucks from local schools and community groups.

Together, they painted approximately 700 hockey pucks, and the large-scale collage is now on view at the Design Works Centre in Grande Prairie.

View the mural of hockey pucks during the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships happening in Grande Prairie May 5 – 11, 2024. Purchase your raffle ticket online to support the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre and win a one-of-a-kind hockey puck artwork of your own!

Purchase your ticket before May 11, 2024 because at the end of the championships, the raffle draw* will take place Monday, May 11th.

Installation of the hockey puck mural at the Design Works Arena. Pictured, Maggie von Tiesenhausen from the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.

This initiative is a collaboration between:

In connection with:

Thank you to Canadian Tire who generously donated hockey pucks!

Installation of the hockey puck mural at the Design Works Arena. Pictured, Maggie von Tiesenhausen from the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.

*Full listing of rules are on the Rafflebox page for Paint a Puck.

SNAP (The Society of Northern Alberta-Print-Artists) and  TREX NW (Travelling Exhibitions Northwest) invite applications from artists with a printmaking practice who wish to work in the SNAP Printshop for a 4-week period to develop a new body of work. This body of work will go towards an exhibition at SNAP Gallery and on the TREX WALL. This visiting artist program is open to artists based in Northern Alberta who live outside of major centre’s such as Edmonton. The residency will take place between the months of June to July 2024 (unless otherwise negotiated).

SNAP is a Non-profit Artist-Run Centre in Edmonton, Alberta dedicated to the production, presentation and dissemination of Fine Art Printmaking and Contemporary Print Media.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) has supported a provincial travelling exhibitions (TREX) program since 1981 to provide as many communities as possible across Alberta with the opportunity to see visual art exhibitions, and to share the collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts with the public. A provincially run program, TREX programs highlight the work of Alberta-based artists, helping to promote and encourage artistic careers in the province. The TREX program is host- ed by four different organizations across Alberta, who each manage the program for different region. TREXNW is hosted by the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.

The Northern Alberta visiting artist residency will be selected by jury with representatives from both SNAP & the AGGP.

Visiting Artist Residency Program Includes:

• 24/7 access to the Printshop for a maximum 4 week consecutive period.
• A $4000.00 CAD artist fee (paid by TREX NW) upon completion of the residency.
• A $500.00 CAD materials stipend (materials purchased must be used during residency & will be administered by SNAP staff)
• A maximum contribution of $1000.00 CAD accommodation support.
• Contribution towards travel to and from Edmonton for the residency.
• A future exhibition at SNAP and on the TREX WALL, using some of the works/techniques developed during the residency.
• Potential delivery by the artist of a public demonstration, lecture, or workshop.
• The opportunity for broad public engagement with the artist’s project and studio work.

Submission Requirements:

• Artist’s curriculum vitae
• 10-20 jpegs with corresponding image list
• A written project proposal of work to be completed during residency.

Conditions

Visiting Artists at SNAP are expected to engage regularly with our community of studio renters, artists and SNAP patrons through attendance at events, informal critiques with emerging artists and others, attendance at exhibition openings and other events happening throughout the artist’s stay. Furthermore, Visiting Artists will be expected to become members of the Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists covering the duration of their residency term and sign the standard SNAP Print- shop rental agreement outlining terms of use and liability as well as adhere to all health and safety protocols in place during the time of residency.

One print or artist proof from each edition printed during the residency must be provided to SNAP for retention in the print archive. The work produced during this residency must go towards the future TREX NW exhibition.

Submissions close at 5pm MST, May 3 2024.

To apply please email your submissions to: jamie-lee@aggp.ca

For more information about this program, contact Curator/Manager Travelling Exhibitions Northwest, Jamie-Lee Cormier: jamie-lee@aggp.ca

Community members of all ages are invited to visit the Montrose Cultural Centre to paint a hockey puck!

Together, we will paint approximately 750 hockey pucks, creating a large-scale collage which will be displayed at the Design Works Centre during the upcoming National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in May 2024. At the end of the championships, the pucks will be raffled off with the proceeds going to the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

Saturday, April 13 & Sunday, April 14
1 – 4 pm on both days
Teresa Sargent Hall
Montrose Cultural Centre, 9839 – 103 Ave

Drop in for our free art making event. All supplies are provided.

This initiative is a collaboration between the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Grant Berg Gallery, and the City of Grande Prairie, with pucks generously donated by Canadian Tire.

In Connection With:

Hosted by:

Hockey Pucks Generously Donated by:

Proceeds Supporting:

Are you a Member of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie? Are you also an Artist? We’d love to work with you!

The Featured Member Wall is an opportunity that’s offered as a membership benefit. We know many who support the Gallery through membership are also artists. As part of our commitment to showcasing local artwork, and to celebrate our dedicated members, we have released our latest Call for Submissions for 2D artwork to be featured in the Gallery’s reception area. This is a great opportunity for new and emerging artists looking to display their artwork, as thousands of visitors interested in the Arts will see this work.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MONDAY, March 18, 2024

Artist Fee($): Honorarium is paid to artists based on the length of term

Submission Criteria:

• Please send a JPEG image of your work.
• Submissions must be no larger than 40 inches wide. Artwork doesn’t have to meet the maximum size, but it can’t exceed it. As an example, an artist could submit two drawings that are each 11×14 and that would be ok to display together too.
• Framing isn’t a requirement, but artwork does need to be ready to be displayed. That may mean a matted/framed photograph, or a stretched canvas with wire hangers.
• Submissions must include the name of the artwork, date, medium, size.
• Please send a short artist statement or a description of the individual artwork.
• Please send a short biography of the artist to help us get to know you.
• Submissions are open to members living in Grande Prairie and surrounding area within the Peace Region including, but not limited to, Sexsmith, Beaverlodge, Fairview, Valleyview, AB and Dawson Creek, BC.

Apply: Please apply and send questions by email to melanie@aggp.ca

We encourage submissions from experienced artists as well as emerging artists of all ages, including those with minimal exhibition history.

Successful submissions will be featured in the Gallery’s reception area for up to 3 months.

Memberships: Memberships may be purchased online or at the Front Reception desk.

PURCHASE A MEMBERSHIP ONLINE

Current view of the wall space. Artwork by Roberta Linfield.

Roberta Linfield, “A Rose,” Scene A,” “Forest Shadows,” and “Footsie.” 2023. Acrylic monoprints on paper

Rosemary Kay, “Night Watch” 2022. Acrylic on canvas. 30 inches x 40 inches.

Sheri Brewster, “Map of Human Brain,” “Foxglove Heart,” and “Skull Crown.” 2023. Acrylic paint and pressed flowers

HEIDE ENZMANN, Pandemonium, 2020. Alcohol Ink and Paint Marker on Canvas. 36 inches x 36 inches

Patrick Evans. A Little Landscape, 2021. Oil paint on canvas