Operated by the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society

Alberta Art: Towards Modernism
30th Anniversary of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

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Alberta Art: Towards Modernism examines an aspect of modernism in Alberta art through a presentation of 30 works by 30 leading artists of this Province...

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts collection was established by legislation in 1972. It was created to foster and promote the enjoyment of works of art by Alberta artists.

At the provincial level the Alberta Foundation for the Arts has sponsored a number of exciting, informative and innovative exhibits across the Province, as well as traveling caravans of art works seen by hundred of thousands of Albertans.

July 18 - August 17, 2002

Alberta Art: Towards Modernism examines an aspect of modernism in Alberta art through a presentation of 30 works by 30 leading artists of this Province, who were eager to challenge traditional boundaries of art, have explored fresh conceptual and formalistic parameters in their works, established new aesthetic foundations, and have elevated art of this Province to international prominence. The exhibition features amongst others: Marion Nicoll, H.G. Glyde, Maxwell Bates, Stanford Perrott, Wes Irwin, Luke Lindoe, J.K. Esler, R. Gyo-Zo Spickett, Harry Kiyooka, Douglas Haynes, Les Graff, Liz Ingram, Catherine Burgess, Alan Reynolds, Ian Cook, Ron Kostyniuk, Katie Ohe, Richard Halliday, Bill Morton, Brenda Campbell, Peter von Tiesenhausen, Christian Eckart, Janet Cardiff, Jane Ash Poitras, Gordon Ferguson, Greg Payce, Bart Habermiller, and Mark Dicey. The exhibition also celebrates 30th Anniversary of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and highlights artistic legacy of the collection and the collection philosophy.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts collection was established by legislation in 1972. It was created to foster and promote the enjoyment of works of art by Alberta artists. It also supported artists through the purchase of their work. The secret of the Foundation's success is undeniably its ambitious exposure programme and the artistic merit of its collection: over 8000 works by nearly 2000 artists of this Province. What started, as a small support programme, has become an important cultural legacy. The Foundation's efforts to bring Alberta art into the community on a provincial, national and international scale are impressive. Exhibitions of the works from the AFA collection have been featured in Europe (London, Paris, Brussels), in Japan (Sapporo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Hakone, and Tokyo), in the United States (Atlanta, Georgia) and in Canada (Montreal). At the provincial level the Alberta Foundation for the Arts has sponsored a number of exciting, informative and innovative exhibits across the Province, as well as traveling caravans of art works seen by hundred of thousands of Albertans. At any give time, fifty percent of the collection is in public use. And the work continues as the Foundation prepares to meet the increasing public demand for Alberta Art. The Foundation's holdings and archives - one of the largest in western Canada - have been extensively used by the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts in its exhibition programmes and research.

Jacek Malec
Exhibition Curator