This time of year tends to be a bit slow for the arts scene as seasonal theatre productions and events have wrapped up but there is still no shortage of things to do if you find yourself with time on your hands.
For a break from the holiday mayhem take a quiet stroll through the Epcor Centre ( epcorcentre.org/WhatsOn ) which is home to several art exhibitions. The Window Galleries across from the Max Bell Theatre are currently featuring À Priori by Stephanie E. Hanes; On the Bus a collection of prints by Calgarian Heather Huston and several international artists; The Urban Drawing Project by Nicole LeBoutillier; and Deanna Chêne’s Blind Expression .
On the second floor you’ll find a constantly rotating showcase of works in the Plus-15 Windows which are programmed by six artist-run centres: Alberta Printmakers’ Society (A/P) Marion Nicoll Gallery (Alberta College of Art and Design) The New Gallery Stride Truck and the Untitled Art Society — you can read more about that program on page 12.
On the same level at the top of the main staircase in the Ledge Gallery artist Barbara Sutherland’s new installation called Slip incorporates cloth sculpture and the space itself in an exploration of wind.
The Epcor Centre also partners with the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society and Casa (Lethbridge) to present the Gallery of Alberta Media Artists which includes a selection of short films and video on three monitors — one near Centre Court one at the west end of the Jack Singer Concert Hall’s main floor foyer and one on the Plus-15 level of the Jack Singer Concert Hall’s west end. The current works will screen until January 26 and include the 16mm film Semper Porro by Kyle Whitehead; an animation called Death of Dwarfs by Christiana Latham; and Bekk Wells’ Part1: We Brought the Light a short experimental video from the series How We Solved Everything.
The Glenbow Museum is another good destination for an afternoon of wandering. The current exhibitions featuring the war-influenced works of Transformations: A.Y. Jackson & Otto Dix and guest curator Jeffrey Spalding’s Made in Calgary: The 1980s run until January 12. But it’s also worthwhile to stroll through the permanent exhibitions which showcase everything from modern art (Emily Carr Jack Shadbolt Illingworth Kerr Marion Nicoll Maxwell Bates Takao Tanabe Ted Godwin and Katie Ohe among others) and Asian sculptures to Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta and Warriors (covering five centuries of warfare).
Ron Moppett who is one of the featured artists in the ’80s show at the Glenbow (and whose painting graced our cover in September) has an exhibition at Trépanier Baer Gallery until January 18 but it is decidedly more modern. Titled Vincent’s Last Studio it features current works that draw inspiration from a variety of historical and cultural styles providing a diverse view of pop culture and daily life.
If that’s not enough to get you to leave your home WordFest has you covered. Staff and volunteers are sharing the titles of books they recommend and books they hope to read over the winter months giving you reasons to hibernate. They’re also inviting you to join in by adding your own picks ( wordfest.com ).
