Everyday Tourist’s Virtual Tour of Calgary’s Art Galleries
While the blockbuster exhibitions at the big art museums and immersive experiences (Beyond Van Gogh at BMO Centre) of the artwork of iconic artists get all of the attention these days, most cities have several private / commercial galleries that exhibit the artwork of local, national and international artists on an everyday basis.
FYI: While they are called private galleries, there are in fact very public friendly and you can visit them for free - unless you can’t resist buying something, as all the works are for sale, hence the term “commercial.”
I thought it would be fun to organize a virtual tour of some of Calgary’s collection of private art galleries. I have chosen the ones I think are the most interesting and listed them in alphabetical order. This is by no means all of Calgary’s 50+ commercial galleries.
For a full listing of Calgary’s art galleries go to Galleries West where you can find a map of Calgary’s galleries and information on each gallery.
Chris Cran Exhibition at Trepanier Baer Gallery
Alberta Craft Council Gallery
Located in former auditorium of the historic King Edward School, now cSPACE (1721 29th Ave SW) is the Alberta Craft Council’s gallery and shop. The Gallery space offers curated exhibitions featuring the work of Alberta craft artists (emerging and established) in a variety of media, including fibre, pottery, wood, glass and jewelry. The Shop is also carefully curated to offer a diversity of unique functional, decorative and fine art pieces from artists across Alberta. It is a great place to find a unique gift or new artwork for your collection.
Christine Klassen Gallery
CKG is located at 200 – 231 50th Ave SE in Manchester, a mid 20th century industrial district that is gradually transitioning to a funky art district with galleries, craft breweries and restaurants.
The gallery has a diverse stable of 35 artists, with the art ranging from abstract to figurative and realism to colourfield. Perhaps the gallery’s most well-known artist is Winnipeg’s Diana Thorneycroft who creates amazing surrealist social and political statements by photographing sculptural dioramas using children’s toys. Calgary’s Lori Lukasewich (who made us a funky custom 3-legged, triangular table many years ago) and Teresa Posyniak are also part of the CKG family.
Circa Vintage Art Glass
Circa is located along Inglewood’s historic main street at 1226A 9th Ave S.E. It is a one of a kind gallery in Canada as it is features only modern art glass from 1940 to 1960, with a focus on European studios. The gallery is like a candy store for adults with its kaleidoscope of colour and shapes.
Mid-century modern glass is defined by its biomorphic shapes, sensual lines and exceptional quality in materials and workmanship. Bright, intense, vivid colors are characteristic of this period. Forged in the furnaces of post war Europe and North America, the art glass includes, vases, vessels, lamps and figurative pieces.
Owner Brian Imeson is an expert on art glass and is always willing to help, or just let you browse.
Collectors’ Gallery of Art
Collectors’ Gallery of Art located at 1332 9th Ave SE, is in the middle of Inglewood’s charming main street. It has an eclectic exhibition program that includes artist both “dead and alive.” As its name would suggest, the gallery caters to art collectors looking for historic artworks. However, it also represents 30 contemporary Canadian artists including Calgary artists like Verna Vogel, Seka Owen and Steve Coffey. If you like iconic Calgary artist John Snow’s work, this is the place to go.
Verna Vogel
Esker Foundation
Esker Foundation Gallery located on the top floor of the Atlantic Avenue Arts Block (1011 – 9th Ave SW, look for the four storey contemporary building with the wavy roof) is a contemporary public gallery that is privately funded.
Admission is free and they even have complimentary parking – it doesn’t get any better than that.
Founded in 2012 by Jim and Susan Hill, Esker Foundation is a new model for institutional relevance, curatorial focus, and audience engagement. There are three exhibition changes per year, fall, winter and spring/summer.
The exhibition mandate is to:
reflect current visual art developments in local, regional, and international culture;
create opportunities for public dialogue
support the production of ground breaking new work, ideas, and research.
FYI: The Atlantic Avenue Arts Block’s lobby is a gallery in itself with numerous major artworks displayed on each floor, as well as a sculptural staircase.
Herringer Kiss Gallery
Located at 101, 1615 10th Ave SE, HKG is home to a stable of 35+ artists, including one of Canada’s most avant guard international artists Attila Richard Lukacs. Owner Deborah Herringer Kiss, a University of Calgary Art History graduate, is an avid champion of senior Calgary artists like – Marjan Eggermont, Harry Kiyooka, Bill Laing, Katie Ohe, Blake Senini and Kenneth Webb.
Loch Gallery
Loch Gallery is located at 314 – 12th Ave SW at the base of the Park Point condo tower across from Memorial Park. Look for the Ivan Eyre figurative sculpture “Bird Wrap” marking the entrance. There are in fact three Loch galleries in Canada, the others area in Winnipeg (flagship, opened in 1972) and Toronto. Loch Gallery specializes exclusively in Canadian and European historical works of significance and established contemporary artists with an emphasis on paintings and sculptures. Two of my favourite Loch Gallery artists are Winnipeg’s Ivan Erye and Kelowna’s John Hall.
If you are looking for an artwork by a specific Canadian artists for your collection, just let them know and they will keep an eye out for you. Or if you have a piece in your collection that you would like to sell, there are always acquiring art from collectors and auctions and finding new homes for them. Recently I was in the gallery and they had just acquired a major Jack Bush painting from a NYC auction.
Ian Loch who manages the Calgary gallery, is a wealth of knowledge on the Canadian art market today and is always willing to share his insights. The gallery has two exhibition spaces with shows rotating every month.
Masters Gallery
Masters Gallery located at 2115 4th St SW, in the heart of Calgary’s Mission District along its main street (4th St SW) is Calgary’s oldest private gallery. You can’t miss it, as major sculpture of Van Gogh’s face, by Canadian sculptor Joe Fafard, guards the front door. The sculpture is for sale if anyone is interested in creating their own art park.
Here you will find historic Canadian Art including the Group of Seven, maybe even an Emily Carr in the small back room. I often find lovely gems in the back room including Jean Riopelle, perhaps Canada’s most well-known international artist. In the main gallery a different artists is featured every few weeks, with an upper gallery featuring rotating art from the 20+ contemporary artists the gallery represents.
Bonus: If you visit on Saturday morning you will get to enjoy complimentary coffee and cookies while your browse.
Full disclosure: We have a lovely Janet Mitchell watercolour from Masters Gallery.
Newzones Gallery
Located at 730 11 Ave SW in Calgary’s fledgling design district, Newzones is a purpose built building for a private contemporary gallery. It even includes an interior outdoor sculpture court. This gallery is managed by Helen and Tamar Zenith (mother and daughter) who have been promoting Calgary and Canadian artists, as well as international artists since 1992.
They organize regular exhibitions of solo and group shows featuring the likes of William Perehudoff, Colleen Philippi, Geoffrey Hunter and James Holroyd.
Norberg Hall Gallery
Norberg Hall is also located in the Manchester Industrial District at 333b – 36th Ave SE. The gallery exhibits the work of emerging, mid-career and established artists. Norberg and Hall (partners in real life) champion the work of senior Alberta artists like Mark Dicey, Billy McCarroll, Bill Rodgers and John Will, and mid-career artists like Robin Arsenault, Corri-Lynn Tetz and Larissa Tiggelers.
I find the exhibitions to be visually and intellectually challenging – everything fromm Yvonne Mullock’s and Erica Eyres’ life-like everyday objects to Tyler Los-Jones’ photography origami.
Paul Kuhn Gallery
PKG is another gallery in the Beltline’s design district at 724 11 Ave SW. Founded in 1983, it is one of Calgary’s most respected private galleries, representing artists in all media: painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video and printmaking. Owner Paul Kuhn has exhibited his paintings widely.
The Gallery represents major Canadian artists like David Bolduc, Alex Caldwell, John Goetz, John Hartman, Otto Rogers, Mary Shannon Will and Wally May to name just a few. PKG has been exhibiting the powerful photography of Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky, who is known around the world for his images of nature altered by industry – mine sites, quarries and scrap yards.
Ruberto Ostberg Gallery
ROG is a bit off the beaten path on the north side of the Bow River (in fact, it is the only gallery on my list north of the Bow River) in the Capitol Hill hub at 2108 18th St. NW. Owner Anna Ostberg has her studio in the basement of the gallery along with a few other artists.
The street level gallery is great space for exhibiting art with lots of natural light. Gallery artists range from the landscape paintings of Peter Ivens to the surreal sculptures of Joanne MacDonald.
Lisa Braun and Bee Kingdom Glass are probably my favourite ROG artists.
Trepanier Baer Gallery
TBG is located at 105 – 999 – 8th St SW, just across the street from Mountain Equipment Co-op. It has a robust exhibition schedule that includes two of Calgary’s most widely exhibited artists – Chris Cran and Ron Moppett. You can also find the work of Kent Monkman, perhaps Canada’s most provocative living artist. If you are into street photography ask them to pull out a few of Fred Herzog’s mid-century Vancouver street scenes. Or if quirky art objects are your thing then ask to see some of Dave and Jenn’s work or Chris Millar. Other artists to check out at TBG are Laune Martineau, Vikki Alexander and Evan Penny.
Chris Cran
Ron Moppett
Viviane Art
Jason Deary, Home and Away, 2021
Viviane Art is located along Inglewood’s main street at 1018 9th Ave SE, across the street from Esker Foundation Gallery.
The gallery represents a diverse roster of emerging and established Canadian and International artists, with work ranging from Kim Dorland’s robust neon palette paintings of everyday city streets, to Alana Bartol’s surreal videos and Jason Deary’s huge artworks of everyday urban images that collage photography, prints and painting.
Don’t miss the fun neon artwork outside the entrance to the gallery.
Wallace Galleries
Last but definitely not least is Wallace Galleries, located at 500 5th Ave SW, at the base of an office tower in the middle of downtown. For those who love a good landscape painting, ask to see the paintings Jim Stokes, William Duma, Brent Laycock an/or Dorothy Knowles. If abstract painting is more to your liking, ask to see David Alexander or Nancy Boyd. If you are into mid-century Canadian art Ted Godwin, Toni Onley, Kenneth Lochhead, Harold Town and Ronald Bloore are part of the gallery roster.
Last Word
In addition to these private galleries, Calgary is also home to three public galleries – Contemporary Calgary (downtown), Illingsworth Kerr Gallery at the Alberta University for the Arts and Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary – who have regular exhibitions. And the Glenbow, currently closed for renovations will be opening a temporary gallery in the Edison Building on the northeast corner of 9th Ave and 1st St SW in February 2022.
If you are looking to go for a gallery stroll one Saturday afternoon, Loch, Paul Kuhn, New Zones, Trepanier Baer and Herringer Kiss galleries are all within walking distance of each other with cafes and lounges along the way. You could even add in Contemporary Calgary if you are ambitious.
In Inglewood, Vivian Art, Esker Foundation, Circa and Collectors Gallery make for great gallery walk, ending up at Blues Can at 3 pm for their Saturday blues jam.
If you decided to go for an art walk tell them “the Everyday Tourist sent you!