Brady Fullerton: Calgary Floods (2013)
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Calgary Central Library 800 3 Street SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 2E7
Brady Fullerton, "Calgary Floods (2013)"
Courtesy of the Artist.
Opening Reception: Friday, July 14, 2023 @ 4-6 PM.
The Alberta Society of Artists is proud to present the solo exhibition Calgary Floods (2013) featuring the work of Alberta artist Brady Fullerton.
In June of 2013, Southern Alberta experienced one of the worst floods in its history. In Calgary, the Bow and Elbow rivers burst their banks and spilled into downtown just weeks before the Calgary Stampede. Following the flood, the response of the city and province became a rallying cry for a type of Albertan work ethic. "Hell or High Water”, the Calgary Stampede would declare as enormous forces gathered to ensure the Stampede could continue, that life could go on and that things could return to normal as quickly as possible. However, this attitude glorified an Albertan "spirit" tied to an imagined cowboy identity, toxic masculinity, poor land stewardship, and racial injustices. Just like the flood erased and redefined what Calgary's downtown looked like for a short period, so too did a rapid return to normalcy mask numerous injustices and erase the possibility of considering the dangers of the status quo.