Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
19 June 2018 Vol 3 No 13 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2018
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
After a cool spring, summer hit Victoria in earnest last week, with hot sunny day followed by hot sunny day. The roses at my community garden are in full bloom, along with countless other blossoms. It's a time for basking, not just here, but in towns and cities across Western Canada. I've been watching how galleries respond to summer. Commercial venues sometimes mount large group shows, flowering like a garden, giving many artists a moment in the sun. In contrast, large public spaces often opt for a blockbuster show, putting their energy into one dazzling blossom.
An early sampling of commercial shows includes Connections, at Calgary's Ruberto Ostberg Gallery, a juried show with so many artists it's impossible to list them all, and the aptly named rotating summer group show, Sunscreen, at Newzones, also in Calgary. In collaboration with the nearby Scott Gallery and the Bugera Matheson Gallery, the Front Gallery in Edmonton is exhibiting Women Artists after its current show by Toronto artist Tony Scherman closes in late July. In Regina, the Slate Fine Art Gallery this week opens Summer Rhubarb, featuring artists like Joe Fafard, Zachari Logan, David Thauberger and others. In Victoria, the Madrona Gallery's annual group show, Colours of Summer IX, opens June 30.
Meanwhile, several public venues are featuring historical art. The Winnipeg Art Gallery, for instance, just opened French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950, with more than 60 works from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned collection of European art. Over at the Vancouver Art Gallery, it's David Milne: Modern Painting, which generated lively debate when it opened at London's Dulwich Picture Gallery. And if you're looking for a day trip from Vancouver, Pop, at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, looks promising. It features 37 works by artists like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Indigenous art occupies coveted summer slots at three other Western institutions. Calgary's Glenbow Museum just opened the Alex Janvier retrospective originally mounted by the National Gallery of Canada; the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina opens Boarder X, touring from the Winnipeg Art Gallery, on July 7; and a show by American-born artist Jimmie Durham continues at the Remai Modern in Saskatoon until Aug. 12.
Other galleries, mostly small non-profits, sometimes schedule annual closures to give staff a break. I used to work at one of these galleries, and can attest to the challenges of limited budgets and ambitious goals. These spaces play an important role in their communities, so there's always pressure to do more. It's a recipe for burnout and staff turnover.
This thought brings me to Galleries West. We've gone through two stressful years with the closure of the print magazine, and a move to an exclusively digital model that includes a major remake of gallerieswest.ca. There have been notable successes, including a growing readership and recognition from the Canada Council for the Arts, which has provided modest funding for the first time in the magazine's 16-year history. It's a significant step that means our peers recognize the excellence of our editorial content, and the role the magazine plays in advancing the visual arts in Western Canada.
People are often surprised how much we accomplish with a limited staff. The magazine is produced with one full-timer, publisher Tom Tait, who manages everything from advertising to social media. Everyone else is a part-timer contracted for specific tasks. The magazine's limited advertising revenue, a common issue for digital publications, doesn't cover much back-up support. In contrast, Canadian Art magazine lists 17 staff on their website. I mention this because you may notice some changes at Galleries West over the summer.
This last issue for June includes our regular run of six stories. Featured are important shows like SakKijâjuk: Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and Li Salay, a survey of contemporary Métis art at the Art Gallery of Alberta. As well, there's coverage of Ontario artist Anna Torma at the Esker Foundation in Calgary; American artist Susan Hiller at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver; and Anne Brochu Lambert at the Nouveau Gallery in Regina. The final piece is Doug Maclean's report from the spring auction season.
The five issues in July and August will have less of my writing, possibly help from other editors, or even fewer stories overall. Digital publishing is relentless. I've learned the hard way not to push too far past my limits. Pacing and self-care are essential. Long hours sitting at a computer can do brutal things to your body, no matter how many yoga classes you go to. So I'll be taking more time this summer to read, hike and garden. I hope you also find ways to enjoy this beautiful season.
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Stacey Abramson, Beverly Cramp, Douglas Maclean, Agnieszka Matejko, Lissa Robinson