Western Canada’s art magazine since 2002
19 August 2025 Vol 10 No 17 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2025
Shelley Boettcher
From the Editor
If you haven't already seen the news, this issue marks the final Galleries West newsletter. You can read more here, in publisher Tom Tait's essay on creating and operating a visual arts magazine in Canada.
When I started working with the magazine in October 2023, I knew the time would be limited. The magazine industry is struggling everywhere, especially in Canada.
But I like magazines and I like art, and I had known publisher Tom Tait a little, mostly through the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association. I figured he'd be fun to work with and learn from, and I wasn't wrong. His stories could fill a book and maybe now that he's retiring, he will have some time to write it. (Tom, I will be one of the first in line at your book signing!)
The past couple of years have been filled with wonderful opportunities to meet artists, visit galleries and work with some of Canada's finest visual arts writers. To name just one: Nancy Tousley was one of my editors at the Calgary Herald many years ago. To work with her again — as her editor — has been an honour and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Thanks also to writer and editor Paul Gessell, who helped me settle in to the new role, as well as our intern Janille Delos Reyes, who joined us last year. And, of course, a shout-out to all of our lovely crew of freelancers — Lissa, Agnieszka, Yani, Shazia, Becky, Katherine, Mark, Kegan, Sarah, Lindsay, Amy, Lin, Megan, Douglas, Janet, Alison, Mark, Iris, Nicole, Barbara, Christopher, Steven, John, Richard and Caroline, to name just a few. I will miss you and I hope you stay in touch. I'm pretty sure I owe you all a coffee when we meet in real life.
And, of course, thanks to all of you fine readers. I have appreciated your feedback, story suggestions, book suggestions and notes about favourite artists and galleries around the world.
And please do check out some of our final stories. In Toronto, Shazia Hafiz Ramji visits Kour Pour’s exhibition Cosmic Diagrams at the Aga Khan Museum until February 2026. We check out Edward Fu-Chen Juan's latest show, Memory Crimes 記憶犯罪, at Seymour Art Gallery in North Vancouver until Aug. 30. Agnieszka Matejko reviews the book, The Worlds of Wonder: Surrealist Journey of Alan Glass.
Last but definitely not least, Tom Tait and Paul Gessell share their thoughts on the magazine over the years, and so does Sarah Swan.
Signing off and saying thanks.
With gratitude,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Shazia Hafiz Ramji, Paul Gessell, Sarah Swan, Agnieszka Matejko
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
