Western Canada’s art magazine since 2002
18 March 2025 Vol 10 No 6 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2025
Shelley Boettcher
From the Editor
As anyone who has been reading the headlines lately knows, “it is far from the perfect moment for Canadians to visit the United States,” notes Galleries West contributor Dr. Yani Kong.
But she did just that, a fast trip across the border to see Ai, Rebel: The Art And Activism Of Ai Weiwei, at the Seattle Art Museum now through Sept. 4.
She has good reasons. “Given that Ai Weiwei’s work has famously involved speaking truth to power, it seems there is no better time to reconsider his oeuvre than in the present context.”
Such a timely read. I encourage you to check it out and let us know what you think.
Also this month, regular contributor Agnieszka Matejko interviewed Edmonton street artist Lonigan Gilbert, whose work pops up from time to time in unexpected places throughout the city.
Thinking about going to art school? You aren't alone. A lot of our Galleries West readers are artists, but many have simply dreamed of going to art school. It's not too late. New Galleries West contributor (and Calgary-based poet) Alex Rettie wrote his first story for us, Going Back to School, about advice from four artists who share their experiences and advice for others on being mature students.
In Memories of Jack Bush, artist Dennis Hunkler reached out to share stories about working for the acclaimed artist in the late 1960s.
Then lets dig into some new books. Katherine Ylitalo was very happy to get her hands on a copy of Canadian Photographs, the latest book by photographer Geoffrey James. “James takes advantage of the book format with intelligence, offering visually stunning images that can be apprehended with a slow, thoughtful, personal read, and re-read,” she says.
And Barbara Duncan reviews Textile Universes, a book about Bauhaus artists Gunta Stölzl and Johannes Itten, and how their collaboration led to important advancements in textiles and art in the twentieth century.
New books, new shows — as always, we Canadians have plenty to do and see. If you're excited about an upcoming show, drop us a note. We look forward to hearing from you.
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Dennis Hunkler, Agnieszka Matejko, Yani Kong, Alex Rettie, Katherine Ylitalo
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
