Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
19 May 2020 Vol 5 No 10 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2020
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
It's becoming a real challenge to plan editorial coverage of exhibitions in Western Canada as galleries begin to reopen with the easing of the lockdown phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
Things are now in flux with some spaces opening, but many others remaining closed. For one thing, galleries and museums are getting a green light at different times in different provinces. For another, many large public spaces are watching and waiting, planning how to best protect visitors while also weighing the pros and cons of staffing and financial issues. As a result, shows are being postponed, extended and shifted.
David Leinster, the CEO of Contemporary Calgary, which isn't expected to open until July, at the earliest, offered some insight last week on the challenges.
“It’s quite a lot to take on for an unknown amount of visitation that might be coming for a limited gallery experience,” Leinster told the Calgary Herald. “I think most organizations, at least the major organizations in the city that I’ve communicated with, are all planning a more practical approach and thinking of opening in a restricted capacity to start out and see how the community responds."
Meanwhile, commercial galleries, which have much simpler logistics, are starting to reopen, at least on a limited basis. Announcements in recent days have included the Darrell Bell Gallery in Saskatoon, the Alcheringa Gallery in Victoria, the Bearclaw Gallery in Edmonton and the Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary.
In this issue, we look at the first major public gallery to reopen, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and its exhibition of works by Manitoba artist Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald, which was supposed to start two months ago.
We're also publishing Unboxing the White Cube, a delightful essay by Yellowknife-based wordsmith Sarah Swan, who reflects thoughtfully on how the pandemic has made her yearn for New York's art scene. "Simply because I cannot, I long to visit a gallery," she writes, "a sprawling one with polished floors, glowing white walls and room after room of knock-out Rothkos and Motherwells." Her essay has already been shared more than 350 times.
Also from the North, we have a firsthand isolation report from Margaret Nazon as part of our House Call series. You'll definitely want to check out her fabulous beaded image of the Milky Way.
Our Sneak Peek series looks at Saskatchewan artist Monique Martin's postponed installation of some 2,000 dandelions and we also have story about a collaborative Black identity project by emerging Calgary artist Simone Saunders, who is gaining international attention via the Social Distancing Festival.
Our final article is by Peppa Martin, who talks to Vancouver's Shira Gold about how her photography practice has helped her manage her mental health, no small issue these days.
Looking ahead, Vancouver writer John Thomson reflects on the recent boom in outdoor murals, while Calgary writer Richard White checks in with commercial galleries to see what they are learning about staying relevant during the pandemic.
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Peppa Martin, Paul Gessell, Sarah Swan