UNews - L Art Gallery

Oral History Project brings the past to life

trevor.kenney — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 22:38:48 +0000

The late English writer Rudyard Kipling once reflected, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students Karissa Patton (BA ’13) and Maria Livingston would likely agree with that observation.

Karissa Patton, left, and Maria Livingston are helping to bring the past to life through the Oral History Project.

Last summer, Patton, who is now pursuing a master’s degree in history, and Livingston, a third-year Native American Studies student, worked together on the Oral History Project, a story-gathering initiative supported by the U of L Art Gallery, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives and Centre for Oral History and Tradition.

Today, Livingston continues to be involved in the project, which is aimed at helping people to enhance their understanding of artist Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) and his unique connections to First Nations communities. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has a vast collection of de Grandmaison artwork and artifacts, including 67 original pastel portraits that were donated to the art gallery by BMO Financial Group earlier this year along with funding to support research related to the art gift.

A cultural icon of southern Alberta and one of the most important portraitists of First Nations people, de Grandmaison was a nomadic painter who often stayed with ranchers, farmers and Aboriginal families for several days at a time while he painted their portraits. His work not only documented the history of First Nations people in Canada, but was also unmatched in its ability to capture the unique personalities of those who sat for portraits.

With guidance from U of L archivist Mike Perry and Lisa Doolittle of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, Patton and Livingston contacted members of the Kainai, Siksika and Piikani First Nations, searching for – and interviewing – people who may have had contact either with de Grandmaison or any of the subjects featured in his paintings.

“Collecting individual narratives is important because people aren’t writing things down as much as they once did. Also, the stories that have been included in historical archives in the past have often just been those of famous people and politicians,” says Patton.

To ensure the full range of stories compiled in the oral history project are shared for years to come, Livingston is now working on an educational program and online resource for high school students and middle school students, respectively. The initiatives are a way of giving back to First Nations communities and youth, says Livingston, who is of Cree heritage.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to work on this project,” she says. “Along with hearing great storytelling, I’ve learned more about First Nations culture and history, and that complements what I’ve been learning in school.”

Lasting Images with Fred Greene

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 17:09:23 +0000

Fred Greene grew up in Calgary, Alta. and spent the first 20 years of his career as a conservator with organizations including the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the Centro di Conservazione Archeologica (Italy) and the Conservation Department at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary.

Fred Greene will now have more time to devote to his many other passions, such as playing the guitar.

Greene travelled extensively, working on ancient sites and with collections of cultural objects throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa and the former Soviet Union. Upon settling in Lethbridge, Greene completed his Bachelor of Arts at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 1998, and began working as the administrative manager of the U of L Art Gallery the following year.

Greene’s focus, energy and vast conservation knowledge have increased the quality of care and management of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s art collection, and he was instrumental in the development of the online database that allows digital access to nearly 14,000 collection artworks. Greene is an enthusiastic ambassador for the Art Gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a whole, and has been dedicated to supporting students’ interdisciplinary education and interaction with works of art. When Greene retires on Sept. 18, people across campus will miss his cheerful greetings in the halls, stories of exotic locales and discussions of the best eateries in Rome.

Please join the staff of the Art Gallery for Coffee’s On Fred – a coffee break retirement celebration, 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre Lobby (W500). A Salute to Fred begins at 9:45 a.m.

Fred's Art Collection Favourites:

John C. Forbes, Still Life with Melons, 1900. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection; Purchased in 1984 with funds provided by the Alberta Endowment Fund.

Ronald J. Spickett, Horses in Motion (a), 1967. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Canaccord Capital Corporation, 1995.

Oral History Project appeals for contributions

trevor.kenney — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:37:50 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives is calling on Albertans to assist in a historical project in support of their vast Nicholas de Grandmaison collection of artworks and artifacts.

A cultural icon of southern Alberta, artist Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) captured the history of the region and its First Nations people in an entirely distinctive and personal manner.

As an itinerant painter, de Grandmaison often stayed with ranchers, farmers and Aboriginal families for several days at a time while he painted their portraits. His unique lifestyle, character and attitude having left a plethora of interesting experiences that augment the context of his paintings.

It is these stories that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives are looking to tell through an Oral History Project that will complement the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's de Grandmaison collection of artworks and artifacts. They are currently seeking contributions from the Alberta community.

"By compiling an oral history, we really want to give the de Grandmaison collection another layer of meaning," says Karissa Patton (BA '13), a recent U of L graduate who is returning for graduate studies this fall and who is working with third-year Native American Studies student Maria Livingston on compiling the oral history pieces.

"The collection is remarkable, but in some instances we might only have the name of the person featured in the painting, and in others, we have no information at all. When you look at how the subjects are depicted, you can see that there is a story there that is just waiting to be told."

Working under the guidance of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archivist Mike Perry and Lisa Doolittle of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, Patton and Livingston have contacted various members of the Kainai, Siksika and Piikani First Nations, searching for those people who may have had contact either with de Grandmaison or any of the subjects featured in his paintings.

"It doesn't have to be a story from someone who was actually painted, it can be anything from that era that adds to the story of
de Grandmaison's visits and work," says Patton. "Even the smallest of recollections help to create a larger narrative."

BMO Financial Group recently donated 67 original de Grandmaison pastel portraits to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's already comprehensive collection of artworks and artifacts. They have been featured in the
U of L Art Gallery exhibition Nicholas de Grandmaison: Recent Acquisitions, which concludes Thursday, June 27. On Tuesday, June 25, a Closing Reception and Hoop Dance Performance will be held at 7 p.m. in the U of L Art Gallery.

"It's been wonderful to be able to present these de Grandmaison works to the public," says Director/Curator of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Dr. Josephine Mills. "The BMO donation has significantly enhanced our collection and really inspired us to search for ways in which we can encourage new work from First Nations artists. I think this Oral History Project is an excellent way to give even more context to these works and bring our Alberta history to life."

For those looking to take part in the project, access the following website for more information: http://www.uleth.ca/artgallery/?page_id=5452, call 403-380-1868 or e-mail degrandmaisonstories@uleth.ca

Oral history contributions sought by gallery

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:32:50 +0000

The late artist Nicholas de Grandmaison is a cultural icon of southern Alberta. He is well known for his portraits of politicians, families and unknown subjects.

During a previous exhibition of his work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery, there was a great deal of interest in discussing stories of the artist and of his Aboriginal subjects. The gallery is subsequently undertaking a project that invites individuals visiting the exhibit to share their unique experiences with the artist or the subjects of his paintings. The project will be publicized during the exhibition of paintings donated by BMO Financial Group at the U of L Art Gallery May 2 to June 27.

As an itinerant painter, de Grandmaison often stayed with ranchers, farmers and Aboriginal families for several days at a time while he painted them. His unique lifestyle, character and attitude have left a plethora of interesting experiences that augment the context of his paintings.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives are partnering to gather the stories and provide research access to them. This oral history project is intended to give greater context to de Grandmaison as a person and an artist and to give greater background to the body of his work in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ collection. As well, it will add to the rich research resource already housed on campus with the artworks, personal papers and photographs, and sound recordings produced with the artist and some of his Aboriginal sitters for portraits.

Once the stories are gathered, access will be provided through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Archives website and in person study in the Archives as well as future touring exhibitions of de Grandmaison's work.

Art that moves you

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:03:18 +0000

What was an ordinary walk to the washroom on Level 6 of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts is now anything but mundane.

The wall flanking the entrance to the U of L Main Gallery used to house a bank of pay phones, but with the removal of this obsolete technology, a great opportunity was afforded.

"I think people can easily agree, the advent of the smart phone has been terrific for the promotion of events and cultural organizations," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L Art Gallery. "For the gallery, changes in technology have meant another less obvious boon to our visibility."

The gallery quickly called dibs on the now vacant space.

"We requested a renovation that included the gallery-standard drywall over three-quarter inch plywood backing so that the wall could support hanging objects in frames, and we had the foresight to build in electrical and Internet connections," explains Mills. "Spurred by successful student design projects I had seen around campus, I initiated a call for proposals from new media students and faculty to create something for the new wall to raise the profile of the main art gallery."

The interactive wall located just outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Art Gallery allows people to immerse themselves in the art.

She assumed she would get ideas that involved applying vinyl or other traditional options to the wall.

"Instead, new media faculty members Leanne Elias, Dana Cooley and Carl Spencer, delighted and surprised me with a fabulously innovative idea to install an interactive projection, which was then developed by BFA New Media major Brendan Matkin," says Mills.

The playful interactive installation grabs attention as anyone walking by accidently sets the letters projected onto the wall dancing.

"With this collaborative project we wanted to try something new and different," says Matkin. "We wanted to promote the gallery, motivate others to realize this is a creative opportunity and have some fun."

Several people were involved with the project.

"We started planning in December and the hard work started in January," says Matkin. "In addition to Leanne, Dana and Carl, fellow student Alyssa Buck was an advisor on the project."

Matkin did the actual project development and worked with the open source Processing environment.

"We used a short-throw projector and Xbox Kinect and were able to overcome a few technical glitches," he says with a smile. "It's been a terrific learning experience."

Explaining how it works to a layperson, Matkin says, "Each letter interacts with the others as well as the digital shadow of people coming into the field. Gravity is used to
attract the letters back to their home position; however, to make the letters behave in a convincing manner, I used about 500 times normal gravity. The physics engine is the same as for Angry Birds."

Leanne Elias is pleased with the results of the project and its future potential.

"We are wildly excited about this project because it points towards new directions in interactive media," she says. "And the fact that this was a student-driven project makes it just that much more exciting."

She adds that several students, including Matkin, are going with her to the SXSW International Conference.

"Going to this interactive conference exposes our students to things we can't even imagine – truly cutting-edge technology."

Mills is excited about the future of the wall.

"Brendan created a superb inaugural project and, with the system in place, we are looking forward to further proposals for ideas to promote the gallery and our exhibitions and programs," she says.

The Art Gallery would like to thank the experts in the U of L Department of Facilities (Jim Vanderzee, Bill Hudains, Mick Nutley, Al Mueller, Paul Peterson) for their work in renovating the wall and installing the technology.

This story first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Culture Vulture visits the 1960s

trevor.kenney — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:52:02 +0000

Feel 'far out' making psychedelic lava lamps on Saturday, May 12 at Culture Vulture Saturday!

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium, Culture Vultures can enjoy creating groovy lava lamps using pre-cut templates and tissue paper, exploring the U of L Art Gallery and Helen Christou Gallery exhibitions and talking to staff about the current exhibition, The 1960s.

"Lava lamps were an iconic fixture in the 1960s and 1970s," says Rosalind Jeffrey, Culture Vulture program co-ordinator. "It's going to be fun for participants to either take a pre-made paper lamp template or create their own, add tissue paper, and then light up their creation."

Refreshments are provided and as always, it's free!

IRDF - Examining activism and social engagement

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:15:17 +0000

Established by the Vice-President Research, the Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF) is a one-time non-renewable research fund that will provide the foundation for developing the next generation of interdisciplinary concentrations of research excellence at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. The General Faculties Council Research Committee reviewed applications for IRDF funding and three proposals received support (up to $100,000 each over two years). This is one of three projects funded in 2012.

As Bob Dylan crooned in 1964, "The times they are a-changin'." While much has happened since Dylan first sang those famous words, they remain true today – the question on the minds of a group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers is 'how are they a-changin'?'

Dr. Bruce MacKay, left, with Dr. Josephine Mills.

Funded by the U of L's new Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund (IRDF), Complex Social Change: teaching, performing, exhibiting, designing, mapping is a project that focuses on the issues around being engaged and affecting social change.

"We are a group of change-makers, investigating how change is made," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director of the U of L Art Gallery and principal investigator on this project. The other change-makers include Dr. Bruce MacKay (liberal education), Lisa Doolittle (theatre and drama), Dr. Tiffany Muller-Myrdahl (women and gender studies) and Emily Luce (new media).

"We are interested in the large issues around what constitutes effective action and whether young people today are engaged in social issues," explains Mills, who says the work was inspired by debates around the recent Occupy movement.

"The Occupy movement, no matter how disorganized they may appear to be, suggests that what may be lacking is the theory, knowledge and skills necessary to sustain active engagement against societal pressures that encourage passive acceptance," says Mills, who hopes to draw on the success of social movements that did work like the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), which revolutionized AIDS activism in the 90s.

"This project will explore connections between a liberal education and encouraging activism and social engagement," says Mills.

She notes that taking a multi-disciplinary approach allows for different ways of approaching the issue.

"People from different disciplines tackle problems differently," says Mills. "Ideas can be investigated through poetry, art and dance, and connections can be made in non-linear ways. That's what makes this interdisciplinary model so strong."

While still in the early stages, plans for the project include several public activities and activist events including: exhibitions, video screenings and public-site projects with the U of L Art Gallery; a community activist dance project; a web site and social media postings; high profile speakers; a local speaker's series; and a publication. These public events and projects will address specific social issues, will serve as case studies for the exploring larger concepts, and will ground the theoretical context in actual practice.

"Ultimately, we want this research to contribute to a contemporary definition of liberal education and to better understand what is involved with creating participation and engagement in activist actions in today's society," says Mills.

This story first appeared in the May issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Installation creating a stir in 1st Choice Savings Centre

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:19:07 +0000

What is red, black, white and causing a stir? It's the new art installation in the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Health and Wellness.

Entitled Seek Knowledge Even Onto China by London, Ont. artist Jamelie Hassan, the work is a recent acquisition by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery. It was purchased with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance program, Sam Hassan and an anonymous donor.

"Seek Knowledge Even Onto China is a deceptively simple work that consists of carrying out the artist's precise instructions for installation," explains
Dr. Josephine Mills, Director/Curator U of L Art Gallery.

"Those include painting the wall a specific shade of red and attaching the black and white vinyl lettering, which are scaled to fit the location and repeats the title of the work in Arabic and Chinese characters."

The Hassan work Seek Knowledge Even Onto China as it is being installed.

Seek Knowledge Even Onto China can be displayed either inside a gallery, as it was last year at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as part of a touring exhibition surveying Hassan's career, or in a public location as it is now. The work is a limited edition and thus, despite the technical ease to reproduce it, there is a limit on the number of works that can exist.

Internationally renowned, with an extensive exhibition history, Hassan's practice has been distinguished by her use of a wide range of media – ceramics, watercolours, bookworks, photographs, video and installations – from which she selects an approach appropriate to the task at hand.

"Her work is well suited for public art because of her use of text that connects with memory and identity and her interest in exploring cross-cultural exchange and communication," says Mills. "While travel has a significant influence on Hassan's creative output, equally important to her practice is her view on the world from her home in London. Her pioneering practice has steadfastly asserted that artists have a responsibility to address the critical issues of our time while her geographical location in southwestern Ontario grounds her practice."

Despite the influence of her home, Hassan's work is equally influenced by other places: her research and travels in Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and particularly in Lebanon, the homeland of her parents.

This installation is part of a new direction when it comes to public art on the
U of L campus.

"I'm interested in expanding the range of what we have for public art on campus," says Mills. "It can be installations like this work, or other options beyond sculpture or framed works."

This story first appeared in the February 2012 edition of The Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Project turns on

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:57:45 +0000

Located on the 11th floor of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library, Project Channel is the U of L Art Gallery's satellite space to provide access to a range of local, national and international video art.

"For decades, artists have used the low cost possibilities of video to experiment with technology, mimic popular mass media, and tell stories that are often missed by the mainstream," explains Dr. Josephine Mills, curator/director, U of L Art Gallery. "The gallery will curate selections of video art for Project Channel's set of touch-screens. Many of the videos will also be purchased to build up a collection."

Viewers can either watch the latest selection or browse through the holdings on the three screens.

"The U of L Art Gallery Project Channel's innovative approach combines the strengths of curated screenings with on-demand library viewing to create easy-to-use access to video art," she says. "We want to thank the U of L Library and V Tape for their assistance with this project. We invite everyone to come check it out."

This story first appeared in the February 2012 edition of The Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Mills helping to engage through gallery

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:24:44 +0000

Dr. Josephine Mills is the director/curator of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and an associate professor in the Department of Art.

She has worked as a curator and public programmer in art galleries and artist-run centres in Saskatoon and Vancouver. Mills has a PhD in Communication Studies from Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is a graduate of the Museum Leadership Institute at the Getty Center.

Her research interests focus on broader issues related to collecting for art galleries and for artists as well as on the relationship between art and notions of public in Canada. Mills is the president of the Canadian Art Museum Directors' Organization/Organisation des Directeurs des Musées d'Art du Canada and a past president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College Art Gallery Association of Canada.

The U of L Art Gallery is one of the most comprehensive galleries in the country. The gallery plays a central role for research, learning and community engagement at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. At the same time, the art gallery is a key component of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's public face and reaches audiences from Lethbridge, within Alberta and across the country. By making art works and the activities of the art gallery highly visible on campus, we foster understanding about the visual arts for the full range of students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. We also attract members of the public to campus thereby giving them access to contemporary and historical exhibitions, to professional visual arts programming and to research produced at, and disseminated by, the art gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

UNews - L Art Gallery

Oral History Project brings the past to life

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