I can hardly keep up with the art exhibits!  Dad and I have been busy this summer.  I have some catching up to do.  The Beaverbrook exhibit at the Glenbow escaped me…slipped right through my finger tips.  I was fortunate that, back in the day, as a recipient of a Teacher Plus award from the Calgary Catholic School District, I traveled Canada, visiting each and every provincial art gallery and the National Art Gallery in Ottawa as well…a single summer immersed in art museums!  During that summer, I spent a great deal of time in The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, enjoying the collection and other works.  It was fun to hear my daughter’s reaction to the experience of standing before the Santiago El Grande (1957) by Salvador Dali, given that I had stood in awe of the piece as a young woman in Fredericton, New Brunswick in the 1990s.  Cayley and I discussed the piece and I pulled out my brochures from the visit…we both wondered about how many people had stood before the piece during its life.  She spoke of a woman who sat beside her and chatted quietly with her about this piece.  Art is so wonderful for its mysteries.  It’s important that we visit art museums.

I drove through Vancouver and missed the Douglas Coupland exhibit.  This is one that I longed to see.  A person could spend their lifetime viewing art, but one has to try to make a balance, especially when life offers so many wonderful things.

Regardless, I’ve got an exhibit on my hit list for today.  It leaves C2 On August 31, so my readers may wish to also stop by to see John Clark’s work.  There’s been some confusion as Calgary has had two galleries merge, with the hope that they will evolve into Contemporary Calgary.  What’s required of the citizens of Calgary is support for a vision that is evolving and likely suffering the pains of transition in many ways.  It can’t be easy.

“The Wheel” (detail), 1986, oil on line, courtesy of the Clark Estate Photo retrieved from FFWD Calgary.

John Clark: A Tribute opened about the same time as Dad arrived.  Recently, The Herald published an excellent article about John Clark and his work, an uncommon thing, I find, in Calgary news.  I really wish that the visual arts took up more space in our local papers.  So much is happening.  I guess I have to say that I’m really grateful for FFWD for such as this.  An excellent bit of writing appeared there as well.

Of John Clark, Jeffrey Spalding eloquently states, and this taken directly from the FFWD article linked above…

“John Clark was a seeker: he was somebody who sought enlightenment, sought meaning and sought deeper purpose in things,” says Spalding. “I’m not entirely sure that he found it, and I’m not entirely sure that we’ll find it through his work, but… you’ll find… his desire to try to locate himself in the world and to understand the interaction of himself, nature and culture.”

I think, interesting stuff…enough for me to grab the C train down for a light lunch and a browse.  I hope that my Calgary based readers will take me up on my invitation to stand before these energetic works.  Personally, given my connection with the Lethbridge landscape, I look forward to enjoying Clark’s response to the same.  Tonight I will dish out my thoughts on this special tribute exhibit.