Glenbow

It's World Teachers' Day! Today, we celebrate the teachers and educators who spark curiosity, ask big questions, and help us see the world in new ways.

Glenbow is currently developing a suite of new school and education programming to support teachers and educators in delivering exceptional learning experiences when the museum reopens. Booking of school programs will be available following Glenbow’s reopening, with programs launching the following semester or season.

In the meantime, we're pleased to offer a monthly newsletter for teachers and educators featuring museum updates, activities for your classroom, and information from Glenbow’s Education team. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/4ywzp1t

Hockey has been a part of Calgary’s story for generations, and Glenbow’s collection holds many objects that capture that history. With the Calgary Flames season opener tonight, we’re taking a look at just a few.

First, a 1970s lunchbox features a selection of NHL teams. A keen eye will notice several teams that no longer exist, including the Minnesota North Stars, the Cleveland Barons, and the Atlanta Flames – which became the Calgary Flames in 1980.

Between 1982-83, the Royal Canadian Mint struck sets of NHL-themed coins for Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. Each coin featured a player, and Calgary’s featured none other than Flames legend – and possibly the greatest moustache in the history of the sport – Lanny McDonald. This particular coin’s owner eventually had it made into a wearable pendant.

A 1987 program featuring forward Colin Patterson takes us into the Flames’ early Calgary years. Just a few years later, Patterson would play an important role in the Flames’ 1989 Stanley Cup championship win over the Montreal Canadiens. Playing alongside star scorers like Doug Gilmour and Joe Mullen, Patterson gained a reputation as an unsung hero, grinding out scoring opportunities for his linemates. Finally, a commemorative pin celebrates the Flames’ 1989 win.

As we hope for another history-making season for the Flames, here’s to the stories that make hockey a part of Calgary!

Images:
1) NHL lunchbox, ca.1974, Collection of Glenbow.
2-3) Coin pendant, 1982, Collection of Glenbow.
4-5) Hockey program, 1987, Collection of Glenbow.
6) Lapel pin, 1989, Collection of Glenbow.

Today is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. This day is dedicated to acknowledging the painful legacy of residential schools in Canada, honouring survivors, and remembering those who did not come home.

Yesterday, renowned curator and scholar Gerald McMaster released Art, Truth & Reconciliation – a new book published by the Art Canada Institute exploring how Indigenous artists have responded to the history of residential schools in Canada. McMaster is also part of the planning process for the reimagined Niitsitapi/Blackfoot exhibition that will debut upon Glenbow's reopening. This exhibition is being led by Niitsitapi/ Blackfoot Elders and Knowledge Keepers from Siksika Nation, Piikani Nation, Kainai Nation, and the Amskapi Piikani Nation in present-day Montana.

The book features two artworks in Glenbow's collection, seen here, by artist Gerald Tail Feathers (1925-1975). Tail Feathers was a trailblazing Blackfoot painter and a residential school survivor whose work honours community, history, and identity.

Last summer, JR Shaw Institute for Art in Canada intern Kalle Little Bear researched Tail Feathers' life and work and shared her reflections on Glenbow's blog. Read Kalle's research: https://bit.ly/4qDBKo1

Images:
1) Gerald Tail Feathers, Blood Camps, 1956, Collection of Glenbow. Purchased, 1956.
2) Gerald Tail Feathers, Procession of the Holy Woman, Blood Sundance, 1960, Collection of Glenbow.

One of the most remarkable painters to capture the autumn landscapes of Alberta was William LeRoy Stevenson (1905–1966).

Stevenson is admired for a dramatic body of work that captures the distinctive topography of Alberta and the unique energy of its changing seasons. Autumn was especially important to him — he was interested in every aspect of it, from the soft lights of lingering dawns and twilights to the cold, damp atmosphere of early snowfalls.

Learn more about the groundbreaking career of this leading Calgary Modern artist: https://bit.ly/4niTnXh

Images:
1) W. L. Stevenson, Autumn Snow (Touches of Snow Among Autumn Foliage in Foothills), ca. 1962, Glenbow.
2) W. L. Stevenson, Autumn, West of Calgary, ca. 1954-55, Glenbow. Gift of Christopher Varley.
3) W. L. Stevenson, Autumn, n.d., Glenbow. Gift of Christopher Varley.
4) W. L. Stevenson, September Morning, ca. 1962, Glenbow. Gift of Christopher Varley.
5) W. L. Stevenson, October Morning, ca. 1957, Glenbow. Gift of Christopher Varley.
6) W. L. Stevenson, On Prince’s Island, 1957, Glenbow. Gift of the Devonian Foundation, 1979, Formerly in the Collection of the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation, purchased from the artist, 1957.

Glenbow is pleased to share six requests for quotations for qualified Niitsitapi/Blackfoot artists to create artworks for the museum's reimagined Niitsitapi/Blackfoot Gallery. These artworks will be part of the museum's reopening exhibition program in 2027.

Selected artists will work collaboratively with Niitsitapi/Blackfoot Elders co-curating the exhibition and Glenbow's Collections & Curatorial team.

Learn more about the requests for quotations: https://bit.ly/4gbBR5K

Pictured: Glenbow's revitalized home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture. Photo: Adam Borman

Happy 100th birthday to artist Takao Tanabe! Today, we celebrate an extraordinary artist whose career has made an indelible mark on art in Canada.

Glenbow was honoured to share Tanabe's work with audiences in Calgary through Takao Tanabe: Printmaker at Glenbow at the Edison in 2024. The exhibition, organized and circulated by the Kelowna Art Gallery (), brought together 75 years of the artist's printmaking practice, revealing his thoughtful minimalism, profound use of colour, and exploration of landscapes in Canada.

Tanabe's connection with Glenbow goes back even further. In 1977, we presented a solo exhibition of his work, and today, we're honoured that 55 works by Tanabe are in the museum’s collection.

Here's to a century of life and creativity! Learn more about Tanabe's art and legacy: https://bit.ly/3zHpFIN

Pictured: Audiences explore Takao Tanabe: Printmaker at Glenbow at the Edison in 2024. Photos: Mike Tan

Congratulations to artist Faye HeavyShield on receiving a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts!

HeavyShield is celebrated for her site-specific installations and minimalist sculptures, and Glenbow is honoured to have several of her artworks in the museum's collection.

We're also thrilled that her work will soon have a special place in Glenbow's revitalized home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture, where she is creating a monumental four-storey installation for the museum's new Rawji Family Gallery. This work will draw inspiration from the architecture of the building as well as traditional beadwork by Treaty 7 makers in Glenbow’s collection.

We can't wait for visitors to experience this striking new work when the museum reopens. In the meantime, please join us in celebrating HeavyShield's recognition and her extraordinary contributions to art in Canada.

Pictured: Faye HeavyShield in the Rawji Family Gallery during construction in 2024. Photos: George Webber

In honour of Calgary Pride Week, we’re celebrating a piece of Calgary q***r history that was equal parts joyful expression and social justice movement.

These t-shirts and 1990 Gay Games participation medal were donated to Glenbow by Luke Shwart, a founder of the Rocky Mountain Singers: a gay and le***an chorus formed in Calgary in 1989. The choir became part of a large network of q***r choirs around the world, and participated in and performed at some of Calgary’s earliest Pride events.

The Rocky Mountain Singers were active until the early 2000s, and their work built and strengthened the q***r community in Calgary. Their legacy continues to inspire a vibrant q***r choral scene in Calgary today.

Learn more about the history of q***r choruses and the Rocky Mountain Singers: https://bit.ly/3MsytoE

Images:
1) Shirt, 1992, Collection of Glenbow.
2) Shirt, ca. 1990s, Collection of Glenbow.
3) Medallion, 1990, Collection of Glenbow.

On August 27, Canada lost an extraordinary artist. David Thauberger (1948–2026) was a gifted painter, an innovative sculptor, a talented printmaker, and a passionate advocate for art from the Prairies. He was known for his generosity and his deep knowledge of historical art in the region, particularly folk art. A leading artist in Saskatchewan for over 50 years, Thauberger was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and of the Order of Canada.

Thauberger’s creative legacy is tremendous and wide-ranging, but he was perhaps most admired for his bold approach to Canadian landscapes that represent scenes ranging from striking modern homes to historic buildings on the Prairies to mountain lakes. For decades, he has invited us to reflect on places that define our communities, and through his compelling, questioning paintings and prints, to know and understand them better. As we continue to think about David’s remarkable art, our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Images:
1) David Thauberger, Pride of Ownership, 1987, acrylic, glitter, and Letraset on canvas, Collection of Glenbow. Gift of the artist, 2015.
2) David Thauberger, Rainbow Danceland, 1979, acrylic and glitter on canvas, Collection of Glenbow. Purchased with matching funds from the Canada Council Art Bank, 1980.
3) David Thauberger, McCargar’s Print (Day), 1981, serigraph, Collection of Glenbow. Purchased with funds from the Merger Fund, 1991.
4) David Thauberger, Farmyard, 1983, print, Collection of Glenbow. Purchased with funds from the Merger Fund, 1991.
5) David Thauberger, Lake Effect, 2000, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Glenbow. Gift of an anonymous donor.

Just a few days remain to support creativity, exploration, and play at Glenbow!

Until August 31, all donations to Glenbow through the Rogers Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink fundraising program will be matched up to 50% in support of the museum’s new indoor, art-inspired play space.

Make your gift by August 31 and help create this inspiring new destination in Glenbow’s revitalized home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture: https://bit.ly/4gH1bln

Photo: Elyse Bouvier