Exhibitions and Events
Woolford and the Earl of Dalhousie in Nova Scotia
Between 1816 and 1820, George Ramsay, ninth Earl of Dalhousie held the position of Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia. During that time, he travelled around the province by boat, horseback, sleigh and on foot, often accompanied by his talented draughtsman, John E. Woolford. This exhibition includes a bound volume of 52 sketches of Nova Scotia completed by Woolford in 1818 plus seven ink washes and watercolours. All of this material was part of a large donation to Dalhousie University by William Inglis Morse.
Sylvie Stevenson: The Milarepa Cycle, Part 5: Source. Bat
The fourth in our periodic series of front alcove shows, designed to respond more immediately to work by local artists, this installation by Sylvie Stevenson draws on the teachings of the great 14th century Tibetan yogi, Milarepa, with regard to clothing, convention and spirituality.
Snakes and Ladders: Recent Paintings by Harlan Johnson, Alex Livingston and Leslie Sasaki
Vigorous brushwork, saturated colour and biomorphic imagery characterize this exhibition of 28 figurative paintings by Harlan Johnson, Alex Livingston and Leslie Saski, all of whom have strong connections to this region. Their individual approaches to the problem of reinvesting painting with "content" derive partly from personal biography and partly from literature, both fiction and non-fiction, relating to culture, myth and natural history. All three artists employ allegorical, metaphoric and emblematic devices and an eclectic range of images.
No Laughing Matter
Among the 13 internationally-known artists in this unusual and challenging exhibition are Hans Haake, Cindy Sherman, Gran Fury, Krzystof Wodiczko, Tom Otterness, Carrie Mae Weems and Guerilla Girls, all of whom employ humour and irony in order to get their point across. Asking “To whom is this funny? And Why?” the artists cover such issues such as racism, sexism, imperialism, corporate responsibility, the AIDS crisis, poverty and the environment. This important collection of activist art from the last decade includes sculpture, photography, paintings, prints, and mixed media installations.
Ansel Adams: Three Portfolios
This exquisite selection of prints from the permanent collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts includes 32 photographs by the legendary American photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984). The Portfolios cover a period from 1948 to 1974, and demonstrate the clarity of Adams’ technique in landscapes, plant studies, portraits (including a classic 1938 portrait of Alfred Stieglitz) and buildings. Organized and circulated by the Extension Service of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, with the support from the Museum Assistance Program of Communications Canada.
Rephotographing the Land
Marlene Creates, Patricia Deadman, Lorraine Gilbert, Ernie Kroeger, Sylvie Readman and Sandra Semchuk approach the idea of landscape photography from six very different perspectives.
The 38th Annual Dalhousie Student, Staff, Faculty and Alumni Exhibition
The Gallery’s annual celebration of the artistic talent of the university community, through an exhibition of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture and crafts by Dalhousie students, staff, faculty and alumni. Members of the Dalhousie Community are invited to submit works for this exhibition, to be accepted at the gallery from November 30 – December 8 inclusive, during regular gallery hours.
Shadow Area: Images of Illness and Healing by Robert Pope
Halifax artist Robert Pope draws on his own experiences as a survivor of cancer in these haunting images of illness and healing. His paintings and drawings combine a realistic technique with visual symbols, heightened tonal contrasts and compositions often cropped into almost unbearable intimacy, in order to explore the emotional and psychological dimensions of cancer treatment. Organized by the Dalhousie Art Gallery, in conjunction with the 1991 Year of Medicine and the Humanities ad Dalhousie University, with support from the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture.
Eleanor Bond: Social Centres
Winnipeg artist Eleanor Bond’s huge canvasses portray a not-so-distant future society, where public mega-projects and theme parks vie with environmental concerns and special interest groups. How can urban and rural societies be restructured to fulfill a variety of conflicting individual and collective visions? Bond ironically explores these issues in her provocative, lushly painted utopias. Curated by Shirley Madill for the Winnipeg Art Gallery, with support from the Canada Council and the Manitoba Arts Council.
