Past Exhibitions
Echoes of Thunder: Unveiling the Mythical Chinese Dragon
Presented by U of A Museums with objects from the Mactaggart Art Collection
February 24 - June 22, 2024
In Chinese culture, the dragon is a mythical shapeshifter whose most common form is a composite of various animals. As a revered protector that remains obscured from human sight, the legend of the dragon is rooted in the sound and rain of thunderstorms and other weather events. Using select objects from the Mactaggart Art Collection, Echoes of Thunder: Unveiling the Mythical Chinese Dragon aims to illustrate the origin of the Chinese dragon and its importance and significance in Chinese culture.
[De]Coded: Deciphering the Dialects of Dress
Anne Lambert Clothing and Textiles Collection
May 11, 2022 to March 1, 2023
The overarching theme pertains to dress codes and their impact on the individual, society, and everyday life. To decode the aesthetic subtext of fashion and clothing, we must view what we wear as more than a simple expression of preferences or tastes.
Dragons on the Tibetan Plateau: Selected Textiles from the Mactaggart Art Collection
February 27, - May 1, 2020 (Closed early due to COVID-19 restrictions)
With never-before-seen textiles from the Mactaggart Art Collection, Dragons on the Tibetan Plateau focuses on the variations of dragon pattern designs and the textile production techniques found through selected objects from Tibet between the 16th and 18th centuries.
A Collector's Eye ᓄᐊᑦᑎᕙᑦᑑᑉ ᕿᓂᐅᓯᖓ: The Halvarson Gift of Inuit Art
November 14 to December 14, 2019
In 2019, Milton Halvarson (1939-2019) bequeathed 46 works of art that would bring his contribution to 113 works of art to the University of Alberta Museums. A Collector's Eye ᓄᐊᑦᑎᕙᑦᑑᑉ ᕿᓂᐅᓯᖓ: The Halvarson Gift of Inuit Art celebrates the contributions of Milton and Wendy Halvarson and the important legacy their lifetime of collecting has made to the University of Alberta Museums Art Collection.
Shifting Geographies: Inuit Art from the University of Alberta Art Collection
September 19 to October 26, 2019
This exhibition considered a range of Inuit works of art that highlight the lifestyle and cultural changes across the Canadian Arctic. Drawn from the University of Alberta Art Collection's broad holdings of Inuit art, Shifting Geographies showed how knowledge and skills have been passed on and transformed from one generation to the next.
Be My Guest: The Performance of Femininity Through Food & Fashion
April 9 - October 25, 2019
The exhibition explores how women have expressed femininity through social gatherings from the late 19th century to the modern day. From teatime, to the cocktail hour, to the dinner party, home entertaining has been a way for women to express themselves through the food they make, the clothes they wear, and the way they present their homes.
Fashion in Print
November 28, 2018 - March 8, 2019
Fashion in Print was co-curated by a dedicated team of Human Ecology students at the University of Alberta who came together to develop a deeper understanding of dress history in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Information gathered from their research was used to generate an exciting public exhibition to showcase their key findings.
Forgotten Fronts: The Austro-Hungarian Army and the Great War
August 29 - November 14, 2018
Forgotten Fronts reminded people of other aspects of the First World War, specifically activities of the Austro-Hungarian army - which may have had particular relevance to many of the residents of Alberta in the period. This exhibition also aimed to remind visitors of the losses suffered on both sides in this tragic conflict.
re-Vision and re-Turn: exploring sustainable fashion
May 14, 2018 - September 30, 2018 (Extended to October 20, 2018)
This exhibition is a response to society's current overconsumption of clothing and the environmental and social justice challenges existing in the fashion industry today. Human Ecology students act as artists and activists making a contribution to a growing sustainability movement by offering their own design solutions to an environmental problem.
August 23 - October 5, 2018
Every nation's artists view their natural landscape as a source of inspiration to capture the spirit of their home. The rich traditions of landscape paintings by artists in Canada and China come together in Mountains and Water: Visions of the Land in Canada and China and illustrate how mountains and water have universally captured the imaginations of artists for centuries.
Indigenous Methodology and the Rock Grandfather
October 2017 - June 2018
The University of Alberta North Campus Quad was home to three granite sculptures that helped to present a glimpse into the story-telling conversation of the Rock Grandfather and helped reflect the continued efforts of the University to work toward a respectful, meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Light/Matter: Art at the Intersection of Photography and Printmaking
May 11 - June 2, 2018
The University of Alberta Museums is proud to collaborate with the Department of Art and Design to present Light/Matter: Art at the Intersection of Photography and Printmaking. This exhibition calls for a re-evaluation of the photo-print movement that began in the mid-twentieth century. Light/Matter brings nearly 100 ground-breaking works by 40 artists from 16 countries, together to demonstrate how their works are clear evidence of the impact of the photo-print movement and how we see and interpret images. This exhibition is curated by Tracy Templeton, Walter Jule and Ingrid Ledent.
The Mactaggart Art Collection: Remembering Sandy Mactaggart
October 3 - October 6, 2017
Sandy and Cécile Mactaggart spent a lifetime collecting rare Asian paintings and textiles - a collection which they began generously donating to the University of Alberta in 2004. Their passion and love for the works of art they were collecting was more than just a personal interest; this collection would play an important role in the future of the University of Alberta. Sandy Mactaggart hoped that this collection would help Albertans foster an understating of the relationship between Canada and China that would benefit both countries for many future generations.
Sandy Mactaggart passed away in July 2017 and some of his favourite and beloved artifacts are once again being shared with the community.
International Print Exhibition: Canada and Japan
February 16 - March 25, 2017
The University of Alberta Museums in collaboration with SNAP and Edmonton print artist Liz Ingram are pleased to host the KYOTO Hanga 2016 exhibition - International Print Exhibition: Canada and Japan organized by Akira Kurosaki, chairman of the Kyoto Print Exhibition Executive Committee. For its first time in Canada, this exhibition will explore over 150 contemporary prints by Canadian and Japanese artists in a way that creates a compelling storyline of recent printmaking in both countries.
A Little Bit of Infinity
August 11 - February 25, 2017
A Little Bit of Infinity features works of art from the University of Alberta Museums Art Collection that celebrates the art, artists, collections and collectors on the continuum of printmaking. This exhibition spans 600 years of history, includes over 130 local and international artists from 23 different countries and it is inspired by the twentieth anniversary of the University of Alberta Museums Print Study Centre. It is a time to pause, reflect, and celebrate Edmonton's extraordinary community of print art and artists - our little bit of infinity - and its impact on the world.
Floods, Blood, and Bitumen
October 13 - November 19, 2016
This exhibition, Floods, Blood, and Bitumen, features a growing collection of scenes from Alberta's past organized by a collaborative team of archaeologists and historians from Alberta's Historic Resources Management Branch, the Royal Alberta Museum and the University of Alberta's Department of Anthropology and Institute of Prairie Archaeology. Each artwork shares an important story about the people of Alberta. Bold and evocative depictions represent a multicultural history that is emotional, colourful, and dramatic.
Tempo of China
May 12 - July 30, 2016
Installation on loan from the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China, Consul-General Wang Xinping. Tempo of China, a photographic exhibition, attempts to capture the spirit of China in perspectives of compelling immediacy; that of a nation of immense vim and vigor. It features works selected from entries submitted by more than one thousand professional and amateur photographers around the country.
China Through the Lens of John Thomson (1868-1872)
March 18 - July 30, 2016
This is the first exhibition devoted to the images of China taken by the Scottish photographer John Thomson (1837 - 1921). Thomson captured monuments and unfamiliar landscapes in his photographs, and was interested in the customs, occupation and appearance of the Chinese people - both rich and poor. All images in the exhibition are from The Wellcome Library Collection (London, England).
The Mactaggart Art Collection: Beyond the Lens
March 18 - July 30, 2016
A companion exhibition of selections from the renowned Mactaggart Art Collection at the University of Alberta Museums which brings to life what John Thomson saw as he travelled through China, but also what he did not see. Guest curated by John. E. Vollmer, New York City.
Dandy Lines
June 16, 2016 - July 9, 2016
Caitlin Thompson
Dandy Lines is a guest exhibition created by Caitlin Thompson and supported by the University of Alberta Museums. This is an exhibition of cosmic country embroidery referencing Western fashion through the cyclical, transformative theories of craftwork and the animate. As an exploration into the study of craft and fashion, Dandy Lines revisits the histories of the decorative, bringing to the surface tensions between labour and identity, the body and the psyche.
Show Me Something I Don't Know
May 19, 2016 - July 2, 2016
This exhibition documents our modern-day travel adventures and provides a space where we can share experiences and discoveries. It is set to complement the exhibition China through the Lens of John Thomson (1868-1872). This exhibition also includes photographs by the pioneering mountain guide Joe Weiss from the early years of Jasper National Park selected from the University of Alberta Art Collection.
Brain Storms: UAlberta Creates (Part 1 & 2)
September 25, 2015 - January 23, 2016
Part 1 opened on September 25, 2015, the exhibition featured hundreds of creative and visually inspiring works from University of Alberta Alumni in support of the University of Alberta Alumni Association centenary. Brain Storms: UAlberta Creates - Part 2 opened November 25 with 30 new artists and over 40 new works to be cycled into the existing Brain Storms exhibition.
You, the Wind and the Sound
October 29 - November 28, 2015
The University of Alberta Museums presents You, the Wind and the Sound by Nicolás Arnáez at the University of Alberta Museums Galleries at Enterprise Square. As a partner in the Exhibiting Soundproject, we are happy to present this interactive installation, which allows the visitor to become the composer and performer of their own sound creations.
Mind Games
August 20 - October 10, 2015
Lisa Turner
The exhibition Mind Games investigates the relationships between advertising, product design, and games: the elements of chance, strategy and desire. The works use of Gestalt evokes the Rorschach test, in which the viewer must rely on memory, experience, and imagination to decipher what they are looking at.
Arche-Textures
August 20 - October 10, 2015
This large scale art installation is created by Edmonton visual artist Amy Loewan and curated by Dr. Melinda Pinfold. Over the past decade, Amy has dedicated her work to promote peace & human understanding. This large scale installation employs text and icons of peace to create a space in the gallery for quiet contemplation.
Recollections: An Imperfect Schematic
August 20 - October 10, 2015
Erin Pankratz- Smith
Each mosaic work in the exhibition Recollections: An Imperfect Schematic is not a suspension of one moment in time, but the accumulation of moments within one piece, a map of one's anamnesis- which are the recollections or remembrances of the past; reminiscences. One by one, layers of experience are added - none immune to disturbance - impressions are dug out, pushed in, reworked, excavated, buried, re-remembered; scratched out and overwritten, resulting in a palimpsest of memories.
Le corps en question(s) 2/The Body in Question(s) 2
June 18 - August 22, 2015
The University of Alberta Museums teams up with the Brian Webb Dance Company to present Le corps en question(s) 2/The Body in Question(s) 2 from Montreal's Van Grimde Corps Secrets. Joining forces in a captivating creation-exhibition directed by Isabelle Van Grimde, performers, visual artists (including Alberta artists Derek Besant, Blair Brennan, Sean Caulfield, and Royden Mills), multimedia artists, scientists (including Alberta geneticist Dr. Dawna Gilchrist), composers, and set designers have transformed the U of A Museums Enterprise Square Galleries in downtown Edmonton into a giant kaleidoscope with a panoramic look at the body.
Celebrating Connections: Weddings in Multicultural Alberta
May 28 - August 1, 2015
A heritage exhibition that displays the wedding attire, wedding videos and stories of real Edmonton couples to represent and showcase the dynamic customs and traditions of some of the ethnic communities in our City.
Found Flock
June 18 - August 1, 2015
Alison Service
Found Flock is whimsical and playful, yet powerfully representative of Edmonton's bird species. It reminds us of the marvel of nature and the importance of its preservation. Through the re-use of discarded materials Found Flock looks at the way in which we consume.
Monarch
May 28 - August 1, 2015
Sylvain Voyer
An exhibition of works from the artist's 15 year fascination with the imperiled monarch butterfly.
What's New? at the University of Alberta Museums
April 23 - May 23, 2015
The University of Alberta Museums presents What's New? an exhibition featuring art, artifacts and specimens from six of the University's 29 museum collections that all have something new to share. The University of Alberta Museums is constantly engaged in new activities - some are new acquisitions through donations or field research.
Charles Stankievech: The Soniferous of The Land Beyond The Land Beyond
January 22 - March 21, 2015
The University of Alberta Museums presents this 10-minute, 35-mm film installation, created during a residency at Canadian Forces Station Alert, a military spy outpost and the northernmost settlement on Earth. Stankievech's documents the station-built in 1956 to intercept Russian radio communications and aid Cold War efforts-and the surrounding landscape shrouded by the intense darkness of a polar winter.
Discovering Dinosaurs
September 18, 2014 - January 31, 2015
Can you dig it? Few topics capture the collective imagination more than dinosaurs. This fall, the University of Alberta Museums presents an exhibition to satisfy your curiosity and inspire a new generation of dinosaur enthusiasts. Discovering Dinosaurs reveals the fascinating story of Alberta's Cretaceous dinosaurs, showcasing hundreds of never-before-seen specimens, new discoveries, and recent U of A research.
SONAR
November 6 - December 20, 2014
Presented as part of the Art Gallery of Alberta at Enterprise Square Galleries exhibition series, SONAR features a diverse range of sound projects through recordings, interactive sound environments, and sound installations referencing noise, electroacoustic, experimental and minimalist sound art practices.
Def Perspectives: Paintings and Drawings by Jesse Thomas
September 11 - October 25, 2014
Jesse Thomas' paintings are the product of a speculative endeavor which proposes imaginary spaces, events, and situations. They are designed to test the narrative limits of static pictorial space in relation to cinema, the novel and virtual spaces and experiences. Jesse Thomas is an Assistant Professor in Painting at the University of Alberta.
Allen Ball - That Shepherd: Righteousness
July 17 - September 27, 2014
Allen Ball was a participant in the Canadian Forces Artist Program in 2007 in Northern Egypt. This resulting series of 12 paintings uses photographs taken during his tour of duty. Digitally printing these images onto the canvas and painting over them, Ball relays slivers of the realities of serving abroad.
Frosh 1965: Photographs by Norman Kreye
July 17 - August 30, 2014
Norman Kreye worked for almost thirty years as a bus driver for the County of Parkland. He had an intense desire to document everything, all of the time, even whilst he was working. Frosh 1965 is a series of images of high school students, spanning the 1960s and 1970s, in rural Alberta on their way to school during initiation week. Curated by his grand-daughter, Krstyal Kreye, from Norman's unique collection of 35mm slides, these photographs offer an interesting retrospective glimpse into student life during that period.
Forging a Nation: Canada Goes to War
June 5 - August 16, 2014
Forging a Nation: Canada Goes to War is a travelling exhibition featuring more than 60 works of art from some of the best collections of war art from around the world. The works presented commemorate the First World War and the 100 years of conflict that have since followed. The ensuing work that has come out of artists' experiences in the trenches has contributed to the development of our Canadian national identity.
Carl Beam: "let us remember that we are all related"
March 27 - May 24, 2014
Presented here are works by Carl Beam from the collection of Maurice Yacowar, a gracious donor to the University of Alberta Art Collection. This set of 27 untitled mixed-media works on paper uses collage and photo-transfer techniques that demonstrate Beam's characteristic artistic strategies, juxtaposing fragments of text, personal images and found material from historical archives or popular culture to create jarring questions for the viewer.
kiyas aspin
March 27 - May 24, 2014
kiyas aspin-Cree for "it's been a long time since..."-features 26 artworks by Alberta artists Jane Ash Poitras, Dale Belcourt, Joane Cardinal-Schubert, Edward Harpe, Faye HeavyShield, Alex Janvier, George Littlechild, Ann McLean, Kimowan Metchewais, Ken Swan, Sam Warrior and Lauren I. Wuttunee. This exhibition is presented by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and features works from the Alberta Art Collection (formerly known as the Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts Association Collection).
Fresh Paint: A Snapshot of Painting in Edmonton
February 6 - April 26, 2014
At a time when experimentation across discipline and media is common practice for artists, local painters remain passionately committed to their discipline. This exhibition is a snapshot of 12 current Edmonton artists, emphasizing the diversity and strength of Edmonton's painting community.
Duets: Shared Ideas in Painting
February 6 - April 26, 2014
Duets: Shared Ideas in Painting explores different interpretations of ideas and concepts that painters past and present draw upon in their search for self-expression. Despite an ever-expanding array of media choices in the art world, painting continues to be the quintessential vehicle of artistic visual communication. Duets features 18 works from the University of Alberta Art Collection.
Cross-Contamination: An exhibition of the works by the Staff and Collective at the Nina
February 6 - March 29, 2014
The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts presents a survey exhibition of artworks from the collective of artists with developmental disabilities who work at the centre alongside a concurrent exhibition of artwork from the team of professional artists who work at The Nina.
Visual Music: Five Films by John Osborne
February 6 - March 29, 2014
These short films explore the relationship between sound and images and have been shown at various film festivals in North America and Europe. Three of the five films are set to music to Edmonton composers/musicians.
DinoStars
February 6 - March 8, 2014
They've dominated the news across the globe, now you can come see the real dinosaur specimens, shown to the public for the first time. DinoStars features two of the arguably most exciting recent discoveries from the University of Alberta's Laboratory for Vertebrate Paleontology, the Baby Chasmosaurus belli and the Mummified Edmontosaurus regalis.
Sanaunguabik: Traditions and Transformations in Inuit Art
November 1 - December 21, 2013
Sanaunguabik, the Inuktitut word for "a place where small things are made," explores the history of the studio movement in the Canadian Arctic. This exhibition traces the development of Inuit art over 65 years and features nearly 100 works in print, sculpture, textile, and video, primarily drawn from the U of A Art Collection, accentuated by loans from public and private collections across Canada.
Pop Goes Canadiana: Iconic Art by Charles Pachter
November 1 - 30, 2013
Over the arc of a distinguished career, Charles Pachter has developed an artistic practice that channels everyday Canadian icons-moose, hockey players, Mounties, and the Queen-into stylized pop images. This important and generous gift of the artist to the University of Alberta Art Collection includes work reflecting the following: Pachter's early experimentation with media and technique, the realization of a satirical and humorous artistic voice in later works, and his collaboration and life-long friendship with Margaret Atwood.
The World of Splash Ink: Painting and Calligraphy by Professor FAN Zeng
October 1 - November 2, 2013
The work of Professor FAN Zeng demonstrates a unique style, rooted in traditional Chinese calligraphic painting. Professor FAN's artistic style follows in the footsteps of the great painters of the Song Dynasty, and he aims to revive the splendor of the Chinese art tradition. Not only is this the first time Professor FAN's work has been exhibited in North America, the University of Alberta is the exclusive North American exhibition host for The World of Splash Ink.
When the Sky Falls
July 30 - August 3, 2013
When the Sky Falls features more than a dozen meteorites from famous Western Canadian falls, all recorded and witnessed by the public: Bruderheim, Peace River, Innisfree, Vilna, Revelstoke, and Tagish Lake. The meteorites from the U of A Museums will be exhibited alongside five pieces from the most recent, most dramatic, and possibly most famous fireball event, Chelyabinsk (Russia) from February 2013, seen for the first time in Canada at When the Sky Falls.
SIZE MATTERS
April 4 - June 29, 2013
From the miniature to the monolithic, artists have been playing with scale for thousands of years. SIZE MATTERS features the work of contemporary printmakers from Canada, the U.S., Finland, Japan, and beyond, who all have one thing in common: they like to think big. SIZE MATTERS features prints from the University of Alberta Art Collection, as well as works on loan from the Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library. Curated by Jim Corrigan, this exhibition brings together 56 prints by 34 artists.
Passion Project
November 22, 2012 to March 2, 2013
Passion Project tells the story of how the University of Alberta has developed an outstanding art collection, shaped by the personal passion and collective vision of donors, artists, curators, and community. With artworks from Canadian luminaries such as the Group of Seven and Jack Bush and international artists ranging from Marc Chagall to Tracy Emin, Passion Project ranges from recent donations to the art collection to the first major work of art donated to the U of A in 1931 (a painting by Group of Seven artist A.J. Casson).
Immortal Beauty
November 22, 2012 to March 2, 2013
Immortal Beauty is a collaboration between the University of Alberta Museums and the Prince Takamado Japan Centre for Teaching and Research in the Faculty of Arts. Curated by Jim Corrigan, Immortal Beauty celebrates the work of master calligrapher Shikō Kataoka, in the context of calligraphy-inspired works from the University of Alberta Art Collection.
Perceptions of Promise: Biotechnology, Society and Art
November 8, 2012 to February 2, 2013
Perceptions of Promise: Biotechnology, Society and Art is a touring exhibition that offers a compelling glimpse into a unique collaboration between scientists, scholars and nine Canadian and international artists working in a variety of mediums. This visually engaging exhibition challenges viewers to consider the positive and negative possibilities of biotechnology in general and stem cell research in particular.
China's Imperial Modern: The Painter's Craft
April 5 to July 14, 2012
China's Imperial Modern: The Painter's Craft explores how brush-and-ink painting left the domain of the educated elite to circulate in the art market, at the imperial court, and throughout what would soon become the nation of China. The exhibition demonstrates how the visual pleasures, confusion and anxieties typically associated in the West with the modern moment of the early 20th century also typify the visual culture of China's late imperial era
Cool Stuff: The University of Alberta Museums Do Winter
February 16 to March 31, 2012
This exhibition featured spectacular objects and artifacts related to winter, ice, snow, mountains and polar regions. Cool Stuff: The University of Alberta Museums Do Winter presented diverse subjects from polar dinosaur hunting to artwork inspired by the cold to collecting meteorites in the snow.