If you are interested in having your art showcased in the library, please contact the Library Manager.
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) has supported a provincial travelling exhibition program since 1981. The mandate of the AFA Travelling Exhibition Program is to provide every Albertan with the opportunity to enjoy visual art exhibitions in their community.
Three regional galleries and one arts organization coordinate the program for the AFA: Northwest Region: The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Grande Prairie Northeast and North Central Region: The Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton Southwest Region: The Alberta Society of Artists, Calgary Southeast Region: The Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre, Medicine Hat
Each year, more than 300,000 Albertans enjoy many exhibitions in communities ranging from High Level in the north to Milk River in the south and virtually everywhere in between. The AFA Travelling Exhibition Program also offers educational support material to help educators integrate the visual arts into the school curriculum. Exhibitions for the TREX program are curated from a variety of sources, including private and public collections. A major part of the program assists in making the AFA’s extensive art collection available to Albertans. This growing art collection consists of over 8,000 artworks showcasing the creative talents of more than 2000 artists. As the only provincial art collection in Alberta, the AFA collection reflects the development of the vibrant visual arts community in the province and has become an important cultural legacy for all Albertans.
The Rotary Club of Slave Lake Public Library is proud to be a part of the AFA Travelling Exhibition Program and will continue to showcase Alberta. Local artists will be showcased as well throughout the year. There is always something new on the walls, so come down and visit the library!
Upcoming Exhibits Schedule
December 11th, 2019 to January 15th, 2020
Vital Patterns
(Clint Wilson SECOND GROWTH 2018 Photograph on paper 17.3 x 13 in.)
"Patterns are all around us. We are often enamoured with the beauty of the natural landscape that surrounds us, and artists are no different. Nature serves as a significant inspiration and when we look closer at the building blocks of the natural world, we often find similar interconnecting patterns; the roots of a tree system and our nervous system, the veins of a leaf and the veins in our own body, the pattern of bark and the texture of our own skin. Some of the most common patterns are the driving force behind both humans and plants. These systems are vital to survival and there is beauty in the simplicity of these patterns and the complexity of these systems.
This exhibition features artworks from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) collection and include artists Clint Wilson, Doris Freadrich, April Dean, and William Laing."
(Excerpt from TREX Exhibition Guide)
January 22nd to February 19th, 2020
A Slow Light
(Tyler Los-Jones, Sediments and Sunlight no. 8, 2017. Archival inkjet print)
"The history of the Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta is one of subtle and dramatic shifts. The area is notable for its geological formations, history of resource extraction, and the 1903 Frank Slide incident when the eastern slope of Turtle Mountain gave way in a rockslide, burying a part of the young mining town below. Over the years, the coal mining industry that once served as the community’s economic bedrock gradually shut down, and the area has become increasingly dependent on tourism. The shards of crumbled limestone that remain scattered at the site of the rockslide have proven to be a draw for many curious visitors, but also serve as a humbling reminder of an ever-evolving environment. The site is a stark counter-narrative to the popular conception of mountains as steady, permanent fixtures.
In 2015, Canmore-based artist, Tyler Los-Jones, began his investigation of the Crowsnest Pass during a residency program organized by the Southern Alberta Art Gallery at the Gushul Studio in Blairmore, Alberta. He recalls encountering the region’s stories in the way one encounters bands of strata—there are those that are large and obvious that you can determine at a distance and those that are more contorted that you need to experience up close. The layered geological and economic narratives within the region became the basis for the photographs and sculpture in this exhibition, along with references to orientation markers that have helped people navigate the dynamic environment.
In a slow light, Los-Jones generates wayfinding experiences by disorienting and reorienting the viewer with the material history of the Crowsnest Pass. The interplay of man-made objects with coal and limestone reminds us of humanity’s short time within the region by alluding to the geological forces that have been at play for millions of years— forces that are too slow to watch, but too powerful to overlook."
(Excerpt from 2019/2020 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program)
If you are interested in having your art displayed at our library please contact Kendra McRee (Library Manager) at 780-849-5250, or email librarian@slavelakelibrary.ab.ca
We love having local artist's work displayed!!
