Highlights of 20th Century Cdn. Architecture starts Sept 9

[newsposter]

BUILDING A HISTORY:
Highlights of 20th Century Canadian Architecture (Main Gallery)
From the Collection of the Canadian Architectural Archives, University of Calgary

Presented for 2011 ArtCity – Calgary International Festival of Visual Arts, Architecture & Design

September 9 – October 12, 2011

Building a History: Highlights of 20th Century Canadian Architecture
Triangle’s Connections With Collections Seriespresented in conjunction with the exhibition “Calgary Collects” at the Art Gallery of Calgary

The exhibition “Building A History: Highlights of 20th Century Canadian Architecture” is drawn from the rich collections of the Candian Architectural Archives at the University of Calgary and reflects the growing interest of architectural drawings as art form. The Canadian Architectural Archives is widely recognized as one of the few Canadian institutions dedicated to the preservation of architectural records and the promotion of architecture as fundamental to the definition of a culture and society.

The exhibition features a great diversity of drawings from a period in Canadian history in which Canadian architecture found its own voice, and the subjects cut across many different categorical boundaries. Private residences, urban development schemes, cultural institutions, office towers, monuments, and decorative elements are represented by a variety of plans, elevations, sections, axonometric and aerial perspectives. Drawings represent proposed, existing or theoretical structures demonstrating both the creative struggle, the design process, and the finished work on a variety of artistic media including pencil, ink, wash, watercolour, gouache, on Mylar, tracing paper, vellum, and print. The exhibition features – among other archival material – conceptual and final design drawings by many renowned Canadian architects: James C. Teague, Arthur Erickson, John B. Parkin, Jack Long, Ron Thom, Jeremy Sturgess, A.J. Diamond, A. Dale & Associates, and John & Patricia Patkau, to name just a few. This is a timely exhibition as Calgarians are becoming more aware of the city’s architectural legacy and are engaging in public discussions of what makes architecture great, thus contributing to a better understanding of Canadian cities.

Linda Fraser and Geoffrey Simmins
Exhibition Co-Curators

Linda Fraser is an Archivist and Chief Curator of the Canadian Architectural Archives, University of Calgary
Dr. Geoffrey Simmins is an Associate Dean of Research and Planning, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Calgary

Note: “Connections With Collections” Series showcases rarely exhibited works by renowned modern and contemporary Canadian and international visual artists, architects and designers from key institutional, corporate and private art collections in Alberta and Western Canada. This series provides art historians, academic researchers, students and the general public with a direct access and the opportunity for further study of these historic holdings. Through this series, the Triangle Gallery hopes to play a part in advancing knowledge in the areas of modern and contemporary Canadian and international visual culture and design, as well as the collection policies/management of these major institutional, corporate and private art collections.

The presentation of this exhibition at the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts and the publication of the exhibition catalogue have been made possible through the generous assistance of:

Sponsors: The City of Calgary – Department of Planning Development & Assessment, Bennett Jones LLP, BKDI Architects, DIALOG, The Edge Gallery Ltd., Great Events Corp, Masters Gallery Ltd., Perfectus Consulting Inc., Rod Green

Partners: Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, University of Calgary Libraries and Cultural Resources, ArtCity Festival of Visual Arts, Architecture & Design, Iron lava Corp, Walls Alive