All in Visual and Media Arts
The Ledge Gallery at Arts Commons is the current home of Nurgül Rodriguez’ exhibition In the Vessel of my Skin, which delves into the coexistence of body and soul and the conflict that can arise from both sharing space––a concept born and exemplified to her during the pandemic. Immigration, gender disparity, and the desire to belong in a new country are all touched upon in a multitude of ways, each expressed using carefully molded porcelain.
The seed of the Incubator program at Arts Commons had a slow cultivation – it was important to move with measured intentionality and match the best individuals possible to bring the concept to reality. While there have been numerous mentorship programs in the performing arts, few have provided support to a group as broad and interdisciplinary as the one the Incubator program at Arts Commons has committed to; a year-long performance, exhibition, and professional development opportunity that creates a space safe enough for artists who move between disciplines to thrive.
Christopher Savage’s work, along with three other artists, is currently on exhibition in the Window Galleries at Arts Commons, and available now for online 3D tours. The design surrounding Savage’s artwork is logical and intuitive, wanting to draw the viewer in and help them look closer at the network of lines and gestural strokes spanning across his work. But how does such intention translate when the Window Galleries—where Savage along with many other RBC Emerging Visual Artists are showing—are closed to the public? Technology steps in.
When I graduated from SAIT with a Diploma of Journalism in 2013, my parents gave me a book, Flight of the Hummingbird. It tells a story of a raging fire threatening a forest, where animals of all shapes and sizes flee the wall of flames. Every animal, from the bear to the eagle, lamented on their helplessness in the face of such a tragedy and each proclaimed why it was hopeless to try and fight the fire. Throughout this, a single hummingbird flew from the river, carrying a bead of water in its tiny beak and dropped it on the towering inferno. The bird repeated this until the other animals asked why the hummingbird was doing this, to which it replied. “I’m doing what I can”.
When Peter Moller was a little kid, he went to The Grand theatre to watch his very first movie along with his parents and his brother. The Danish family of four was sitting in the iconic Calgary landmark, built in 1912, feeling comfortable on those green leather seats housed in the same space where audiences had seen The Marx Brothers perform, Nelly McClung speak, and crowds rally for both the Liberal and Conservative parties.
In June 2020 we caught up with artistic duo NASARIMBA, the muralists who’ve been making their mark all throughout Calgary. Since then, Rachel Ziriada and Mikhail Miller have been busy developing their practice and finding new ways to create and interact with their audience, including collaborating with Edmonton-based artist Jill Stanton last summer for the Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP) festival and taking part in the RBC Emerging Visual Artists Program. Originally scheduled to work in the Ledge Gallery at Arts Commons, they’ve alternatively migrated their work to a home studio in order to adapt to current restrictions. Needless to say, a pandemic has not meant stagnation in their work.
We’re stepping foot into June and one of the most vibrant months of the year: Pride. It is—among many other things—a celebration of what it means to be a part of a community that embraces the courageous, the colourful, and the collective journeys of LGBTQ+ individuals. To kick off Pride month, we conversed with artist Amy Webber on her experience as a bisexual woman and how she believes inclusion can be nurtured in today’s climate.
When you “step” into the virtual Lightbox Studio at Arts Commons, you will notice a large shape greeting you at the door and oversized fabric limbs hanging from the walls of the studio. Soon Darryl Sinclair, multidisciplinary artist, designer, and current resident artist at the Lightbox Studio, will turn that giant shape into a stuffed monster – one that doesn’t feed on typical monster fare, but the messages of stress and anxiety from visitors like you. It’s all part of Darryl’s project Stress is a Monster that Eats me Alive.
