Around Town
Rolande Souliere : I am JUST not good at following directions
Rolande SouliereA member of Michipicoten First Nation now living and working in Australia, Souliere presents an installation of flowing patterns rendered in reflective traffic sign material and abstracted from traditional Northwest Native art motifs; a nexus of North American indigenous culture, abstraction and the Modernist project.
June 25 - July 31
The New Gallery
, 212, 100 7th Ave SW
Established in 1975, The New Gallery is an active artist-run centre for the presentation and promotion of contemporary art in Calgary. Through exhibitions, performances, discussions and educational resources, The New Gallery stimulates critical discourse, recognizes diversity, develops collaborative networks and promotes a public appreciation of current art practices.
History
Clouds & Water Gallery (1975-1979)
Clouds & Water Gallery and Visual Production Society, a pioneer of artist-run culture in Calgary, opened on March 15, 1975. The Society provided exhibition space for alternative art, particularly photography
Off Centre Centre (OCC) (1980-1987)
In January 1980 the gallery changed its name and location. Multidisciplinary exhibitions and performances were key features of programming. OCC initiated numerous collaborations and nurtured the growth of artist-run organizations such as ANNPAC (Association of National Non-Profit Artist Centres), Centre Art Video (now EMMEDIA), RADIO/RADIO (alternative broadcaster) and One Yellow Rabbit (theatre company).
The New Gallery (TNG) (1987-present)
In April 1987 the gallery again changed its name and location. During the early 1990s, TNG focused strongly on sociopolitical art, redefining established notions of community and artistic practice.
In September 1996 the Society returned to its original Clouds & Water location (9th Avenue and 5th Street SW, Calgary). TNG opened three exhibition spaces and a Resource Room. Programs such as Artist Trading Cards and Space for Space responded to a high demand within the artistic community for venues to present spontaneous and current performative art forms. In 2001, TNG initiated a city-wide performative art festival, Mountain: Standard Time (M:ST) which has now transitioned into its own society.
The Gallery relocated to the Eau Claire Market in March, 2007, a destination for tourists and shoppers. TNG is strategically placed in a high traffic mall to be accessible to a large and diverse audience. While plans to redevelop the Eau Claire Market site remain on hold, the non-profit society's Board of Directors elected to move the venerable cultural institution on December 01, 2009 into a 1200 sq. ft. exhibition space on the top floor of Art Central (Centre St. and 7th Ave. SW), in the very heart of the city's burgeoning Cultural District.