Animalia
curated by Daniel Lindley
Reception: Thursday January 20, 5:00-7:00PM
505 8th Ave SW, Calgary, AB
Animals have a long history of being portrayed in artworks, dating back to prehistoric times. To this day humans continue to have a fascination with their animal counterparts depicting them in a number of ways using visual media.
Animalia includes works from the City of Calgary Civic Art Collection, illustrating how some Calgary artists have portrayed animals using craft-based media, including glass, ceramics and papier mâché.
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Gallery 505 is Calgary’s newest public art venue curated by the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation (CAAF). This new space “Gallery 505” is a reference to its street address at 505 – 8th Ave SW. This high pedestrian traffic area will now give CAAF a street presence and extend our footprint into the Calgary cultural scene. Here on display you will see artworks on loan from the Civic Art Collection, as well as previous participants from CAAF’s Artist in Residence Program.
The Civic Art Collection contains over 1000 works of art and the collection is the pride and joy of The City of Calgary. For many years, CAAF has provided acquisition funds for the collection, which has allowed the number to grow. The artworks date from 1850 to the present and include the names of some of Calgary’s most recognized historic and contemporary artists.
The footprint for the gallery is not large but it is dynamic. Every aspect has been considered from the design of the interior to the environmental concerns associated with displaying artwork. We are ever so grateful to donor 679 Capital for seeing Gallery 505 come to fruition. By collaborating with CAAF, we hope to enrich the community in the core and further promote Calgary’s vibrant art scene.