Helen Christou Gallery
50 (art + people = x)
January 6 – February 17, 2017

Curated by Josephine Mills & David Smith

Continuing our long running art + people = x series, the exhibition 50 invited local artists and art students to help launch the University of Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Artists explored the concept of the number 50 however they chose: as a number with varied mathematical possibilities; a concept that they could play with; a momentous milestone; a brief moment in time … the response was up to them and resulted in a wonderfully eclectic range of work. In advance of the exhibition, artists had the opportunity to study works from the U of L’s renowned art collection and to participate in drawing events at the Art Gallery. Many of the artists are alumni of the University of Lethbridge and that connection was integral to their work while others explored connections that include using wood from trees on campus as the media, referencing the 1967 Expo and Centennial that brought the iconic “Moses” sculpture to Lethbridge, and producing a self-portrait blurred with anti-aging cream. Cartoonist Eric Dyck built on his projects drawing live with the Art Gallery as a cartoonist-in-residence over the last two years and incorporated that into a commissioned work for this exhibition.

– Josephine Mills, Director/Curator