art+people=x
The University of Lethbridge is renowned for its excellent art collection. People on campus and throughout the city take pride in knowing that a wonderfully diverse range of art work is housed here. The high profile of the collection also means that there are many rumours that circulate about it. One of my favourites is that the collection is stored in a vault under the lake. Given that it is important to maintain constant humidity and avoid catastrophic damage, why would we store a collection of art under a body of water? This kind of outlandish story does not concern me because it adds to the interest in the art collection, but I am concerned when I hear that people think the collection is inaccessible and people are not able to see and engage with the works. The truth is quite the opposite: the U of L Art Gallery has a remarkable record of providing access to the collection with our innovative on-line database; supporting class visits and other tours – 2486 participants in 48 different events; 72 works loaned to other galleries in 2011 including to Paris and New York; touring our own exhibitions; and including 103 works from the collection in our exhibitions on campus last year.
There are many ways that the art collection plays an active role for people on campus and in the local community. In order to help make these connections more visible, and to encourage new routes of access, Josephine Mills started the art + people = x series in 2009. An idea that grew from an interest in supporting research by local artists and at the same time creating a project that would allow the broader public to have a sense of the importance that public art collections play in generating ideas and sparking artist’s creative practice.
Archives
art + people = x | Helen Christou Gallery | January 9 – March 13, 2009
Knowing/Gnawing, SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, October, 30, 2009
Darcy Logan: Knowing/Gnawing | Helen Christou Gallery | October 30 – January 3, 2010
Snap, Crackle, Pop | SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, February 27, 2010
joy: the x factor | SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, October, 28, 2010
A little history on the prairies | SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, March 28, 2011
Notebook (art + people = x) | Helen Christou Gallery | January 6 – February 24, 2012
The Art of Caring for Collections | SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, April 23, 2012
Elizabeth Diggon | Revising the Canonical Landscape Form
On Landscape Images | SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, November 20, 2012
(art + people) x science = x | Canada-Wide Science Fair | Centre for Sport and Wellness | May 13 – May 17, 2013
The Canada Collection | SAM-Southern Alberta Magazine, Fall 2013
MmmPop: Pop Art from the U of L Art Collection | Helen Christou Gallery | August 29 – October 24, 2014
MmmPop: local artists respond to the U of L Art Collection | Helen Christou Gallery | October 31 – December 23, 2014
Works for the Drawing Bar | Main Gallery | January 21 – March 3, 2016
Works from the Drawing Bar | Helen Christou Gallery | February 25 – April 29, 2016
Procession for the Physical Sciences | University of Lethbridge | September 13, 2019
Kohlrabi and Foods with Stories to Share | Helen Christou Gallery | January 10 – February 28, 2020