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Bianca Elke

As a second year student, my main attention during the museum studies internship with the U of L Art Gallery will be directed towards curating my own exhibition in the Helen Christou gallery. This experience will provide the opportunity to select works from the U of L art collection as well as the Galt museum. I know that with curating my own exhibition and being allowed to select artwork for the gallery, I am given a lot of responsibility. Many students as well as professors are going to see what I have chosen to display and my evaluation will be based on these projects. I am excited to start this journey and work together with the Art Gallery staff. I aim to bring art closer to people who are not as involved through their classes or private interests in art, as well as trying to use the database to my advantage and to find hidden gems of art that have not been shown before.

Having grown up in Germany, I am also interested in learning about the day-to-day activities of a Canadian art gallery. I will be working with the collection, helping prepare work for travel to other galleries and participating in conservation projects. Besides assisting the Gallery with “hands on” operations, the Gallery also hosts functions that are designed to involve the community on many levels, in which I am also excited to be involved.

Andrea Kremenik
As a fourth year Art History/ Museums Studies major and a Management minor I have not only been interested in learning about art itself, but also the business of art institutions. For that reason I hope to gain insight into how the University of Lethbridge art gallery, as a collecting gallery within an academic setting, differs from that of a civic gallery. I hope to understand this by comparing the knowledge gained from this Museum Studies internship to that of my previous internship at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. The Museum Studies internship will allow me to learn many skills, such as basic curatorial responsibilities by entrusting me to navigate the U of L art database and find works from the University’s acclaimed collection. For instance, I will have the opportunity to choose Inuit objects for display and will curate a small exhibit on John Clark plus write a feature on him for SAM magazine. Having these opportunities in comparison to my internship at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, where I was able to gain insight into a non- collecting contemporary art gallery, will give me a well-rounded experience. These two opportunities will allow me to draw on theoretical knowledge within a hands-on environment which will give me an advantage when applying for potential jobs in the future.

Alysha Smith
The Art History and Museum Studies internship is giving me the opportunity to research, draft, compose and conduct programs for the GALT Museum and Archives. I will be creating these programs based on the exhibit themes at the museum which will include science, wind and religion. I also have the opportunity to get hands on experience by running some of these programs with children and adults.
As a future teacher I hope to gain more experience in lesson planning and teaching from creating these programs. Academically I hope to gain better research skills and applied knowledge on the above topics. I also hope to learn more about how museums utilize their resources and their community outreach efforts.

David Smith
Based on the positive experiences I have had in my five previously completed internships, I was eager to sign up for another! I can see how these opportunities have allowed me develop practical skills which have been reinforced by hands-on work. This semester I am building on the curatorial skills that I’ve been able to gain in my previous internships.

An area of personal interest that has arisen from my academic research is the subject of Canadian identity in art. Two curatorial projects have emerged from my investigation on the subject and are the basis for my current internship. The first, titled Glorious and Free, is an exhibition in the Helen Christou Gallery using works from the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery’s permanent collection. The second is a multi-venue exhibition taking place in the summer of 2013 featuring Lethbridge artist Arianna Richardson. Both of these projects allow me to build on the skills afforded to me through previous internships.

It is beneficial for me to get as much experience as possible before graduation so that I will be empowered to contribute meaningfully to the contemporary art discourse through my curatorial practice. I am very grateful to the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery for the opportunity to do so.

Lauren Glenn
Art History was not something that I had every envisioned myself majoring in when I first began my university degree, let alone enrolling in museum studies as well. However after my first year of general studies and having randomly chosen art history classes, I very quickly fell in love and knew this was the career I want to pursue. I am delighted to have the opportunity this semester to be working at the Galt Museum in the collections department, with Kevin Maclean. There is an immense amount of history here in Southern Alberta and the Galt discovers this knowledge through acquisitions from the community. In working with Kevin, I will be able to understand and learn the great detail and skill that is required when dealing with artefacts; this includes the handling, storage, photographing and preservation of these items. In addition I will have the opportunity to be taught documentation and research methods that are done for objects to further understand their history and how they relate to this part of the province.

Along with learning new information and skills, there are other goals that I want to achieve during my internship at the Galt. There are many ways I could further my education and I hope this work experience will help me to pin point where I would like to go after my undergraduate degree is complete. I look forward to investigating career opportunities that are available and how the information I have learned in my studies can be applied in the work field. To extend my knowledge, I want to learn how museums operate when it comes to acquisitions and dealing with donors as well as storage and preservation of artifacts. Having the community involved in the museum is an essential part of the Galt’s mission and I will be able to interact with its members through gathering information about donated objects. I have recently had the opportunity to sit in on an interview of a donor from the early 1990s when he was asked to come in and be interviewed more in-depth about the piece he donated. This was an eye opening experience for me and allowed me to understand how important gathering and documenting information about these artifacts can be and I wish to participate in more of these events. Most importantly I wish to understand the techniques to help preserve the vast history that is being housed in the Galt and to help acquire more information to further appreciate the pieces they hold.

Rachael Gough
Museums and galleries are critical in the maintenance and growth of the arts community. The future of museums and the arts as a whole rests in the hands of our up and coming generations. Young people possess a strong desire to learn and feel a constant thirst for knowledge. If we as a community wish to keep the arts alive and thriving, we must foster a love for the arts in the minds of young people. I believe a great way to get the upcoming generations interested in art is through public programming. As a third year studio major looking to get accepted into education, I have chosen a focus on public programming. Assisting with teaching classes at the Bowman Community Arts Center and helping with Culture Vulture Saturdays will give me insight into art education. My ultimate goal is to teach children and I believe art will always have a place in schools and in life. Therefore I believe gaining experience within the public programming spectrum will allow me to teach art effectively and instill it into the young children who will one day run the world in which we live. To further my education I have been learning several skills that will help me in both assisting with public programming, but also throughout my career, such as clay firing and clay recycling. I will also be assisting with the location change of the Bowman Community Arts Center in spring 2013. As well as a gaining a new, larger building, it will mean more classes, more options, and even more art experiences for children and the community as a whole.

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Kirsten Christopherson
Over the last four years of my post secondary education I have been able to discover a personal passion for both art and artefacts. Given my natural interest in history, these remnants of the past bring stories to life. My personal feelings when around these objects are something I would love to bring to others in the future as I hope to ignite sparks in those who may not have had the opportunity before. Therefore, I now feel it is the perfect time to get hands-on training in a gallery setting to apply to future career prospects as I will be done my Bachelor of Arts in just a few short months.

With that being said, I hope to achieve a number of specific goals during my time at the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery. I am interested to see how my schooling has prepared me for this, as well as to see if the passion I have both in the classroom and in galleries carries forward into working in the industry. I look forward to working under Juliet Graham this semester as she has already told me about her personal career history, which varies from a private conservator to her current position as registrar. I have found her to be extremely helpful and willing to answer any questions I have about her decisions and will definitely use her advice and experience in my own path. I value her knowledge and hope to learn more about her experiences in the art field. This insight will ideally give me the advice I need to pursue my passion.

Other than the practical advice and feeling confident working in the new setting of the gallery, I expect to learn a number of hands on things as well. I would like to learn proper art handling, preservation, photographing, condition reporting, testing and some basic conservation techniques. Based on the “Caring for the Collection” conservation exhibit project I have started with Juliet, I expect I will learn this thoroughly. I also look forward to helping Juliet brainstorm ideas for this exhibit and learn more about the curatorial process.

Last but not certainly not least, I hope to get acquainted with the university’s collection and expand my art historical knowledge. I am looking forward to this semester and all it will bring me.

David Smith
Having three previously completed internships under my belt, I recognize the incredible value that these experiences provide. This semester I have decided build upon two of my previous internships. Working with the Applied Studies Office and Josephine Mills has allowed me to tailor each of my applied studies at the Galt Museum and Archives and the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery to develop new skills and gain practical experience.

Conducting research on the military collection at the Galt Museum has given me the opportunity to experience the ongoing care that permanent collections receive. Interviewing previous donors and descendants of war veterans has allowed me to see firsthand the way public collections serve as an incredible resource to the community. I am thoroughly enjoying the emotional attachment I develop by connecting on a personal level to the stories of real people’s lives.

At the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, I have the privilege of working on an advanced curatorial project of my own creation. This internship will allow me to work with a contemporary artist, develop my own theme, secure an exhibition space and apply for grant funding. All of these aspects will serve me well after I complete my degree and continue to pursue my career as a curator.

My internships this semester at the Galt Museum and the University Art Gallery represent my fourth and fifth internships respectively. Internships are an excellent way to get your foot in the door, gain practical experience, and get academic credit. They have certainly enhanced my educational experience.

Caring for the Collection

October 26 – December 21, 2012
Helen Christou Gallery
Reception: November 1, 4 – 6 pm
Conservation Demonstrations: Mondays, 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Curated by Juliet Graham, Miranda Grol & Kirsten Christopherson

UofL Art Gallery Registrar, and experienced conservator, Juliet Graham curates an exhibition with her former assistant, Miranda Grol, who is now head of collections in Fort McLeod, and current Museum Studies Intern, Kirsten Christopherson. The exhibition will include work from the U of L Collection which has received conservation treatment as well as in-depth text, photographs, and video which gives audiences a sense of the behind-the-scenes activities of collections care and lets them know the importance of this work for our cultural heritage. Graham will be demonstrating various conservation techniques in the Helen Christou Gallery on Mondays during the exhibition run from 1:30 – 2:30 pm.

The 1960s

April 19 – June 1, 2012
Curated by Allison Spencer & David Smith, Museum Studies Interns
Main Gallery

During the 1960s the Minimalist movement developed in response to the Abstract Expressionist practices happening in New York City. Artists began to create works that were neither painting or sculpture in the traditional sense. Looking back to Russian Constructivism, which emphasized modular fabrication and industrial materials, and also Marcel Duchamp’s prefabricated readymades, these artists employed processes of art production that emphasized formal qualities and eliminated extraneous detail. Minimalism has been viewed as a reaction against the Abstract Expressionist art movement, which was criticized as overly emotional and self-expressive. The Minimalists privileged work that was less spontaneous and more calculated. In seeking to present this vision for their work, they attempted to remove traces of the artist’s hand, and thus turned to industrial modes of production. The emphasis on the formal qualities of Minimalist work also sought to eliminate the ‘relational composition’ which had been dominant in European art. To accomplish this, Minimalist art often utilizes geometric forms in order to pair down the composition. Artists like Frank Stella began to paint canvases in patterns that were dictated by the shape of the canvas; in this way, the work was self-referencing. Other artists such as Ad Reinhardt were working with less obvious compositional elements. Reinhardt is perhaps most remembered for his ‘Black’ paintings from the 1960s, which at first glance appear to be simply monochromatic black paintings or prints, but are revealed, upon careful observation, to be executed with variations of black or nearly black tones. The work within this segment of the exhibition was chosen based on the emphasis the artists placed on formal qualities.
The 1960s is a two-part exhibition; the second part can be seen in the Helen Christou Gallery satellite space in LINC. The selection of works in satellite space is devoted to a different movement of art that began to take shape in the 1950s and was at its crest in the 1960s, known as Pop art.

- Allison Spencer & David Smith, Museum Studies Interns

The 1960s

April 13 – June 1, 2012
Curated by Allison Spencer & David Smith, Museum Studies Interns
Helen Christou Gallery

At the onset of the 1960s, the Pop art movement was already in full swing. In the 1950s, artists began to draw inspiration from popular culture. Objects of mass production became of interest to artists who sought to elevate these ordinary objects to the status of fine art through bringing them into the gallery. The artworks produced in this era mark the beginning of a closure of the gap between ‘high’ and ‘low’ art, where the difference between the two is nearly indistinguishable. Artists like Roy Lichtenstein began appropriating images derived from comic book sources into his paintings, sculptures and prints. Others like Andy Warhol utilized imagery that was circulated by the mass media, and also found inspiration in the objects churned out in mass production by factories such as Campbell’s soup. The processes of mechanization were important and sometimes, as in the case with Warhol’s silkscreening methods, reenacted in the process of artistic production. The Pop art movement has been viewed by historians as a reaction against the elitist attitude within contemporary art galleries that often presented art which was inaccessible to much of the public. Today, Pop art is one of the most visually distinctive artistic movements and has reentered the sphere of mass production. Posters can be readily purchased featuring works by many different artists working in the Pop art style. In this way, the movement has come full circle, by re-inserting itself back into popular culture. Pop art turned the conventions of the art world upside down and contributed to the emergence of the subsequent movement called Postmodernism.
The 1960s is a two-part exhibition; the second part can be seen in the Main Gallery space (W600). The selection of work in the Main Gallery is devoted to a different movement of art that was beginning to take shape in the 1960s, known as Minimalism.

- Allison Spencer & David Smith, Museum Studies Interns

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Allison Spencer
As a 4th year Art History/Museum Studies student, it is my last year to gain as much experience and skill that the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery has to offer and that I can take with me to future job opportunities. My ultimate goal, post graduation, is to work in the area of public programming in a cultural institution. As a Public Programming Gallery Intern I have been given the opportunity to take responsibility for the programs which the U of L Art Gallery offers, such as Culture Vulture Saturday’s and online educational programs.

Working closely in developing and enhancing the programs offered by the U of L Art Gallery, I am able to learn skills such as program development and distributing information about the events. I am researching public programs offered by the other cultural institutions in Lethbridge, and surrounding areas, in order to assess their context and help determine the direction for future U of L Art Gallery programs that could be used within schools. The U of L Art Gallery internship will allow me to gain further knowledge in my area of specialization and give me the opportunity to apply my skills to the development of educational and interactive art activities for people of all ages.

Bonnie Patton
I’ve had a lifelong interest in arranging things, and this interest has grown into an inquiry into how the arrangement or display of objects and ideas affect how the object or idea is perceived. This idea applies to academic, social, and political life (such as curriculum, advertising, and propaganda). One hub that is open for exploration, in this regard, is the museum or art gallery. Here, objects are arranged in a way that is meant to convey or provoke relations and associations between the objects on display and grander ideas in a general theme.

I have taken both the Introduction and Critical Issues in Museum Studies courses and I have also been working at the University of Lethbridge Library for the past four years. I aim to take these experiences in collections theory and practice and apply them to my internship here at the U of L Art Gallery. I anticipate learning more about collections and exhibitions; mainly how to organize and improve collections, and to from 1974 to 2000, and create digital records of these exhibitions. I will also write about select art work in the Legend, assist with installing exhibitions, and learn about other ways of presenting ideas by helping DodoLab conduct their Lethbridge Pizza survey for the public. In short, my goal is to see how these things are done and to learn how to do them myself.

David Smith
As I was planning the trajectory of my third year academics in the Art History/Museum Studies program, I began looking for internship opportunities to incorporate into my learning strategy. Hearing only positive reflections from past interns about their experiences at the Galt Museum and Archives, I organized an internship through the Applied Study Office, supervised by Josephine Mills. As a past intern at the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, I have recognized the value that internships present to students like myself. Working in the Collections Department at the Galt Museum and Archives has allowed me to gain insight into how art galleries operate similarly and differently to public museums. Many of the skills I have been working on through this internship are transferrable between the two institutions such as: object handling, research, operating databases, and permanent collections maintenance.

It is my desire to pursue a career as a curator, after I complete my education. I am particularly interested in the capacity curators have to shape identity and ideology. I respect the role curators play in presenting the public with a variety of alternative ideas. Planning exhibitions which challenge the ways people think about and interpret contemporary art is something I am very excited about. Both my past experience at the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery and my current internship at the Galt Museum allow me to develop the skills necessary to pursue this career.

Jennifer Vanderfluit
After working as an Archival Technician during a previous internship, I saw an opportunity to expand my knowledge of museum practice by working with Belinda Crowson in the Education and Programs department of the Galt Museum and Archives. Even though I plan on pursuing a career in archives, I think that branching out is important. Not only do many smaller institutions combine departments, but I believe that knowing how the other parts of an institution work promotes effective co-operation between departments.

Currently I am working on the Memory Box project. This involves the maintenance and creation of small collections for use in the community by individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. These collections, or memory boxes, are grouped around various themes like “school days.” It is important to incorporate as many of the senses as possible because any number of things can trigger a memory: the smell of crayons, the sound of a school bell, or the feel of a black-board eraser.

Not only will I have to make sure that the boxes meet the interests and ability levels of the users, it is important that those users are aware of the program. This involves successfully marketing a museum program to its target audience and I look forward to learning about this area of museum operations.

This is my third internship in the Art History/Museum Studies program at the University of Lethbridge and my second at the Galt. The AHMS program in the Art Department and the Career Resource Centre make setting up subsequent internships a painless process. I have found that the internship program is an excellent way to get valuable field experience and academic credit at the same time.

Re:Writing Art History

June 10 – July 22, 2011
Curated by Tyler Stewart, Museum Studies Intern
Works from the University of Lethbridge Art Collection

In 1971 art historian Linda Nochlin posed the question “Why have there been no great women artists?” – one of the most loaded questions to possibly ask during the rise of the feminist art revolution. Rather than attempt to answer that question in a singular manner, many writers have focused on the plethora of causes that keep excellent female artists on the margins of the art world, rather than at its core. This exhibition focuses on some of the many talented female artists working during the late twentieth century, before, during and after the apex of the feminist art movement during the 1970s, into the 1980s and early 1990s. While some would not self-identify as feminist artists per se, they all make important contributions to the realm of artistic knowledge as women.

Many were overshadowed during the most productive points of their careers by their colleagues or partners; the stunning photographic work of Berenice Abbott often negated by her former role as assistant to Man Ray; Lee Krasner’s mastery of colour and form eclipsed by her artist-hero husband Jackson Pollock and his ejaculatory drip-paintings; Joyce Wieland’s intensely personal stain paintings and later, her superb film works, both obscured by the work of her partner Michael Snow. However, other female artists were able to avoid being subjugated by their male counterparts and made significant advances in the world of visual art. Miriam Schapiro was one of the most vocal voices of the feminist art movement, creating the Womanhouse project, perhaps the most important collaborative project of the time. Her work often focused on creating a place for women in the art historical canon, where many female artists were ignored and excluded. The photography of Suzy Lake investigates how appearance can affect one’s identity, in a time where men and women were beginning to question their increasingly fluid gender roles and expectations for behavior. Her work also examines how the passive female figure is the receiver of the penetrating male gaze (see Laura Mulvey’s groundbreaking 1973 essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” for more on this), but also how it can be confronted or subverted.

While the feminist art revolution of the 1970s and 1980s made progress towards achieving equity in the arts, during the 1990s and into the new millennium many of those changes have slowly eroded, as many gender theorists now claim that the “women problem” has been solved. This is simply not the case. Female artists must often work much harder and longer to reach the levels of success their male counterparts enjoy, which demonstrates a clear lack of anything one might call gender equity. The artists in this exhibition are valuable examples of how the patriarchal structure of the art world may be challenged, confronted and overcome by focused determination. Continuing the fight to achieve gender equity is not an issue that should be left to a few women artists though, but is a battle that we must all take part in to create positive social change.

- Tyler Stewart, Museum Studies Intern, Dept. of Art

The 1950s

April 15 – June 3, 2011

Helen Christou Gallery
Curators: David Smith and Allison Spencer, Museum Studies interns

Planned in conjunction with Historic Lethbridge week.
Works from the University of Lethbridge Art Collection and the Galt Museum & Archives.

Prints

The earliest accounts of printmaking in history date as far back as 105 A.D., shortly after the invention of paper. Historically, printmaking has been used by artists of all eras as a medium for artistic expression. It appeals to artists since the end product is a work that manifests itself in multiples. Each print is considered an original work of art because the prints are not copies or reproductions of an already existing work. Traditionally artists mark their prints with editions, which resemble fractions near the bottom edge of the print. The bottom number signifies how many prints were produced while the top number is the individual print number in the run. In this way, artists limit the amount of prints that are produced and thus the number of multiple originals created for that series.

The prints in this exhibition were chosen based on their medium and their subject matter, but also their collective aesthetic properties. On the wall opposite the prints, the photographs depict historic Lethbridge and are used to highlight the relationship between the prints and the photographs which are both objects of mass production. A painting by Ray Mead was chosen for the feature wall to connect our choice of subject matter from the prints to other media which focused on abstract expressionism in the 1950s.

Photographs

Photographs have constituted a major form of documentation since their invention in the 1800s. In the past couple of decades, photography has made a significant shift from analog, which uses recording media such as film and is developed in a chemical-based solution, to digital photography. The change in materials and processes has enabled new ways of creating documentation and making art. During the 1950s, there was a similarly significant change in photography as the equipment and processing technology became more accessible to a wide range of people, both professional and amateur, spurring an increase in both serious documentation and photography as a hobby. The widespread availability of photography in the 1950s created an increase in the images of smaller communities such as Lethbridge.

In conjunction with Historic Lethbridge Week, the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery and the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives have come together to display the historical past of Lethbridge through the photographic viewfinder. It was important for us to display images of architecture and city spaces that are still present today and are represented not only as historical documentation, but also as images of aesthetic beauty. These photographs were chosen for their examination of historical sites in Lethbridge and for the way the realism of the photographs contrasts with the abstract prints installed on the other side of this space.

***

Borrowed from the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives, this photographic equipment was owned by residents of Lethbridge in the 1950s. The collection of materials represents the range of cameras used during the decade. Thomas H. McCready, the owner of McCready’s Drugstore, which existed on 3rd Avenue South from 1909 – 1981, made a large donation of photographic equipment to the Galt. McCready’s extensive collection of photographic equipment was regularly displayed in the pharmacy’s window through the 1950s. Many of the artifacts chosen for the exhibition are the same objects that would have been seen in his window 60 years ago.

Ray Mead is remembered as a pioneer of contemporary abstract Canadian painting. As a member of the artists’ collective known as the Painters Eleven, a group credited with bringing abstract expressionist painting to Canada, his work continues to inspire and influence artists today. Mead is best known for paintings created using non-figurative abstraction (compositions that are not derived from imagery). Cherry Season was chosen for this exhibition to illustrate that abstract expressionism was not contained to printmaking in the 1950s, but rather permeated many artistic disciplines including painting and its style is consistent and typical of Mead’s work.

David Smith and Allison Spencer
Museum Studies Interns, Dept. of Art

The 1940s

Curators: Jarrett Duncan and Kasia Sosnowski
Museum Studies Interns
Department of Art

Helen Christou Gallery

Two senior Museum Studies interns will gain professional experience by curating an exhibition about life in the 1940s with art works from the University of Lethbridge collection and material from the Galt Museum and Archives. The exhibition opens a series throughout the city during May on the 1940s presented by the University and Historic Lethbridge Week.

Statement

The Canadian landscape is both a versatile and reflective subject matter. Southern Alberta in particular has a strong rural identity that is translated in our lifestyle and therefore our art practice. When we selected works for this exhibition we chose to focus on rural scenes because it is an important part of the Southern Alberta character which, in turn, is reflected in the University of Lethbridge Art Collection and the objects at the Galt Museum and Archives. These paintings and artifacts give a sense of the aesthetic culture of the 1940s. We have chosen to highlight various interpretations of similar themes and motifs pertaining to the Canadian landscape and rural identity to best show the individuality and personal techniques of artists. Bartley Pragnell’s work demonstrates the atmosphere of the 1940s with his colourful and stylized landscapes along with his quick journal sketches of everyday events. While Antonio Frasconi presents a woodcut image that clearly outlines the reliance on machinery as a means of production, Fritz Brandtner depicts a scene of two men hard at work. Roloff Beny explores the whimsical side of landscape and inserts a magical quality into his scenery, whereas Cliff Robinson’s black and white representation of a prairie scene, complete with Canada geese, is an image quintessentially Canadian.

The 1940s represent a turning point in the arts as we see a shift from Europe (particularly Paris) being the centre of art in the world to the United States (specifically New York). This shift is a result of World War II, which began in 1939 and did not end until 1945. On the western front the encroaching armies of Nazi Germany pushed in to occupy France, making it impossible for Jewish people and members of the avant-garde art world to stay there. With some combination of luck, foresight, and the means, many of the artistic and intellectual community fled France at this time for Allied countries such as the United States, and in doing so would bring their artistic influence as well. This influx of European art shifted the dominant art style in the US from social realism and American modernism to the Abstract Expressionism we associate with the likes of Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. This influence can definitely be seen in Canadian artist Roloff Beny, who made the shift from painting pastoral, rural landscapes to abstract, modern works within the window of 1940 to 1946. It is no coincidence to discover that the works on display on the “fine art wall” are works donated by Beny himself to the University collection. Fernand Leger is one of the French artists who lived out the war in New York City (though he would return to Paris soon after the end of the war). While Henry Moore was an English artist primarily known for his sculptures and does not quite play into the narrative established here (he never had to flee his homeland), his prominence and influence as well as his overall style falls into the form, content, and look of the era in a beautiful way.

We would like to thank both the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery and the Galt Museum and Archives for all their assistance with the production of this exhibition.

Jarrett Duncan and Kasia Sosnowski
Museum Studies Interns, Dept. of Art

Semiotica: the persuasion of text

Works from the UofL collection

Helen Christou Gallery
Curator: Emily McCormick (Museum Studies Intern)

In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.
-Sol LeWitt

Conceptual art is unique because it does not require an image. Unlike traditional artistic practices that celebrate technique and craftsmanship, conceptual artists only need to create an idea; they do not need to show their hand in the final product. Many conceptual artists hire other people to make their work, so that the viewer can focus on the idea rather than the person who came up with the idea. One of the ways conceptual artists convey their ideas to the public is through written language. Semiotica: The Persuasion of Text highlights this characteristic by featuring five works from the University of Lethbridge Art Collection that use the aesthetic of English text.

Emily McCormick, Museum Studies Intern, Dept. of Art