Art Gallery of Alberta facts for kids
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Southwest exterior of the Art Gallery of Alberta
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| Established | 1924 |
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| Location | 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2C1 |
| Type | Art museum |
| Visitors | 77,079 (2018) |
| Architect | Randall Stout |
| Public transit access |      Churchill station |
The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) is a cool art museum located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It's right in the heart of downtown Edmonton at Churchill Square. The museum building is quite large, covering about 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft).
The museum first opened in 1924. Back then, it was called the Edmonton Museum of Arts. Over the years, its name changed a few times. It became the Edmonton Art Gallery in 1956. In 2005, it got its current name, the Art Gallery of Alberta.
The AGA has a collection of over 6,000 artworks. Many of these pieces focus on art made in Alberta and other parts of western Canada. Besides showing its own collection, the museum also brings in special travelling exhibitions. They also offer fun art programs for the public.
Contents
Discovering the Art Gallery's History
The Art Gallery of Alberta started in 1924 as the Edmonton Museum of Arts. Its main goal was to share fine arts and save historical items from the area. Maud Bowman, who helped start the museum, got support from the Edmonton Art Club and local leaders.
Early Exhibitions and Growth
The museum's first art show was held in the fancy Palm Room of the Hotel Macdonald. It featured art borrowed from local collections. The National Gallery of Canada also loaned 24 artworks.
Growing the museum's collection was slow in the 1930s and 1940s. This was because of tough times like the Great Depression and Second World War. During these years, the museum still offered art classes. They also kept showing art borrowed from the National Gallery of Canada.
New Homes and Name Changes
In its early years, the museum moved around a lot. It was in an old Edmonton Public Library building and other spots. In 1952, it moved into the former home of Richard Secord.
By 1956, the museum realized most of its work was about fine arts. So, they changed their name to the Edmonton Art Gallery. This new name better showed what they did.
Building a Permanent Home
In 1962, efforts began to build a special home for the museum. A. E. Condell left money to the museum for this purpose. Architects Donald G. Bittorf and B. James Wensley designed the new building. The City of Edmonton gave 0.59 acres (2,400 m2) of land at Churchill Square.
The new building opened in 1969. It was named the "Arthur Blow Condell Memorial Building." In 1977, more changes were made. A new wing was added, replacing an outdoor courtyard.
Modern Renovation and Reopening
Plans to update the building started in 1998. Serious talks about money for the project began in 2001. In 2005, the museum held a contest for architects. Twenty-seven architects shared their ideas.
In September 2005, the design by Randall Stout from Los Angeles was chosen. His design would double the museum's exhibition space. It also included a new storage area for the art collection. On the same day, the museum changed its name to the Art Gallery of Alberta. This showed its new focus on art from all over Alberta.
In April 2007, parts of the old Arthur Blow Condell building were taken down. Many parts of the old building were kept and used in Stout's new design. Construction officially began in June 2007.
The museum was closed from March 2007 to January 2010 for the building work. During this time, they showed their art at a different location. The museum reopened on January 31, 2010. After reopening, many more people visited. About 30,000 visitors came in the first six weeks!
Partnerships and Free Admission
In December 2009, the museum teamed up with the National Gallery of Canada. They announced a three-year partnership. This allowed the Art Gallery of Alberta to show artworks from the National Gallery's collection. It was the first "satellite program" of its kind.
In 2017, the museum started a great program. They began offering free admission for kids and teens. This also included students attending college or university.
Exploring the Museum Building
The Art Gallery of Alberta is located at Churchill Square, a public space in downtown Edmonton. The building itself covers about 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft). This includes over 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of special climate-controlled rooms for art.
Building Design and Features
The building was designed by Randall Stout Architects, Inc. Local companies also helped with the design and construction. The original plan for the renovation was C$48 million, but it later grew to C$88 million.
The building's outside is made of special zinc and stainless steel. This design shows the museum's interest in modern art. A long, curvy steel ribbon, about 190 metres (620 ft) long, wraps around the outside. It's meant to look like the North Saskatchewan River and the aurora (Northern Lights), which are important to Edmonton.
Inside, there's also an "aurora" inspired room. The building has a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a gift shop. There's also an education center with a 150-seat theatre. This is called the Singhmar Centre for Art Education. You can also find a rooftop patio called the City of Edmonton Terrace. The museum also has spaces like Manning Hall that people can rent.
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The original building, the Arthur Blow Condell building, opened in 1969. It was built in a style called Brutalist. Parts of it were taken down in 2007 for the new design. But about 67 percent of the old building was kept. Much of it became the foundation and lower floors of the new structure. The new building's third-floor terrace was actually the roof of the old Arthur Blow Condell building!
The museum building is designed to be easy for everyone to use. It has automatic doors and offers wheelchairs if you need one. Care workers who come with visitors also get free admission. The museum also has a special "equity committee." This group works to find and remove barriers for people. They advise the museum on how to be more welcoming to everyone.
Getting There by Transit
You can easily get to the museum using public transit. Churchill station for the Edmonton Light Rail Transit system is nearby. The museum even gives a discount to visitors who travel by public transit. The museum itself doesn't have parking for cars or bikes. Visitors use nearby parking spots managed by the city.
Amazing Art Collection
The Art Gallery of Alberta has a permanent collection of over 6,000 artworks. Most of these pieces were created after the 1950s. Many artworks were given to the museum by people and groups. The collection mainly focuses on art made in Alberta and western Canada.
Growing the Collection
The museum started collecting art in 1924. However, its growth was slow during the 1930s and 1940s. This was due to the Great Depression and the Second World War. From the 1960s to 1985, the museum mostly bought paintings and sculptures of modern art.
In 2015, the museum's collection was worth about C$30 million. In 2017, the museum received C$375,000. This money helped them buy art by modern First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists. This was part of the Canada Council for the Arts' New Chapter program.
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Types of Art and Artists
The museum has a collection of older Canadian art. It includes works by famous artists like Emily Carr, Group of Seven members, and Cornelius Krieghoff.
The museum also has a great collection of modern and contemporary art. You can see pieces by Canadian artists such as Janet Cardiff, Alex Janvier, and Brian Jungen.
The museum started its photo collection in 1977. Now, it has over 1,500 photographs. This includes old photos by Edward Curtis and Yousuf Karsh. It also has modern photos by Lynne Cohen. The museum also has a collection of over 850 prints by Thomas Bewick.
Selected Works
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Frasers Lodge, Tom Thomson, 1915
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Autumn Filiage, Tom Thomson, 1916
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The Fisherman, Tom Thomson, c. 1916–1917
Museum Connections
The Art Gallery of Alberta works with several other groups. These include the Alberta Museum Association and the Canadian Museums Association. They are also connected to the Canadian Heritage Information Network and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
See Also
In Spanish: Galería de Arte de Alberta para niños
- List of art museums
- List of museums in Alberta
