Contemporary Calgary's new home in the updated centennial planetarium building is now open 6 days/week. Launch exhibitions include a huge moon sculpture by UK-based Luke Jerram and a collection of works by Calgary-based artists, inspired by the architecture and history of Contemporary Calgary's new home. For contemporary art enthusiasts, the return of regular Contemporary Calgary operations is a welcome complement to the programming at Esker Foundation.
Part museum, with performance spaces, a broadcast facility, studios and classrooms, Studio Bell is home to approximately 2,000 rare instruments and artifacts, including a fantastical Kimball Theatre Organ and one of Elton John's pianos. One corner of the ground floor houses the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Exhibits on five floors showcase Canada's musical talent, the history of music in Canada and the role of music in the everyday lives of Canadians. The most regular opportunity to hear how sound travels through the space is during the regularly scheduled Kimball Theatre Organ demonstration. The building itself is music for the eyes. And bring your sense of fun and adventure to take full advantage of the many opportunities to get hands on with exhibits.
In the spirit of Austin Kleon's 2014 book "Show Your Work!", I'm happy to share the set-up, process and results of my first efforts to light paint a series of self portraits.
If fussing around with a tripod and camera in a dark room isn't your thing, I've also suggested a few websites you might consider using if you want to go beyond the standard selfie.
And last but not least, if you haven't yet encountered the amazing self portrait work of Canadian photographer Paul Zizka, be sure to click the link at the end of the post.
Backstory One Saturday morning in late February I made my way on foot from the City Hall LRT station to Inglewood. I carried a well-thumbed copy of the 2015 Exposure Photography Festival Guide in which I'd marked 5 stops. But I didn't make it to all of them. Why? Well, I got side-tracked by Oh, …
My ongoing exploration of Calgary public art is a relatively new thing, prompted primarily by my stint as a Beakerhead volunteer photographer. I'm finding it's enjoyable, fuels my creative spirit and is helping me discover some of downtown Calgary's hidden gems. When it comes to planning my Wednesday art walks, weather is irrelevant. On bad …