livingtalk
The Southern Alberta Art Gallery celebrates 40 years with a special project by local cartoonist Eric Dyck .
nice mix of people from the movers and shakers who established SAAG , to the generous volunteers who made everything happen ,” he says . “ SAAG is a 40-year collaborative effort – no one person can take credit . It ’ s incredible how many people have been involved , and each part of their story is interesting and integral .”
Eric notes that the one integral catalyst for SAAG was the establishment of the University of Lethbridge . “ Had Lethbridge not had a university built in 1967 , I don ’ t know if we ’ d have the institutions that have become such cultural figures in the city , such as the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs or even SAAG . So many of the people that arrived in Lethbridge because of the university also helped to found many of these community programs ,” he says .
As Eric does so well , each page of the comic distills SAAG ’ s history into fourpanels of illustration . From the history of the site of SAAG , which used to be a Carnegie library , or the Lethbridge Public Library , to the perspectives of SAAG ’ s five directors , to those who worked so hard behind the scenes to produce worldclass installations , The Saga of SAAG is a compelling read , from cover to cover .
“ My favourite story , which was featured in the comic , was Christina Cuthbertson ’ s , [ SAAG ’ s Assistant Curator ’ s ], experience when she visited the Peter von Tiesenhausen exhibition in 2000 . Christina ’ s reaction to that particular installation is likely similar to the reaction many people who experience contemporary art for the first time have ,” says Eric .
Eric has also produced a limited edition print for The Shop at SAAG , which depicts the three phases of the building . From the brick façade of the Lethbridge Public Library , built in 1920 , through the modern addition added in the 1950s , to the 2010 renovation , the print showcases the evolution of SAAG ’ s iconic home .
Danielle looks forward to other expansions for the future as well through an ambitious capital campaign with a goal to raise one million dollars over the next three years . “ We hope through our 40th anniversary capital campaign , ‘ Live Art . Love SAAG .’, that we can expand the library and incorporate more technology and create a new community engagement space ,” Danielle says . She adds that through enhancements to their programming , to their exhibitions , and to their space , SAAG can continue to advance Southern Alberta as a culturally vibrant and visionary place for artists and the community to flourish .
As Eric highlights on the final page of The Saga of SAAG , Professor Charles Crane was quoted in the Lethbridge Herald at the opening of the new gallery in 1976 as saying “[ SAAG ] is not a monument to the memory of anyone living or dead , rather … it was created by the people , and it is for the people .” Since then , SAAG has established itself not just as a local gallery , but as a national and international institution for contemporary art , and it ’ s right here in downtown Lethbridge .
Ups and Downs Clothing & Accessories 328 Highway Avenue , Picture Butte , AB 403-732-5972 Hours : Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Bring this ad in and receive 10 % off any one Fall / Winter item !
LETHBRIDGELIVING . COM NOV-DEC 2016 13