A century of art in Central Alberta is being celebrated at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery.
To mark Red Deer’s centennial, local artist David More was asked to choose 50 artworks that span the last 100 years in Central Alberta.
The result is the exhibit Reflections From a Century: Artists of Central Alberta.
“My aim is to highlight some of the visual artists who have made a significant impact on Red Deer’s artistic voice,” said More.
While the show offers only a small representation of the area’s artistic expression over the last century, he added, each of the works was selected on the basis of excellence.
More, a nationally recognized painter, was chosen to curate the show because he was raised in Red Deer and has an “innate appreciation of the area, with his own artistic vision rooted in Red Deer’s landscape,” said Lorna Johnson, the museum’s executive director.
She believes More’s choices reveal the roots of Red Deer’s artistic spirit.
“Visitors will see just the tip of the iceberg of the tremendous artistic talent that thrives in our midst,” Johnson added.
The works were created by artists from various backgrounds — from skilled amateurs to professionals in a variety of disciplines.
Johnson noted the establishment of the Red Deer College visual arts department in the 1970s probably resulted in the largest influx of contemporary artists to the area, as well as an environment of “expressive exploration in all art forms.”
The show runs to Aug. 5. An opening reception will be held on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.
More will present a brief speech about the exhibit and conduct a tour on Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m.