by Alberta Trip Day 4
(photo – Galt Museum)
Husband had a work meeting on this day, so I had a lazy start then went out walking about Lethbridge. It was spitting rain now and then so my normal Vancouver garb was useful. I felt somewhat like an oddity when I noticed that people don’t walk here much, just a few down-and-out looking guys in a park. It’s a safe and clean city but everyone drives. I did a bit of shopping, something I rarely do at home, and visited the museum and the art gallery.
Galt Museum is located next to the coulee with a panoramic view from the huge windows of the new addition, built out behind the original brick building. I enjoyed the two exhibits. Exploring Southwestern Alberta (view the picture gallery) was most interesting especially the history of the First Nations people and the Japanese who were interred here from the West Coast during the Second World War. Fifties Forever was a light-hearted look at that decade – geesh, things were pretty tacky back then! I was a little disappointed that there was only this one large room to see with all the new space here, but it looks like they are still working on that.
I like looking around the gift shops in the art galleries and museums in places I visit for an interesting souvenir, or maybe a birthday gift for a friend or something for our “kids”. Certainly there were lovely pottery pieces, jewelry and children’s toys, but this time I found the perfect little book for me: Stone by Stone, Exploring Ancient Sites on the Canadian Plains by Liz Bryan (2005, Heritage House, BC). It even has a few pages on Writing-in-Stone.
Southern Alberta Art Gallery also had two exhibitions (click on ‘past exhibitions’). Art’s Alive and Well in the Schools made me happy because I believe all children are creative and that schools must nurture and develop that creativity and this exhibition of children’s art is evidence of that. The other exhibition Jeff Thomas – A Study of Indian-ness was a photography exhibition with a very unique and thought-provoking approach that stimulated one to think about the lives of contemporary First Nations people and some of their thoughts about their place in today’s society.
In the evening, we met friends who kindly drove in all the way from their farm near Pincher Creek to share a lovely dinner in a Greek restaurant. (We had dinner with another friend last night too.) So our stay in Lethbridge was short (three nights), very exciting (Writing on Stone) and sweet (a great time with friends). The next morning we headed back west.
Related:
Alberta Trip Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Days 5 & 6
June 25, 2006 in Being an Artist, History by Marja-Leena
Violent architectural contest out on the high lonesome. All that range to occupy in peaceful solitude, but alas, no.
Bill, isn’t that so true of cities! But southern Alberta still is wide open country. To me all that space seems so vast becuase you can see so far without trees and mountains to get in the way of sight.
(But I love the trees, mountains and ocean where I live, thank you!)
Yes, a home likes nothing better than a tree about. The treelessness makes the Galt’s clash of architectual styles sound out very loudly indeed. Either one of the halves of the museum would seem to have a chance of standing with assurance in the prairie, as I imaganine the mansion was somewhat able to do, though maybe lonesome mansions on the prairie are just what my eyes are used to. But together, the two halves seemed doomed to intramural conflict and disregard for their wider circumstance.
Bill, you are right about the two halves not working together. I also found that centre black area, a loading area, to feel weird. If you park in front of the brick building you end up walking on the driveway to get to the new entrance, sometimes past around a big truck. Not well thought out. In time, I suppose signs will direct visitors to drive in from the other street and park near the new entrance. And trees around it would help!
On a positive note, the new structure looks fantastic from the coulee side, where we’d taken a walk on our first night in town, and the view and light is wonderful from inside the wall of windows.
Yes I suppose any building is an alembic, distilling and reducing the energies outside. I like your discription of inconventient centrality of the loading dock. Museums have to eat too! That can’t be avoided so why hide it?