Search Artists

People

An arduously dedicated array of artists have made Alberta the culturally engaging province it is today. People, landscapes and the various indiosyncracies encountered in life have been represented by those using their visual aptitudes. Women such as Lyndal Osborne, and men like Giuseppe Albi—some born here, and others choosing to spend some or most of their lives here—have contributed to the vibrancy of the province's artist communities.

As a diverse region, Alberta has seen the development of various artistic disciplines ranging from the more artisan oriented practices of glass blowing, ceramics, carving and fibre arts to practices more traditionally sanctioned as "high art". Visual artists that have and still do live here represent many cultural influences and artistic approaches; their experiences as professional artists are vastly unique and fascinating.

Individuals like William Duma and Gilbert Hay have worked hard to survive while committing as much as possible to pursuing the arts. There are those pulled by several magnets, like Roland Gissing who, following his various passions, was a ranch hand, locomotive train hobbyist and painter. Well-endowed people like Catharine and Peter Whyte had the privilege of spending all of their adult lives pursuing their artistic visions while gaining recognition for their community contributions.

Nicholas de Grandmaison, H. G. Glyde, Jane Ash Poitras and Kirsten Abrahamson all reflect their different life experiences and add a textured richness to Alberta's artistic history. For the province, this means an emergence of distinct and sometimes hybrid-like artmaking practices characterized by such widely-differing forms such as time-based installation work, classical portraiture and mixed media prints.

[Back] [Top]

Copyright © 2003 Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved