Partners
THE ROAD: Constructing the Alaska Highway was a national, touring exhibition co-curated by Catherine Crowston and Andrew Hunter and organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Alberta with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage – Museums Assistance Program. The exhibition consisted of art works, artifacts, documentary materials, and films produced from the time of the Highway’s inception in 1942 right up to the present day. From the Road’s beginning as an American-controlled military route into the post-war years when the Canadian portion was transferred to Canadian hands and its recent evolution into a major artery for industry, travel, and tourism, the exhibition emphasized the unique perspectives of individuals who have encountered and been affected by its existence. Incorporating paintings by such well-known artists as A.Y. Jackson and H.G. Glyde, the records of soldiers, government officials, and tourists, along with the work of filmmakers and contemporary artists, this exhibition revealed the complex, often shifting, never static, identity of the Alaska Highway. It is our goal to turn the physical exhibit into a virtual one by digitizing as much archival material and accompanying text as possible.
In addition to our staff, volunteers and board members, we, the Art Gallery of Alberta, are pleased to be able to work with the Heritage Community Foundation which has an established record of working with diverse museum communities, including the Central Alberta Regional Museums Association, the Peace River Regional Museums Association, the Glenbow Museum, and the Royal Alberta Museum.
This Web site is a part of the Alberta Online Encyclopedia and, therefore, will benefit from the popularity of this tremendous repository of authoritative information about Alberta. Users will quickly come to know where and how to access information about Alberta’s critical role in the building of the Alaska Highway.
This project was made possible through the generous financial support of the Community Initiatives Program – Alberta Lottery Fund.