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Travel In-Town: Calgary Public Museums

Calgary has not only a host of private art galleries, but it has several renowned public display spaces. They're not intimidating (no pressure to buy - you can't) yet they manage to show an impresive varity of works.

The Glenbow Museum

The Glenbow Museum, downtown on Stephen Avenue, is more than a museum. The second floor is a gallery showing works from its own collection plus works in travelling collections and exhibits. These exhibits change every few months, but tend to focus on art that reflects the geographic splendor that greeted the prairie settler and early explorers.
The Glenbow collection belonged to Calgary oilman Eric Harvie, until donated to the people of Alberta in 1966. In 1976, the Alberta Government built the Glenbow at 130 9th Avenue SE. For more information about current exhibits call 237-8988.

Art Gallery of Calgary

The Art Gallery of Calgary, on Stephen Avenue Walk, is a new venue which showcases avante garde art by Calgary artists. The space has high ceilings and wood floors creates an interesting environment for the unabashedly informal works on display.

The Art Gallery of Calgary absorbed the Muttart Gallery, which has been open since 1977. Admission is by donation. For more information on Art Gallery of Calgary events call 266-2764.

Triangle Gallery

The Triangle Gallery, in the corner of City Hall facing the Arts Centre, show works of contemporary abstract artists. The gallery rarely has "one man" shows, but tends to show a number of works by several artisits, making the variations between them the point of an exhibit as much as the central theme.

The Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts opened in Calgary in 1988. It is located at #104, 800 Macleod Trail SE For more information on the Triangle call 262-1737.

Nickle Arts Museum

The Nickle Arts Museum, at the Unversity of Calgary, has an interesting mandate. While its purpose is primarily to showcase works of Unversity graduates (the B.F.A. and M.F.A. exhibits each spring are the highlight of each school year), it brings in interesting exhibits that would not usually be carried by other commercial or non-commercial galleries. The university location gurantees it a good audience for all varieties of shows. Features a permanent collection of coins of the ancient world

The Nickle Arts Museum is on the University of Calgary campus and opened in 1979, primarily for the benefit of the student community. It was founded in memory of Carl J. Nickle, a patron of the arts and of the University. For more information about the Nickle call 220-7234.