CASA reopens with a bang as  new exhibits “Inside Out” and “Summer Salon” opens July 3, showcasing a burst of creativity for 74 Southern Alberta artists .

“ It”s been seven or eight months since we had an exhibit here,” said Casa curator Darcy Logan.

“Originally it was just going to be an outdoor exhibit, because we didn’t know what was going to happen at this time, but we put together a great team to make it work,” Logan said, noting they put out an artists call in May, which southern Alberta artists answered in force.

“ None of it is directly related to the pandemic,” he said.

“ There’s a wide range  of works in all sorts of mediums. There‘s abstracts and realism. And we have works from all kinds of artists from teens to well respected professionals,” he said, adding the  main gallery focusses on paintings including a variety of subject matter including birds, landscapes, wildlife and  a quirky submission of a horse riding another horse.

 There are also several outdoor exhibits.

Troy Nickel and  Michelle Sylvestre have larger installations in the kiosks.

As things start getting back to normal, that means there will be new art exhibits and openings happening downtown.

 The Southern Alberta Art Gallery focuses on architectural styles for their four new exhibits, which officially open, Saturday, July 3 with an opening reception at 7 p.m.

“That is deliberate. We like to have programming with a  special connection and a similar theme. these exhibits feature modern projects involving architecture,” summarized interim curator Adam Whitford.

There will be  some familiar images in the upper gallery as Vancouver and Vienna based  artists Sabine Bitter and Helmut Weber’s “Performing Educational Modernism” features images of works of Arthur Erickson, who designed the University of Lethbridge main building as well as Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

“They explore egalitarianism and optimism from the ’50s-’70s,” he said.

“It’s how these open community spaces allowed students and  faulty to gather and cross -pollinate.”

The downstairs gallery features Edmonton sculptor Catherine Burgess‘s “Almost Actual.”

“She’s a senior Alberta artist. Her work plays with spatial  orientation, form and void and the basic  method of delineating  three dimensional space,” he said, adding burgess works in  steel and stainless steel. The names of the  works are an essential component as are the effects of the shadows the make on the walls.

“ She’s exhibited here three times. The first time was in the ’90s,” he said.

Another Edmonton artist Morgan Melenka’s “There Are No Walls, Only Shimmering Membranes,” is on the walls of the SAAG library gallery.

“We like to focus on emerging Alberta and Southern Albertan artists in the library,” Whitford said.

Casa has reopened just in time as Covid health restrictions loosen and Lethbridge artists are ready and raring to go as they unleash a year and a half of pent up artistic energy.
 Casa is offering a variety of activities, including outdoor classes, studio time and Summer camps for children in July and August.
 The week-long classes in clay, textiles, drawing, painting, collage, printmaking and sculpture. Camps will run full days from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
“It’s been a little slow so far. But it will pick up as word spreads that we’re open again. We’re in a bit of a transition period now,” said Allied Arts Council Communications manager, Kelaine Devine, noting artists can book studio time and classes are starting up again including the always popular clay and pottery classes.

“They always fill up fast,” she said, adding artists wishing to rent studio time must register in advance by appointment only. Studio access will be available 10 a.m.– 9 p.m.; Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays. Appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting 403-327-2272.

A lot of activities are planned to take place in Rotary Square including classes including still life painting featuring costumed models posing for artists of all skill levels.

Holding classes outside will take advantage of nice weather.

“They’re usually between 6-8 p.m. when there‘s no direct sunlight,” she said, adding  if you want to make art on you own, the Allied Arts Council also sells arts kits.