Both Calgary, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba are surprisingly creative cities. Calgary’s nearby Banff Centre has long been recognized as an international meeting place for creative minds, while Winnipeg’s Royal Art Lodge famously produced Marcel Dzama. (VoCA loves his new dioramas!)

But there’s more to these art scenes than meets the eye…

CALGARY

1. Collective: The Arbour Lake Sghool - click HERE

In the spring of 2007 we decided that we’d had enough of our lawn, and that a nice, rippling field of wheat would look much prettier and break up the Kentucky Bluegrass monotony of our neck of the woods. We also (ludicrously) decided to do all the work, from tearing up the old to planting the new to harvesting our crop, by hand. And we did it! We ended up using barley instead (you can make beer from barley!), donated graciously by Patterson Farms.

2. Curator: Wayne Baerwaldt - click HERE

3. High-profile gallery: Trepanier Baer - click HERE

4. Museum/public space: The Banff Centre - click HERE

5. Hot young gallery: Skew gallery - click HERE

Ehryn Torrell, Traces at Skew Gallery. Image: skewgallery.com

6. Provincial treasure: The city’s art festivals - Exposure photo fest, Art City - click HERE and HERE

WINNIPEG:

1. Collective: The Royal Art Lodge - click HERE

The Royal Art Lodge studio. Image: royalartlodge.com

Another shot of the studio. Image: royalartlodge.com

2. Curator: Cliff Eyland (well, he’s an artist, teacher and writer, too) - click HERE

3. High-profile gallery: Gallery 803. They’re committed to new and established local artists - click HERE

4. Museum/public space: Plug-In ICA - click HERE

5. Hot young gallery: Paul Butler/Other Gallery - click HERE

Paul Butler, untitled marshland (from landscape series), collage, 2006

Paul Butler, What are you waiting for?, collage, 2006. Image: theotherpaulbutler.com

6. Provincial treasure: Guy Maddin (until his recent decampment to Toronto) - click HERE

Film director Guy Maddin. Image: ebertfest.com