Here & Now

An exhibition of new AFA artworks at the Royal Alberta Museum from April 17 to September 29.

In partnership with the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM), we presented 16 works acquired to the AFA Art Collection in 2023. 

Discover Alberta's unique cultural heritage through our artists...

About the exhibition

This exhibition tells Alberta’s stories, Here & Now, imagined by our province’s visual artists. Artworks featured in this exhibition were curated from recent AFA acquisitions made through the Art Acquisition by Application program in 2023.

The RAM custom-designed a special exhibition space inside its Human History Hall to spotlight these works,  vistors could discover paintings, prints, fibre and sculptures by 12 diverse Albertan artists. The exhibition explored themes of Identity, Female Strength, Human Impacts on the Land, and Dis/Ability described below through curatorial statements. 

Click the link on each work to view the artist's profile!

Identity

Works in this section explore the truthfulness of images. They ask: how do we present ourselves to the world? How do we wish to be remembered? What gets lost in translation from one community or culture to another?

Female Strength

These works uplift and celebrate women of colour, from the heroines of Mexican rodeo to the beauty of Black women of legend and local reality.

Human Impacts on the Land

The land exists outside of us. We may try to control and mould it, but, as the works in this section show, our actions often meet with opposition from powerful forces of nature.

Dis/Ability

The artists in this section find strength and beauty in difference. In confronting standards of race, sexuality, or physical and mental achievement, they reclaim their power.

About the Curator - Julia Petrov

Dr. Julia Petrov holds a PhD in Museum Studies and has worked in museums and universities across the province. Julia currently works for the RAM as Curator, Daily Life & Leisure.

 In 2023, Julia took a secondment from this role to temporarily work with the AFA as its Art Acquisition Consultant, which included leading the AAA program. During her time at AFA, she curated the Here & Now exhibition.