Artist Profile

Artist profile - Paul Reich

Paul Reich, seen above with the Atlantic Ocean in the background, on tour with Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal in 1984. Photo supplied from Paul Reich's personal collection.

After 28 years of service with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Paul Reich has retired from his position as Arts Development Consultant – Dance.

Paul’s remarkable career with the AFA has been defined by his unwavering dedication and deep commitment to the arts community across Alberta. His impact has been especially felt in the dance sector, where his support and mentorship have helped countless individuals and organizations benefit from access to AFA supports and services. Paul’s extensive knowledge and passion for the arts have shaped the AFA in meaningful ways, and his legacy will continue to inspire us.

Paul Reich performing in the Alberta Ballet production of Coppelia in 1985.
Paul Reich performing in the Alberta Ballet production of "Coppelia" in 1985 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Photo supplied from Paul Reich's personal collection.

In the lead up to his retirement, we sat down with Paul for a brief Q&A interview below.

Tell us about your career as a dancer: What type of dance was your primary discipline, where did you train, where did you typically perform, and do you have any performances that were highlights that you would like to share? 

Like many dance kids, I started in jazz where there was maybe two boys in the class. As I progressed, I was told that if you want to become “professional” I must take ballet. This guidance was not received with much understanding or enthusiasm. Regardless, my teacher shipped me off to an audition at the School of Les Grands Ballet Canadiens where I was accepted into a class with 25 other boys. A bit of a change for a kid from a small town. The intense physical demands of daily training in a French language environment felt like I had landed on the moon. 

Paul Reich performing for the Alberta Ballet (1986) at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
Paul Reich performing for the Alberta Ballet in 1986 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Photo supplied from Paul Reich's personal collection.

Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I had the opportunity of going on to become a member of Ballets Jazz Montréal and later the Alberta Ballet and Ballet North. Touring and performing for audiences in many parts of the world was the most rewarding part of the job. I am grateful to my first teacher for mentoring me in the right direction.

Through my years as Ballet North’s General Manager and here at the Arts Branch, I have tried to follow this example of supporting young dancers and all artists when they needed it the most. I always felt that I owed a debt of gratitude, and I hope I have repaid in some small way the opportunities created for me through the efforts of my teachers and the dance community pioneers in Canada.

Looking back on your AFA career, what moments stand out as the most personally meaningful?

Having the opportunity of working with a like minded team that have a passion for the arts has been a real privilege. I have been very lucky in that regard.

Paul Reich performing with Ballet North in 1987 with dance partner Sandy Croft.
Paul Reich performing with Ballet North in 1987 with dance partner Sandy Croft. Croft went on to become Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil's production of Mystère and Oh in Las Vegas. Photo supplied from Paul Reich's personal collection.

How have you seen the arts sector evolve during your time, and what changes have been most surprising or inspiring to you? 

I continued to be so impressed by how organizations continually adapt to very challenging circumstances. COVID-19, the post-pandemic period has had such a significant impact on the arts community. How artists and organizations come up with creative structural shifts in operations and program delivery is nothing short of amazing and I have the upmost respect for arts administrators, in particular, that shoulder much of this responsibility. 

What advice would you give to emerging artists or arts professionals entering the field today? 

For young artists, search out the best training you can find and learn from anyone and everyone that is more advanced. Young professionals can be successful if they stay open-minded to any opportunity and seek collaborations that help them grow. Improving technically and artistically is a one step at a time process. Madame Ludmilla Chiaraff, OC, founder of Les Grands Ballet Canadiens gave me the best advice, “Everyone is on their own schedule.” This advice proved very helpful over the years both in my professional and personal life.

Can you share a project or initiative you’re especially proud of, and what made it so significant to you?

It was a very satisfying experience to increase the number of participating schools in the Artists & Education program from 120 to 320 with many schools located in very rural areas. This meant an additional 60,000 students could partake annually in hands-on arts workshops across a range of arts disciplines. As a kid from a small town, that felt good.

Paul Reich performing in the Alberta Ballet's production of Spanish Pas de Deux - Nutcracker with dance partner Barbara Moore in 1986.
Paul Reich performing in the Alberta Ballet production of Spanish Pas de Deux - Nutcracker with dance partner Barbara Moore in 1986. Photo supplied from Paul Reich's personal collection.
Paul Reich at his retirement party on October 3, 2025.
Paul Reich at his retirement party on October 3, 2025.
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Paul Reich performing an arabesque with the Atlantic Ocean in the background,
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After 28 years of service with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Paul Reich will officially retire from his position as Arts Development Consultant - Dance.

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Paul Reich, seen here with the Atlantic Ocean in the background, on tour with Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal in 1984.
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2025

Joane Cardinal-Schubert
Ancestors (Keepers), 1991
paint, paper, newsprint, paper money and bingo card on paper
Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

On September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canadians acknowledge the harms and multi-generational effects of the residential school system on Indigenous peoples and their communities across the country. 

The AFA also recognizes the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ contributions in and through the arts, as well as the important role the arts can play in the process of reconciliation. The AFA continues to support a thriving Indigenous arts sector in Alberta and provides funding specifically for Indigenous Arts individual artist projects. We are also proud to hold more than 275 artworks by Indigenous artists in the AFA Art Collection.

Featured artwork

In 2025, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the AFA is pleased to feature Ancestors (Keepers), 1991, by Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert. 

This piece is part of the Letter to Emily series, a deeply personal and evocative body of work. The series was inspired by Cardinal-Schubert’s interest in the life and legacy of Canadian artist Emily Carr. Cardinal-Schubert initiates a visual and textual dialogue with Carr through large-scale paintings that layer text and symbolic imagery.

These diaristic reflections explore themes of identity, memory, and cultural continuity. In this intimate exchange, Cardinal-Schubert not only contemplates Carr’s experiences but also affirms her own voice as a keeper of ancestral knowledge and Indigenous presence within the narrative of Canadian art.

Artist profile

Kainai/Blood artist, Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert was a multi-media, visual, and installation artist, a writer, lecturer, free-lance curator and director of film and theatre. Her writing has been published nationally and internationally in art magazines, catalogues and books and she has also served as an editor of Fuse magazine.

Cardinal-Schubert was instrumental in guiding the AFA in 2008 and 2009 in a special curatorial initiative focused on building up the holdings of the AFA Art Collection with contemporary Indigenous art. Her wisdom and guidance helped to significantly enhance the AFA’s holdings from Indigenous artists. She also provided an avenue to acquire artworks by Indigenous artists previously unknown to the AFA Art Collection and built new relationships with Indigenous artists along the way. Among the holdings of artworks in the AFA Art Collection, 23 artworks were created by Cardinal-Schubert.

Celebrate Indigenous art

Cardinal-Schubert’s Ancestors (Keepers) is currently on display as part of the New Views exhibition at the AFA art house in Calgary. Among the 50 artworks currently included in New Views, 20 per cent of them are by Indigenous artists. Other Indigenous artists featured in this exhibition include:

  • Brandon Atkinson
  • MJ Belcourt
  • Maureen Callihoo
  • Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet
  • Nancy Desjarlais
  • Alex Janvier
  • Jane Ash Poitras

Closure notice

In respect of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the AFA’s offices in Edmonton and Calgary, and the AFA art house will be closed. We will be open again on October 1. 

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Image of artwork by Joane Cardinal-Schubert titled Ancestors (Keeprs) from 1991.
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On this day, the AFA is pleased to feature Ancestors (Keepers), 1991, by Dr. Joane Cardinal-Schubert.

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AFA Artist Spotlight - Jessica Plattner

Medicine Hat based artist, Jessica Plattner, was a successful applicant to the AFA’s Art Acquisition by Application (AAA) program in 2022. The program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Plattner’s piece, Exquisite Corpse, on display in the AFA art house exhibition, New Views, is a self-portrait based on a surrealist game in which each participant takes turns drawing a different body part (i.e. head, body, legs) on a piece of paper and then folds it to conceal their contribution. When everyone has taken a turn, the piece of paper is unfolded to reveal a unique figure.

Plattner’s work adapts this concept using a photograph of herself as well as contributions from her daughter to form a unique creation. The portrait captures her disjointed feelings during the time of production.

Watch as Plattner tells the story behind her work and what inspires her artistic practice.

View Jessica's Artist Spotlight

About the artist

Jessica Plattner is an American/Canadian artist living in Alberta. She earned a BFA from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis, and an MFA in painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Temple Rome, Italy. She has exhibited her work in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Italy. Artist residencies include Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, The Vermont Studio Center, SACI (Studio Art Centers International) and a Fulbright Scholarship in Mexico. Recent exhibition venues include Gallery@501 in Edmonton, Art Center East Main Gallery in Oregon,  the ASA Gallery in Calgary, Art Gallery of St. Albert, the Okotoks Art Gallery, the Esplanade Art Gallery in Medicine Hat, as well as biennial faculty exhibitions at Gallery One on One at Medicine Hat College. Her work is held in the public collections of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA), The City of Medicine Hat, the City of St. Albert, and several colleges and universities. She currently teaches in the Art & Design Program at Medicine Hat College and lives with her partner, artist/musician Dean Smale, their daughter Sofie, and their dog Caniche.

About the AFA art house

The AFA art house, located in the heart of downtown Calgary, is a space to for Albertans to see, discover, and experience the unique stories the artists of Alberta have to share. The Gallery will showcase works from the AFA Art Collection as well as other works from Alberta artists. The AFA art house is free to access.

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Jessica Plattner shares her experience applying and provides insight into the story behind her work and what inspires her artistic practice.

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Calgary's Rita McKeough selected for Lieutenant Governor award

Calgary based artist Rita McKeough has been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artists Award. She is expected to receive the awards’ patron in a ceremony held by Her Honour Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on October 4, 2025.

McKeough has 15 works held in the AFA Art Collection. You can view two these works, Manifesto of Mittenism and Urban Uprising in the AFA art house exhibition, New Views.

About the Artist

Rita McKeough’s interdisciplinary practice spans sound, installation, performance, video, and kinetic sculpture and has significantly shaped the contemporary art landscape in Alberta and beyond. For over five decades, her career has been marked by an unwavering commitment to experimentation, mentorship, and pushing the boundaries of contemporary art in Canada. McKeough has exhibited across Canada and the USA in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Recent works include: Remediation Room (Online, Calgary, 2022–ongoing); feel through deepness to see (Dunlop Art Gallery 2024); darkness is as deep as the darkness is (Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, 2020); Veins (OBORO,Montreal, 2018), and Oh, Canada (MassMOCA, North Adams, 2015). In 2009 McKeough was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.

About the Award

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award is Alberta’s most prestigious recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts.

About the AFA art house

The AFA art house, located in the heart of downtown Calgary, is a space to for Albertans to see, discover, and experience the unique stories the artists of Alberta have to share. The Gallery will showcase works from the AFA Art Collection as well as other works from Alberta artists. The AFA art house is free to access.

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Portrait of artist Rita McKeough. She has short white hair, glasses, and is wearing a blue scarf and dark jean jacket.
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Calgary based artist Rita McKeough has been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artists Award. She is expected to receive the awards’ patron in a ceremony held by Her Honour Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on October 4, 2025.

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Portrait of artist Rita McKeough. She has short white hair, glasses, and is wearing a blue scarf and dark jean jacket.
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WATCH: The Artful Place: Alberta artists on their communities - Ashley Laurenson

In the first video of the Artful Place series, AFA grant recipient Ashley Laurenson, a resident of Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo, shares insight into the uniqueness of her local arts community.

 

About the artists

From Whangarei, New Zealand to a fifteen-year creative journey in Canada, Ashley is an award-winning talent recognized for both design and acting. With nine years invested in creating independent films and series, she is the driving force behind M'Guphynn Media's production design, crafting the sets, props, and costumes for projects like the fan film "Miles Behind: A Spider-Man Fan Film." Ashley also showcased her acting chops starring as Ash and Evil Ash in "Nerdvana: the Web Series." More recently, she turned her sights backstage in theatre, designing vibrant costumes and props for Waypoints Dinner Theatre shows ("AHOY! A Pirate's Life for Me!", "Ultimate Reality: 90's Edition!") and lending her skills to set design for Keyano Theatre Company's youth productions ("Disney's Moana Jr.", "Disney's Newsies Jr.").

The Artful Place

The Artful Place is an exploration of Alberta’s unique arts communities through the eyes of the artists that call these communities home. They provide their perspective on what makes their community special and what their communities mean to them.

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In the first video of the Artful Place series, AFA grant recipient Ashley Laurenson, a resident of Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo, shares insight into the uniqueness of her local arts community.

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In the first video of the Artful Place series, AFA grant recipient Ashley Laurenson, a resident of Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo, shares insight into the uniqueness of her local arts community.

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Here & Now - Esther Suzanne Scott

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Esther Suzanne Scott's artwork, SPECIAL NEEDS, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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About the artwork

This fibre artwork consists of plastic sequins and polyester thread on fabric.

This artwork is included in the Here & Now exhibition at the Royal Alberta Museum until September 29, 2024. Learn more about the exhibition.

The AFA acquired this artwork through its Art Acquisition by Application program in 2023. This program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Artist statement

View this artist's statement as a PDF.

SPECIAL NEEDS was a label I resented as a child with a learning disability. I’ve reimagined this term into a dazzling, shimmering message of acceptance for diversity.

By rescuing words that made me feel alienated for being different, I’ve turned them into a sequin encrusted, packed to the max, full on acknowledgement, that what makes us different, makes us special.

About the artist

Esther was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on November 20th, 1976.

Esther's Artwork utilizes common and found materials to narrate a metaphorical parallel reflection of her life and of her surroundings. The subjects depicted in her work highlight objects, images, and texts that are most often over looked and considered unimportant. She is known for the great amount of attention and care she gives to each construction. 

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Esther Suzanne Scott's artwork, SPECIAL NEEDS, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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Here & Now - Nahanni McKay

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Nahanni McKay's artwork, Hole 8, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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About the artwork

The artwork consists of a lightbox, a 40 x 40 inch print on backlit film paper, situated it between two pieces of plexiglass. The lightbox is created from salvaged scraps of wood a shop at the Banff Centre, cut to make a 41 x 5 x 41 box. The work is illuminated by LED strip lights located at the back of the photograph. 

This artwork is included in the Here & Now exhibition at the Royal Alberta Museum until September 29, 2024. Learn more about the exhibition.

The AFA acquired this artwork through its Art Acquisition by Application program in 2023. This program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Artist statement

The following is an excerpt of Nahanni McKay's artist statement. Read the full artist statement.

My work, Hole 8 at the Banff Springs Fairmont Golf Course, represents how the national park system is a colonial structure that prioritizes tourism over sacred Indigenous lands and wildlife of turtle island. Challenging myself in my photography, I used 120mm film for the first time dubious of how the film would turn out. Using the skulls of deer, cougars and bears I positioned these sacred items on the Hole 8 to create an uneasy looking creature.

About the artist

Nahanni McKay is a Métis artist based in Banff Alberta. Nahanni produces photographic images of objects that take the shape of spirits around her home of Treaty 7 in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. The work she has produced aims to discuss the need to decolonize the complicated National Park system. Her work is in relation to the human impact of the natural environment by creating an unsettling image to be observed by the viewer. McKay is mesmerized by the beauty of her hometown and how the mountains attract a colonial desire to commercialize and conquer this sacred place.

Since graduating from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2017, Nahanni McKays’ photographic and sculptural work has been exhibited extensively across Canada and Europe. Recent exhibitions include Hole 8 at the European Cultural Centre, (Venice) and  Loop 14 was exhibited at the Contemporary Calgary as well as Art Toronto in 2020. McKay has received several awards including the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award in 2022. The artist's work is included in the permanent collection of the Alberta Foundation of the Arts.

Nahanni is an avid skier and has taken part in a film project called Beyond Begbie, being released February 2024.

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Nahanni McKay's artwork, Hole 8, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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Here & Now - Lauren Chipeur

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Lauren Chipeur's artwork, everything it had to swallow to make itself, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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About the artwork

The three vessels made using wild clay collected in Eastend, Saskatchewa. They were fired using a gas kiln schedule developed by the artist that acts like an atmospheric time machine. The atmosphere in the kiln is programmed to follow the path of oxygen from present day to 4.5 billion years ago. (More information about this process included in the artist's statement below.)

This artwork is included in the Here & Now exhibition at the Royal Alberta Museum until September 29, 2024. Learn more about the exhibition.

The AFA acquired this artwork through its Art Acquisition by Application program in 2023. This program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Artist statement

The following is an excerpt of Lauren Chipeur's artist statement. Read the full statement.

I make sculpture and site responsive installations that explore the connections between humans, waste, industry, technology and the environment. My current research explores ceramic and everyday materials to reflect on the parallel and opposing belief systems about our shared material realities. In mixing consumer products, plants, waste and geological materials my practice works towards untangling or distilling new ways to know things. The minerals our bodies absorb from the food we eat are the same minerals that make up a ceramic glaze. By tracing material lineages and biographies I try to understand a world that is concealed from view, from the interior of the body or smartphone to industrial resource extraction and production. "everything it had to swallow to make itself" unearths the relationship between the body, geology and deep time.

Artist profile

Lauren Chipeur is an artist born in Edmonton, Canada, on Treaty 6 territory, and based in Calgary, Canada, on Treaty 7 Territory.

She makes material and site-responsive sculpture that engages ceramic processes as a way to untangle or distill new ways to know things.

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Lauren Chipeur's artwork, everything it had to swallow to make itself, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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Lauren Chipeur's artwork, everything it had to swallow to make itself, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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Here & Now - Han Sungpil

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Han Sungpil's artworks, Frozen Fire 08 and Frozen Fire 16, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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About the artworks

These large prints capture the aftermath of a 2017 wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park. (Click arrows above on either side of the image to see each work.)

These artworks are included in the Here & Now exhibition at the Royal Alberta Museum until September 29, 2024. Learn more about the exhibition.

The AFA acquired these two artworks through its Art Acquisition by Application program in 2023. This program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Artist statement

The following is an excerpt of Han Sungpil's artist statement. Read the full statement

I wanted to capture the almighty restoring force of nature at the affected site out to the audiences. While this piece delivers awe of nature to the viewers through artistic expression of the event in 2017, the compelling message that it also carries is the impact of environmental devastation which awakens advocacy for environmental protection for the public.

About the artist

Han Sungpil practices art mainly by means of photography, video, and installations, covering subjects such as environmental issues, originality and imagine, history, and the relation between the real and the represented. He also enjoys understanding diverse cultures and exploring nature further interpreting our everyday world. Sungpil’s sensibility in his work often includes a sense of humor, while including sublime elements of beauty.

His works have been exhibited and collected at notable museums and biennials around the world, including U.S.A, France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Russia, Slovakia, Lithuania, U.A.E, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Mongolia, Japan, China and Korea.

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Han Sungpil's artworks, Frozen Fire 08 and Frozen Fire 16, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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2023
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Here & Now - Michael Leeb

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Michael Leeb's artwork, Creature from the Depths, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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About the artwork

Creature from the Depths, is a mixed media ledger drawing made using a variety of media and paper ephemera as collage.

This artwork is included in the Here & Now exhibition at the Royal Alberta Museum until September 29, 2024. Learn more about the exhibition.

The AFA acquired this artwork through its Art Acquisition by Application program in 2023. This program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Artist statement

The following is an excerpt of Michael Leeb's artist statement. Read the full statement.

Creature from the Depths is a mythical storm creature conjured from an imaginative act of drawing and collage inspired by artistic pareidolia and the use of a vintage nautical map of the pacific Westcoast. This piece is intended to be a metaphorical allusion to colonialism and transformation as depicted by the storm creature devouring a tall ship.

About the artist

Michael J. Leeb is a métis visual artist, writer, and poet (Chippewa Cree/German). Michael is a printmaker (drypoint copper etchings), a papermaker, and creates mixed media drawings/ink paintings and artist books.

His work is included in the collections of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library of the University of Alberta, Medalta Potteries, and the Ino-Cho Paper Museum (Japan).

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Michael Leeb's artwork, Creature from the Depths, is featured in the 2024 AFA exhibition Here & Now at the Royal Alberta Museum.

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