The ‘Urban Soul’ exhibition includes a public participation component. People are invited to create their own art on provided panels.
Urban Soul, a new art exhibit at Fort Macleod Library, features the work of six artists.
Pieces created by Rhys Douglas Farrell, Levin Ifko, Harvey Nichol, Sydonne Warren, Adrianne Williams and Tyler Wong make up the exhibit.
“Street art, urban art, graffiti — there have been many attempts over the years to categorize ‘the writing on the wall’ and other creative interventions in urban spaces,” the exhibition statement reads.
The exhibition statement also noted cultures around the globe have long created art on surfaces that surround their living spaces.
Indigenous paintings on the sheer stone cliffs of Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park in Alberta, ancient paintings on the walls of Egyptian tombs and temples, or the markings on the walls of the Lascaux caves in France are examples.
“With so many examples throughout history of civilizations making their mark on the environment they inhabit, we can reason that this practice is not new by any means,” the exhibition statement reads.
“Of course, today’s urban environments are vastly different from these ancient civilizations, and contemporary street art reflects this. In an incredibly globalized world, the urn art of today speaks a multitude of languages and inscribes the values of varying cultures and identities.”
The Urban Soul exhibition invites viewers to contemplate the “living creativity” of art in a city, a park or anywhere humans share space.
“Six artists contribute their voices and make their mark in this exhibition through various mediums — whether their art is on a skateboard, a garment, a road sign, or a large mural-like panel, they are using a visual language to express their individual identities and contribute to a continually evolving cultural conversation.”
Urban Soul is the latest exhibition hosted by Fort Macleod Library through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts travelling exhibition program.
Since 1981 the foundation through the travelling exhibition program has provided Albertans with the opportunity to enjoy visual art in the community.
The travelling exhibitions are viewed by more than 600,000 people every year across Alberta.
The exhibitions are curated from private and public collections.
