People of Canada’s Airforce - 100 Years
University of Calgary Founders' Gallery
1 April - 2 Sept 2024
People of Canada’s Airforce - 100 Years This April marks 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Disdained prior to 1914 as a non-viable arm of the military, the Air Force did not take root in Canada as a military element until well after the end of World War I. Building on the impressive legacy of Canadian aircrew and groundcrew serving with British units during the First World War, the Canadian Air Force grew over the next one hundred years into a military branch distinct in culture and contribution to Canada’s military heritage.
This exhibition illustrates how a distinct Air Force cultural identity emerged from the working environment, technology, and lifestyle experienced by airmen and airwomen between 1914 and 2024. It also tracks the continuity and evolution of this centenarian cultural identity and examines how it has contributed to operational efficiency to date.
Curated by Alison Mercer and produced by the Air Force Museum of Alberta.
Witness: Histories of Conflict in the paintings of William MacDonnell
University of Calgary Founders' Gallery
3 Oct 2024 - Jan 2025
Witness: Histories of Conflict in the paintings of William MacDonnell This solo exhibition features an array of paintings by one of Canada’s most senior war artists, Bill MacDonnell. During his storied career MacDonnell toured Vietnam, Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda, Western Europe, the Balkans with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment, and then as an official Canadian war artist during the War on Terror, deployed to Afghanistan.
Many of the canvasses are monumental in scale with some being inspired from visiting hot zones such Afghanistan, and others based on visiting sites of former conflict. MacDonnell draws attention to histories that are in danger of being forgotten, serving as a counterpoint to cultural amnesia.
Curated and produced by UCalgary Libraries and Cultural Resources.
110th Anniversary Art Exhibition for the PPCLI
University of Calgary Founders' Gallery
Oct 3 2024 – Jan 2025
110th Anniversary Art Exhibition for the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment Celebrating and honoring the unconditional service and heroism of the soldiers of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), through 110 years of conflict in a troubled world, the displayed art will feature both 2D and 3D pieces.
Included will be notable artists from the period of the First World War, the Second World War, Korea, and more contemporary works by artists from conflicts and peace operations in Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and other conflict areas.
Curated by Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) Bill Bewick and produced by the PPCLI.