Previous Exhibitions — 2010

Now Here's the Deal...

In the Small Gallery
December 8, 2010 to January 23, 2011

WAC Bennett was one of British Columbia’s most colourful and well remembered politicians. His 20 years as Premier spanned a time of great change for British Columbia and Canada.

This exhibit featured 33 political cartoons from Bennett’s private collection. Roy Peterson, Len Norris, Sid Barron and other well-known Canadian cartoonists were represented in this exhibit. During his long political career, Bennett had a sometimes rocky relationship with the media, but this did not prevent him from requesting original artwork from cartoonists he admired.

Arranged chronologically, these cartoons provided fascinating insights into WAC Bennett and the province of British Columbia.

The cartoons were complemented by 8 text panels that provided background information on the life and times of Bennett and the challenges and controversies he faced.

The exhibit included a 45-minute video, The Good Life, which was specially commissioned by Bennett’s Social Credit government. Filmed in 1968, The Good Life is a fascinating portrayal of a people and a province with a distinct “retro” sensibility.

Architecture and Power

November 3, 2010, to February 6, 2011

Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec, in cooperation with the British Columbia Provincial Capital Commission and the University of Victoria Art Collections, presented an exhibition on the legislative buildings in 14 Canadian capitals.

This art and architecture exhibition took its inspiration from artistic trends, architects and technical aspects of parliamentary building construction. It provided general information such as year of construction, cost and dimensions and was enhanced by anecdotes on how the edifices were built.

Each provincial seat of power was also represented in a modern painting by the Murale Création team of artists and was accompanied by contemporary and modern photographs.

Mounted on panels, Architecture and Power presented the parliaments in order of their entry into confederation. Thus, visitors travelled first to Ottawa, then to Toronto, Québec City, Halifax, Fredericton, Winnipeg, Victoria, Charlottetown, Regina, Edmonton, St. John's, Yellowknife, Whitehors, and Iqaluit.

Pentakis

In the Small Gallery
November 3 to December 5, 2010

Art Educators are an integral and vital part of Victoria's arts community. The University of Victoria Art Education Student Association presented Pentakis: The Many Facets of Art Educators. Pentakis included a diverse collection of paintings, photography and sculpture by art education students, knocking the socks off the old adage, "those who can't do, teach."

Graphic Radicals

August 11 to October 31, 2010

Graphic Radicals was a themed presentation of the work of World War 3 Illustrated, a New York artist collective, from the 1980s to the present day. The art confronted issues such as anti-war protests, squatting in New York, the tragedies of 9-11, racism, prisons and anarchism. “This is some of the most hard-hitting, socially-engaged art of the last thirty years," explained Allan Antliff, Canada Research Chair in Modern Art at UVic. “Simply put, this artists’ collective took illustration to a new level by confronting the important issues of our time in uncompromising terms.

Graphic Radicals included dozens of works in the form of posters, graphic illustrations, paintings, banners and other media.

World War 3 Illustrated was a New York-based artist collective. It was founded in 1980 by Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper to provide a creative venue for political comics, graphics and stories.

Art Beyond Beauty

In the Small Gallery
July 14 to Aug 8, 2010

Art Beyond Beauty attempted to provoke critical thinking on contemporary issues as local artists working in different media presented their artistic expressions on the theme Hope in the 21st Century. The exhibition affirmed and recognized the role that artists play in society and reclaimed the potential of art as a potent means of communication.

Post-Ophelia
Miko Betanzo

Café Conversations: Pinhole Photography of Bob St. Cyr

In the Small Gallery
June 11 to July 11, 2010

These insightful images allowed us to see how the pinhole method requires the photographer to slow down and reflect on the photographic experience. St. Cyr's playful approach experimented with perspective, motion and composition at some of Victoria's best known locations, including local cafés and other meeting places around the city.

Coffee Break
Bob St. Cyr
2009

Northern Lights

June 9 to August 8, 2010

Featuring works from UVic's newly acquired Hal Knight Collection, as well as prints and drawings from the permanent collection, Northern Lights highlighted Inuit themes of transformation, shamanism and the unity of the human and natural worlds. Featured works also celebrated family life, hunting and traditional practices.

British Sporting Art: Works from the S. W. Jackman Collection

In the Small Gallery
April 14 to June 6, 2010

Dr. Jackman, a prolific scholar in local and British history and life-long art collector, kept a large collection of English 18th and 19th century art. This exhibit examined a small vein of this collection, reviving the beloved pastimes of 19th century upper-class England. On view were a set of oil paintings, watercolours and conceptual sketches inspired from the emerging popularity of racing, fox hunting, shooting and the perfecting of the thoroughbred horse.

Revival: The Personal Archive of Robert Aller

February 23 to March 28, 2010

To reintroduce something that has historically already existed is to revive. Revival introduced us to a small snapshot into the vast personal archives of the late artist and teacher Robert Aller. Revival is one concern that has been addressed throughout Aller’s artistic practice: he examines the loss of first nations culture and was influenced by their history in craft and tradition, which is visible in his drawings, paintings, and basketry.

Regarding Wealth

February 22 to June 8, 2010

Regarding Wealth used works in the Michael Williams Collection to examine the dynamics of wealth relations by probing the intersections of art and homelessness. This exhibition was curated by History in Art Assistant Professor and Williams Legacy Chair Dr. Carolyn Butler-Palmer. For more information please visit the Regarding Wealth site.

Cross Connections: Five Decades of Contemporary Art in the Pacific Northwest

January 6 to February 21, 2010

In June 2009, the Coast Art Trust Society donated an important historical collection of more than 100 works by forty-five established West Coast Artists to the University of Victoria. This exhibit featured a selection of works from the collection.

The collection to date consists of paintings, sculpture, collage, mixed media and photography from three different decades of each artist's career, representing a historical overview of the works and careers of forty-five artists who live on the West Coast of British Columbia and who have been actively working and exhibiting locally, nationally and internationally for at least 25 years.