Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – and there will be plenty of beautiful art to behold in the Foothills this weekend.
Eight art galleries within a 45-minute drive of one another in the Foothills area will be opening their doors and sharing their wisdom during the Most Beautiful Art Tour in Alberta, Sept. 10-12.
The tour consists of four public galleries and four private galleries. (information courtesy of Most Beautiful Art Tour in Alberta website.
Public galleries:
Leighton Art Centre – located at 282027 144 St. West, Foothills. The centre is located in the Heritage Historic home of A.C. and Barbara Leighton near Millarville. The 80-acre property is home to spectacular scenery as well as a museum, education centre and gallery.
Okotoks Art Gallery - located in Okotoks’ historic 1929 CPR Railway Station, the Gallery includes two gallery spaces for exhibitions, a gift shop featuring local and Canadian artisan wares, and also serves as the Visitor Information Centre for Okotoks. A members show and sale is on until Sept.17.
Bluerock Gallery – located at 110 Centre Avenue W, Black Diamond. Bluerock offers a variety of art from southern Alberta. It also has a collection of books, many dealing with the Foothills area.
LIneham Home Galleries – located at 33 Elma Street W, Okotoks. The gallery is housed in a beautiful 110-year-old registered Historic Alberta Resource home and exhibits group shows of select artists every quarter, along with Southern Alberta artisanal items such as jewelry, pottery, glass, metal, wood, prints and artistic gifts for hearth and home.
Private galleries:
Kristoferson Studio – located at 100 - 202 Blacklock Way SW, Turner Valley. Susan Kristoferson creates complex collage “paintings” and unique objects. She said her Foothills ridgetop view of the Rockies inspires her.
Eversfield Ceramics – located at Range Road 23, Foothills, near the intersection of Highway 22 and Secondary Highway 543 (Hartell area). Potter and sculptor David Barnes’ lengthy career has seen his works featured in many exhibitions, museums and galleries throughout England, France and Canada. David is now sharing his talent and expertise by offering classes and workshops to students of all ages and skill levels.
Firebrand Glass Studio – located at 634 3rd St. SW, Black Diamond - is home to award winning artists Julia Reimer and Tyler Rock, whose work is collected internationally and included in the private collections of Canada’s prime minister and the Emperor of Japan. Visit to see their beautiful artwork, awards and one of a kind commissioned pieces.
Mady Thiel-Kopstein – located at 522 Robert Street SW, Turner Valley. Theil-Kopstein’s paintings, frequently inspired by her time spent in nature, conjure up the atmosphere and depth of multiple layers of colour and light, stirring a certain familiarity and a strong connection with the natural world.
To see the various schedules and a map for the participating galleries go to themostbeautifularttourinalberta.com
