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The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary  land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.

Kim McCollum

Image courtesy the artist

"My paintings start with creating a fine graphite grid on the canvas, which becomes the scaffolding for the pattern that will be painted on top."

Kim McCollum

What is the Edmonton art scene to you? 

For me, the art scene really is about the people within it. It’s a running joke with some of my artist friends that we always run into each other when out and about in the city. I think this is because the art scene in Edmonton reaches beyond the gallery. Sometimes it happens at the galleries on 124 street or at Latitude 53, but also at the farmers market, local coffee shops like Little Brick, or at events like Folk Fest. I think the scene is growing and changing in ways that are important and exciting to see. More funding and recognition of indigenous artists and marginalized groups has led to a much richer community over the last few years.  

What does it mean to you to be an artist working in Edmonton?  

Here in Edmonton, we are far away from major cultural centers like Toronto and Vancouver, and it can feel like we are geographically separate from a good portion of the Canadian art scene. While I think it is important to have a sense of what is happening in the Canadian arts scene at large, I often find relevance in looking within my local community. My connection to the weaving community in Edmonton is a big part of how I contextualize my work. The Edmonton Weavers’ Guild has a history of being a major weaving hub, with lots of local experts. However, there are fewer and fewer younger weavers. I feel an urgency to learn as much as I can and help to preserve the knowledge that has been developed locally. This feels possible in part due to the tight knit community that comes from being in a smaller arts center, where there is crossover between academic arts communities and local weavers.  

Be sure to catch Kim McCollum in The Scene at your AGA in 2021 (stay tuned for our re-opening announcement).

Image courtesy the artist.

mall handwoven samples are kept in the library of the Edmonton Weavers' Guild. Carefully analyzing and deciphering the weaving code in these samples is a starting point for many of my artworks. The patterns are then inputted into a software program, digitally explored and manipulated, and then transferred in part to the painted surface 

Image courtesy the artist.

Kim McCollum’s practice is invested in the relationship between ancient craft practices, ‘women’s work’ and technology. Her work often incorporates the grid as a visual and conceptual link between the digital and analogue and hand and machine. McCollum is interested in the origins of computer coding in loom weaving, and in the central role women have played in both textile production and computer science. Through extensive work within weaving communities in Edmonton and around the world, she has been handed down patterns, techniques and stories that she records and interprets through painting. McCollum is also co-owner of Gather Textiles, a workshop space and community building initiative in North Edmonton.

(L-R) Kim McCollum, Linen Cross Warp I, 2020. Handwoven Paper, Hemp, Cotton, 11.5”x 18”. Tacit Warp, 2020. Handwoven silk and cotton, 15”x 18”. Linen Cross Warp IV, 2020. Handwoven paper, linen, silk, 12”x 12”. Linen Cross Warp III, 2020. Handwoven paper, linen, silk, 12”x 12”. Linen Cross Warp II, 2020. Handwoven Paper and Hemp, 11.5”x 16”. Linen Cross Warp V, 2020. Handwoven paper, linen, silk, 12”x12”. Courtesy of the Artist. Installation view of The Scene, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, 2021. Photo: Art Gallery of Alberta.

Hours

Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 11am-5pm
Thursday: 11am-7pm
Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-5pm

Admission

* Restrictions apply. Please see our Hours and Admissions page.

AGA members
$Free
Youth 0-17
$Free
Alberta students 18+
$Free
Out-of-province students
$10
General admission
$14
Seniors 65+
$10

Location

2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 2C1

780.422.6223
info@youraga.ca

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The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary  land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.