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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.

Morgan Melenka

Morgan Melenka's studio, courtesy the artist.

Morgan Melenka's studio, courtesy the artist.

This interview was conducted December 2020 for  'The Scene' (June 9-August 8, 2021).

Morgan Melenka

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

I’ve spent a good chunk of the last decade returning to Edmonton, I can’t seem to leave it for long, where the long winters and an intense work culture that permeates Alberta has led me to periods of intense productivity. Being an artist in Edmonton means night falling at 4pm and not noticing that somehow I’m still at the studio at 11pm - when it’s always night what difference is one hour or five tucked into the studio? Time doesn’t only behave strangely in the winter. In the summer too the days stretch on, and between our collective dedication to outdoor/transitory shows and the flurry of festivals there’s always work to be made. This sounds like the making for unhealthy and lonely studio hours, but it’s not. My studio has been at SNAP for many years, and I’m rarely alone in the studio -  the city has a dedication to making that I love. My favorite nights are when everyone is exhausted and as a group all break loose - there’s something magical about being part of the late night crew. Finally, and most importantly, being an artist working in Edmonton means being O.K. with operating saws outside in the freezing cold. It just comes with the territory. 

Morgan Melenka's work was featured in the past exhibition 'The Scene'  (June 9-August 8, 2021).

Morgan Melenka, 'The Scene'
Installation view of The Scene, Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, 2021. Photo: Art Gallery of Alberta.

 

Morgan Melenka was born in Edmonton and has contributed to the city’s art scene as both an artist and community organizer. Her practice is based in printmaking but she pushes the boundaries of this medium. She is interested in the artifice of our built environment and deconstructing often ignored and unexamined oddities of prefab architecture found in generic public spaces. She reproduces, modifies and misuses familiar architectural forms and materials to engage with public architecture. The resulting forms slip between sculpture, installation and printmaking to emphasize the imperfect veneer of modern built spaces.

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

Directions

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.