When Sidney Kelsie (1928—2000) retired from working as a house painter in 1979, this Edmontonian became an artist. He began to cut out decorative shapes in plywood, paint them with house paint and place them on his house, fence and in his yard. Soon Kelsie’s decorated home near Commonwealth Stadium became a local landmark that attracted many with its dizzying display of visual delight. Kelsie’s subject matter ranged from vibrantly coloured figures and common animals you would see in and around Edmonton, to aliens and mythical creatures, to completely abstract patterns in pastel colours. Drawn largely from local collections, this exhibition celebrates the joyful and wondrous work of a local folk art icon.
Sidney Kelsie is organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta, and curated by Lindsey Sharman and Danielle Siemens.
