Tag Archives: Culture

Inverting the Lens

June 6 – July 30, 2009

Legacy Maltwood (at Mearns Centre – McPherson Library)

Curated by Robbyn Gordon Lanning

This exhibit features photography by the al Manaja’as, a Bedouin family of the Howeitat trib from Humayma, Jordan. In collaboration with UVic Graduate student, Robbyn Gordon Lanning, members of the al Manja’a family take images of their community, family and daily life. These images are key to investigating how the al Manaja’as see photography as a way of documenting their lives and experiences for themselves, their families, and for cultural outsiders.

As residents of Humayma, a region of great historical cultural exchange, members of the al Manaja’a family possess complex relationships with photography. The family has spent many years cultivating personal photographic albums comprised of images made by visiting cultural outsiders, and more recently, have participated as representatives of the Humayma community through photographic exhibits created for local museum spaces. These exhibits, co-currated by Robbyn Gordon Lanning, brought together Ms. Gordon and the al Manaja’a family together through their shared interest in photography. The relationship formed during this initial project acted as a catalyst inspiring their most recent collaborative research.

The photographs featured in this exhibition were created by members of the al Manaja’a family to describe their experiences of community, place, family, relationship and identity as seen through their own lenses.

Shashin: Japanese Canadian Studio Photography to 1942

April 21 – June 22, 2005

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

Curated by Grace Eiko Thomson, from the Nekkei National Museum and Cultural Centre

This exhibition looks back through a period of almost fifty years of history, through the eyes of Japanese Canadian studio photographers who operated in Cumberland, New Westminster, and Vancouver, BC. The studio images reveal subjects from a diversity of communities: European, Chinese, Japanese and African-American immigrants are all depicted, not the province’s lite and workers.

This project was funded by the Community-University Research Alliance.

Madhubani Folk Art from India

July 8 – August 9, 2002

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

Madhubani painting, also known as Mithila painting, has its origins in the Madubani district of Bihar, northern India. This was traditionally a woman’s ritual art composed of geometrical forms and magico-religious symbols, which were handed down through generations from mother to daughter. Originally painted on mud and dung plastered walls and floors to invoke the blessings of the goddess, or inscribed on bridal chamber walls to endow newly wedded couples with fertility. Madhubani painting today has retained many of its traditional elements, but has also undergone a transformation.

This exhibit is divided into three sections: The first part reveals the skillful and intricate line drawing of the Kayasth tradition. The second shows the colourful work of the Brahmin school, which specializes in depicting scenes from Hindu mythology, and specifically images of the beloved goddesses Kali, Durga, and Gauri. The third group, the Dusadh or Tattoo school, not only derives inspiration from ancient tattoo motifs, but also from Dusadh mythology and rural life.

Visual Transition

August 23 – November 8, 2001

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

An exhibition of 12 Mexican artists who are living in B.C; comprised of a collection of ceramics, paintings, textiles, photographs and sculptures. This collection of works is flavoured with traditional Mexican artistic influence, flowing with a theme of brilliant colours, movement and culture, but at the same time tainted with solitude.

The Art of the Ainu

July 14 – August 16, 2001

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

An exhibition featuring art and craft works of the Ainu people of Japan and will include a selection of musical instruments, textiles and jewellery. The Ainu culture is believed to be one of the oldest and perhaps the original culture group living on the islands before people began migrating there from China and Korea. Over the past century the Ainu have struggled vehemently to resist assimilation into Japanese society and to maintain their own culture and traditions.

Twelve Ainu artists have recently come to Canada to participate in this year’s Tribal Journey project with the Kwaguilth and Esquimalt Nations. Together they are carving two 50-foot traditional canoes. The canoe carving represents the restoration of Aniu culture as well as a keeping with the tradition and the strengthening of an identity.

From India: 28 Contemporary Artists present New Graphic Work

February 6 – March 27, 1994

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

Curated by Baruna Bhattacharjee

View the online catalogue:

From India – Catalogue

A Victoria Commonwealth Games Arts & Cultural Festival Event.

Co-sponsored by CIMA (Centre of International Modern Art), Calcutta.

With the exhibition From India: 28 Contemporary Artists present New Graphic Work CIMA launches an ambitious programme of promoting the best of Indian Contemporary Art. Internationally represented are the works of 28 leading Graphic Artists whose works reflect the different stylistic trends and influences shaping contemporary art in India today. Art in India is both Modern and Indian – confident and yet exploring.

Mingel: Japan’s Enduring Folk Arts

January 14 – February 25, 1990

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

This travelling exhibition from the collection of Amaury Saint-Gilles, a noted art and craft critic and lecturer, originated from the Cartwright Gallery in Vancouver. The exhibit is comprised of 115 examples of Japanese folk craft ranging from hand woven textiles to ceramics and papier mache toys.

Alberta Indian Arts and Crafts

September 25 – November 10, 1988

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

Fine art as well as craftwork shall be on display in this exhibition of Native creations. The individual artisans contribute from 83 separate communities in Alberta, some from Metis settlements and Indian reserves, and are of various bands, including the Blackfoot, Sarcee, Stony, Plains Cree, Woodlands Cree, Chipewyan, Beaver and Slavey.

Separate from the World: Meetings with Doukhobor Canadians in British Columbia

November 7 – December 1, 1985

Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

Moving and frank photographs representing Doukhobors in their current community setting. This work by Robert Minden addresses the sadness at the loss of an idealistic way of life. The collection represents a six year visual and aural study that documents the vestiges of a disappearing community; these stories were presented through black and white photographs with accompanying texts.

Canadians: A National Photography Show about People

July 7 – July 31, 1980

Maltwood Art Gallery

A national juried show of black and white photography organized by Nova Scotian photographer Peter Barass and Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery Director Mary Sparling. The exhibit focuses on Canadian people, and the photographs make a statement about the relationship of people to each other and their environment. While there are some traditional portrait-style photographs, many include subjects who did not know they were being photographed.