Modernization in Meiji Japan (1868-1912)

Images of Changing Architecture, Transportation and Wars

April 22 – August 28, 2016 | Pollard Gallery | Curated by Barry Till

Meiji woodblock prints are fascinating in that they reveal to us a country in total transition. During the short period of Emperor Meiji’s reign (1868-1912) of nearly 45 years, Japan made an astonishingly swift metamorphosis from a feudal state into a modern…

Nanga

Literati Painting of Old Japan

April 9 – June 26, 2016 | Curated by Barry Till | Founders Gallery 

It was only in the 18th century that the literati style Chinese Southern School painting of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911), came to be studied on a regular basis in Japan. The works that resulted in Japan were called bunjinga (paintings in…

Water + Pigment + Paper

Experiments in Watercolour from the AGGV Collection

Curated by Michelle Jacques and Nicole Stanbridge | Centennial and Ker Galleries | January 30 – May 23, 2016

How do you define watercolour? While it is one of the more challenging mediums to work with, it has at times throughout history been seen as a medium of leisure, used for studies or sketches, or as a precursor…

Sosaku Hanga

Japan's Creative Print Movement

January 16 – April 17, 2016 | Pollard Gallery | Curated by Barry Till

During the early 20th century, Japanese artists studying in Europe discovered that many internationally acclaimed Western artists handled all aspects of the printmaking process from the first sketch to the last pull of the print. This discovery had a profound effect on…

Paƛšiʔaƛma (The Fire is Just Starting)

Klehwetua, Rodney Sayers and Emily Luce

January 14 – May 15, 2016 | Curated by Michelle Jacques | The LAB

Paƛšiʔaƛma (The Fire is Just Starting) is a new work by Port Alberni artists Klehwetua, Rodney Sayers and Emily Luce. Constructed from local, rough-cut cedar and fir from two Port Alberni mills, the artists re-sawed and dressed their material before incorporating it into their beautifully…

Recent Asian Art Acquisitions

(2013-2015)

November 27 – April 3, 2016 | Founders Gallery | Curated by Barry Till

Patronage of the arts is a very noble act. Throughout its history, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has received a remarkable number of Asian art donations, which in terms of numbers is now approximately 43-44% of the entire collection. Every few years,…

Case Studies:

Decorative Art from the Collection

November 7 – June 5, 2016 |  Drury Gallery | Curated by Michelle Jacques 

As we look forward to our future in a new building with its new spaces in which to display our rich holdings, Case Studies provides an opportunity to examine some of the remarkable objects of material culture in the Gallery’s collection. An exhibition…

The Artist Herself:

Self-Portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artists

Organized and circulated by the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the Art Gallery of Hamilton
Co-curated by Alicia Boutilier and Tobi Bruce | Pollard Gallery

Spanning pre-Confederation colonialism to the cusp of second-wave feminism, The Artist Herself brings to light a rich but underexplored aspect of Canadian culture. Drawing upon our fascination with self-portraits, The Artist Herself expands the genre’s definition by…

Anna Banana:

45 Years of Fooling Around with A. Banana

By popular demand, we have extended this exhibition until January 10, 2016!

Curated by Michelle Jacques and Helen Marzolf (Director, Open Space Art Society) | Ker, Centennial and LAB Galleries | Organized by the AGGV in collaboration with the Open Space Art Society

A distinctive voice in the fields of conceptual, performance and mail-art, Anna Banana is a pioneer of…