Learn Something Old at the Glenbow Museum!

The Glenbow Museum is simply one of the best places to visit in Calgary, and I’m not saying this just because I’m currently pursuing a History degree or because I am an amateur artist, but because there is always something amazing for everyone in one of the many exhibits at the Glenbow Museum. The Glenbow Museum displays over 80 incredible Asian sculptures, houses the oldest mineral in the world and is home to over 28,000 works of art in its collection. This museum presents, in a combination of astounding artifacts and art pieces, the amazing culture and heritage of Western Canada, while providing glimpses of extraordinary societies and cultures around the world. One of the largest museums in Canada, the Glenbow Museum houses an art gallery, a museum, library and archives containing a broad collection of historical documents, all under one roof.

Climbing up the massive spiral staircase, circling around a most impressive and  illuminate standing crystal sculpture, WeiJia (a fellow blogger) and I clambered up to the second floor which displayed the exhibits of modernist art, historical art and the “Many Faces, Many Paths: Art of Asia” exhibit. The modernist art collection displays the modernist era from the early 20th century up to 1938. Dynamically arranged, over 80 works of art feature the styles from realism to abstraction.  WeiJia and I were particularly enthralled by Emily Carr’s piece Among the Fir. We were immediately drawn to the artist’s passion of the depiction of the majesty of the BC rainforest, evoking the elements of vibrancy and unity. The Historical Art exhibit ranges from the 18th century to the early 20th century and features the themes of fur trading, First Nations, landscape and portraits, with remarkable juxtapositions of style, interpretation and size.

The Glenbow Museum also features a world-renowned Asian gallery showcasing simply breathtaking and extraordinary Asian sculptures that have stood the test of time and have retained their beauty after centuries. It represents the artistic heritage of Asian Canadians, and builds connections to a diverse culture and communities. WeiJia and I were in awe of the many grand sculptures sitting in serene positions or carrying curious objects. A large sculpture of Buddha sat in the lotus position, in the form of meditation, on the far side of the exhibit. Hindu gods and goddesses are depicted with many arms, eyes and heads. This symbolizes their gods superhuman power and wisdom. Their many heads display the different moods they may feel and present the different things that the  gods and goddesses may do. Protecting and preserving their culture from temptations and enemies, the sculptures bore fearsome appearances or the serene faces of those enlightened.

The third floor explores Alberta’s past, showcasing the Mavericks exhibition of adventurous and spirited men and women. WeiJia and I strolled along and into neon lighted soda shops, as both of us reveled in the atmosphere of swing and rural villages with jukeboxes and old fashioned model milkshakes. We smiled as we walked down a path that took us into a rumbling railway train compartment, the polished wooden floor rumbling beneath our feet, and imagined ourselves as passengers as we sat in the high backed, cushioned seats. Large old fashioned canvas wagons, gas stations, and a massive, life sized plane greeted us and set an atmosphere  of wonder in a simple, rural lifestyle of Calgarians. Celebrating Aboriginal culture, WeiJia and I moved in towards the marvelously large tipi, and stared in awe at the construction of  tightly strapped hide around a huge bundle of sharpened poles.

The Fourth floor displayed a rather incredible exhibit of “Warriors: A Global Journey Through Five Centuries.” WeiJia and I were both excited in viewing the warfare that each culture engaged in, the people that fought fearlessly and bravely. Both of us were quite knowledgeable in this area of history, and had spent some time in this exhibit, drinking in the fantastic approaches each culture took to war.  A stimulating presentation of armour, swords, fire arms, flags, war medal featured the First Nations of the Plains, Samurais, Medieval Europeans, and many contemporary cultures, including artifacts from World War I and World War II. I could not stop observing in awe at the large diorama that allowed visitors of the Glenbow Museum a look into the shaping of weapons and a black smith’s shop in Medieval Europe. Large mannequins were dressed in garbs of blacksmiths, kings and knights, complete with realistic models of a large fiery hearth and a blackened anvil. War medals instigated the imagery of machine guns firing rapidly, creating a fearful atmosphere. Victory and losses, enemies and comrades and battlefields raged in my head as I threw myself completely into the lifestyles of fearless heroes. We also peered into a model of a battled of painted miniatures on a makeshift battlefield, including General Napoleon’s infamous battle at Waterloo.

The featured exhibit at the Glenbow Museum was the James Henderson exhibit, “The Man who Paints the Old Men.” Born in Glagsow, Scotland, Henderson established himself as a painter of the landscapes that were around him – that of the Qu’Appelle Valley, and the First Nations people living there. Henderson’s work illustrates the changes but also the preserved landscapes of the First Nations. His paintings bring a greater understanding of Western Canadian Art, and WeiJia and I reveled in the beautiful scenery and the majesty of the First Nations in portraits.

All in all, both of us immensely enjoyed what the museum offered and their glimpses into the past. Whether it was taking a double look at a photograph depicting a flaming igloo, questioning what we consider our Canadian identity, or the first piece of art we saw walking into the Glenbow Museum, an art piece of propaganda with light thrown on a celebrated war general, I recommend for all to revel and to step into the past. History, despite popular notions, is an ever changing study with new discoveries that can shape the future. Come out and see the current exhibit by Brian Eno, a celebrated artist and musician, in “77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno!”