The New Gallery
The New Gallery (TNG) is a non-commercial artist-run centre that presents and promotes contemporary art in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
TNG is funded by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, by grants from private organizations, and by donations from the public.
The initiating members, photographers Glen Oxenbury and Michael Feinburg, wanted to create an exhibition space for "alternative art forms, principally photography.
"[1] The Gallery, which also included the Sancious coffee house, officially opened at 516a 9th Avenue SW, Calgary, on March 15, 1975.
The expansion resulted in a de-emphasis on visual art and artists, and led to the suspension of the Gallery's Canada Council funding.
On April 21, 1987, fire swept through the Neilson Building, causing damage to OCC's space and to the exhibition displayed there at the time, Frank's Wild Years by artist Bart Habermiller.
At a 1992 conference of ANNPAC, the issue of diversity in the arts was brought to the fore by Minquon Panchayat, a coalition of First Nations and visible minority writers and artists.
[9] The issues of gender and race representation had a significant impact on the Gallery, with the Board of Directors deciding to give members of the Calgary chapter of Minquon Panchayat control over the 1992-93 exhibitions.
According to author Tomas Jonsson, the resulting programming "actively critiqu[ed] perceived disparities in both Canadian society and artist-run culture.
[10] Developed in their modern form by m. vänçi stirnneman in 1997, the concept of ATCs was brought to Calgary later that year by artist and former TNG employee Don Mabie.
[11] ATCs, small cards created in any media that are traded by producers, are often seen as a democratic, non-commercial way to participate in art.
[12] TNG hastily relocated to Eau Claire Market, a shopping mall located in downtown Calgary.
The location was considered a mixed blessing: while TNG's position in a mall potentially exposed it to a new audience, a non-commercial gallery seemed out of place in a commercial centre.
[13] The move to Eau Claire also located TNG at the very north end of downtown Calgary, away from the area known as the Cultural District, which stretches from approximately 5th Avenue SW to 9th Avenue SW, and from 3rd Street SE to 1st Street SW.[15] In light of its distance from other galleries, and given the potential for future disputes with mall management, the Board decided to relocate the Gallery.
[17] TNG's mandate, as listed on its website, is as follows: "Established in 1975, The New Gallery is an active artist-run centre for the presentation and promotion of contemporary art in Calgary.
Through exhibitions, performances, discussions and educational resources, The New Gallery stimulates critical discourse, recognizes diversity, develops collaborative networks and promotes a public appreciation of current art practices.
