The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) unveiled today the new look, and new experience, that will characterize the Gallery well past its opening in January 2010. 

The new logo is the acronym for the Art Gallery of Alberta, AGA, presented as overlapping letters of vivid tones of orange, red and green. The logo is made up of three identical elements: a trio of lower case “a” characters with one inverted to become a “g.” This simple shift creates a new entity that encourages new ways of looking and connecting. 





“Our vibrant logo reflects the personality and direction of the new AGA. By using themes of surprise, openness, innovation and connection, it reinforces our renewed commitment to bringing together art, people and ideas,” says Gilles Hébert, AGA Executive Director. 

Designed by Edmonton-based Vision Creative Inc., the logo is based on brand research findings on the public’s perception of the Gallery, as well as the AGA’s re-envisioned approaches to programming and engaging existing and new audiences. 

“Exhibitions and programs at the new AGA will provoke, inspire and surprise. The AGA will be a place where people of all ages can connect with art, artists and ideas in an atmosphere intended to stir the imagination and encourage creativity and critical thinking,” says Catherine Crowston, AGA Deputy Director/Chief Curator. 

The new AGA will be a forum for the discussion of ideas in the public realm, through initiatives such as artists’ and idea forums, visiting lecturers, art history classes. The AGA hopes to support the interdisciplinary nature of the local arts community through the incorporation of film and performance-based programming into its activities. A diverse array of exciting public programs for families, youth and adults, ranging from hands-on art activities, guided tours and late night events will be offered through out the year. 

The AGA’s exhibitions reflect the diversity of media and conceptual approaches that exist within art today. Through this range of exhibitions, Alberta audiences have the opportunity to see significant work by artists from around the world as well as the work of Alberta artists through such projects as the Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art and the RBC New Works Gallery initiative. 

In the new building, the AGA’s exhibition programming focus will expand to feature more international exhibitions produced in partnership with Canadian and international museums. The AGA curatorial staff will continue to develop original exhibitions for Alberta audiences that will also tour to national and international museums. 

Inaugural exhibitions include major works by Edgar Degas and Francisco Goya, celebrated Canadian photographers Yousuf Karsh and Edward Burtynsky internationally renowned Canadian artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. 

The new AGA opens on January 31, 2010 with a two-day free public event. Timed tickets will be issued to accommodate the large numbers anticipated and to ensure quality visits. AGA Members will receive advance access to the limited timed-tickets.

The Langley Academy, designed by Foster + Partners, is being officially opened today by Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE. It is an exemplar of sustainable design, a theme which is showcased by the building itself. The first academy to specialize in museum learning, it also highlights rowing, cricket and science in its curriculum. 

With an enclosed full-height atrium at the heart of the three-storey building, the social life of the school revolves around this assembly space for 1,100 students. A recurrent element in several other of Foster + Partners’ academy buildings, the atrium is defined by a sense of transparency and openness – like a gallery of learning – which in this case also resonates with the museum theme. Inside the atrium there are three yellow drums raised above the floor on circular columns. These two-storey pods house the Academy’s ten science laboratories, reinforcing the importance of science teaching. A dedicated sports and culture block contains specialist facilities for music and drama including a fully equipped theatre, a TV and sound recording studio, soundproofed practice rooms and a rehearsal space, sports hall and lecture theatre. The academy’s two light and airy covered streets extend from the atrium and are lined with 38 classrooms. 

The environmental features save 20% in water consumption and approximately 150 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to a traditional academy and are used in the teaching of science and environmental issues. Students can see the solar collectors on the roof and the workings of the exposed plant room, as well as the network of pipes that illustrate how energy is generated and carried through the building. Rain water is collected and stored and grey water filtered for reuse in sanitation and irrigation; a system of horizontal louvers provides shade; and the building has been configured to allow out-of-hours use by the wider community, ensuring its sustainability over time. Foster + Partners and Buro Happold collaborated on the environmental design. 

Nigel Dancey, a senior partner and design director at Foster + Partners said, “Environmental performance and appearance are indivisible at The Langley Academy. The school pioneers a revolutionary new educational concept which draws on the theme of museums and galleries, so that the school itself is like an exhibit, with its physical manifestation a showcase and educational tool for environmental design.”