To get you in the mood for Alberta Culture Days coming your way September 26-28, we’ve rounded up some of the best artistic entertainment that Edmonton has to offer this weekend! Enjoy anything from art shows to live theatre to displays of new fashion!
Exciting Exhibitions
Toulouse-Lautrec and la Vie Moderne: Paris 1880-1910 | September 6 – November 16
The exhibition traces an important thirty-year period of modern French art with over 180 works including paintings, watercolours and drawings; posters designed by Lautrec and Pierre Bonnard, among others; illustrated programs and rare zinc shadow puppet silhouettes used in avant-garde shadow-theatre productions at the Chat Noir cabaret; and illustrated programs for circuses, cabarets and café-concerts documenting the activities of avant-garde artists. With Toulouse-Lautrec as its focus, and featuring the work of a generation of his contemporaries, this exhibition puts the art of famous Impressionists and Post Impressionists into context.
Art Gallery of Alberta | 2 Sir Winston Churchill Sq., 99 St. & 102A Ave. | 780-422-6223
Discovering Dinosaurs | September 18 – December 20
Few topics capture the collective imagination more than dinosaurs! Led by Dr. Philip Currie, the University of Alberta is home to one of the world’s best dinosaur research programs. This exhibit reveals the fascinating story of Alberta’s Cretaceous dinosaurs, showcasing hundreds of never-before-seen specimens, new discoveries, and recent U of A research. Can you dig it?
University of Alberta Enterprise Square Galleries | 10230 Jasper Ave. | 780-492-5834
Superb Shows
Kim’s Convenience | September 20 – October 11
This original play by Toronto playwright Ins Choi takes place entirely in the setting of a family-run convenience store, but packs in a lot of laughs and wry, tongue-in-cheek remarks. The premise is a familiar one: a Korean immigrant who, nearing retirement, wonders about the future of his modestly successful convenience store in Toronto when his children show no interest in succeeding him as owner. It’s funny and lighthearted, though it poses serious questions. You’ll be thoroughly entertained.
Citadel Theatre | 9828-101A Ave. | 780-425-1820
The Violet Hour | September 18 – 27
If you’re in town for the University of Alberta’s Alumni Weekend, catch the show at the Timms Centre while you’re on campus! In The Violet Hour, the glamour of New York in the “Gatsby” era sets the stage for this story about a young, eager publisher. The play takes a dark turn when he is forced to choose between publishing the work of two friends and — in A Christmas Carol-esque twist — has a supernatural vision of the consequences that he will face with either decision.
University of Alberta Studio Theatre (at Timms Centre for the Arts) | 112 St. & 87 Ave. | 780-420-1757
FolksWaggin’: Music of the People | September 5 – November 2
Catch the start of the Mayfield Dinner Theatre’s season with their first venture into the music and culture of folk! Inspired by the extraordinary artists from Edmonton’s Folk Festival throughout its evolution, FolksWaggin’ is a musical review that celebrates North American folk icons such as Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and so many more!
Mayfield Dinner Theatre | 16615-109 Ave. | 780-483-4051
Fun Fashion
Western Canada Fashion Week | September 18 – 27
Over 30 local and national designers showcase their latest and most innovative designs on the runway and highlight the season’s hottest trends. A variety of exciting competitions and challenges for designers, stylists, and hair and makeup artists to show off their skills also take place during this event.
ATB Financial Arts Barns | 10330-84 Ave. | 780-409-1910
