High Society

At long last we approach the Art Gallery of Alberta with the intent of actually going inside. First, we take a moment to look from afar at the completed structure. My daughter has been watching its development for most of her life! A few times a week we'd pass by and she'd name all of the landmarks of downtown; "City Hall, Churchill Square, Library, New Art Gallery. But it not finished yet right Mama? When they going to be finished? We don't know, we just watch it. One day, not today...." - her running commentary.
The day has finally come where we may finally peek inside the projet complet! The night before, my child told me she didn't want to go to the Art Gallery, that she just wanted to stay home & play. In the morning, however, she bounded into my bed hoisting me up declaring I must get ready for the Art Gallery. Our adventure for the day.
We jaunt up the steps with my enthused little girl in hand. She leapt up by my side with an adoring excited smile up in my direction and in the door we go.
The 70 yr old woman holding up the line to have an in depth discussion about the new gallery all the while being told that even though she doesn't have a 'free ticket printed out' why doesn't she just proceed in to a free guided tour. "Yes, right that way Ma'am, and you'll learn all you ever wanted to know about the new Art Gallery of Alberta." (or something like that, says the friendly door usher). Thank goodness, now we can get in the door & make our pre-arranged time slot. Did you not see the immense crowd of people all around you 70 yr old lady? Nevermind, you are 70 and we politely gave you all the time in the world. A 50 yr old mom dressed up in her Picasso blouse that she probably saved, perhaps even purchased, especially for this occasion. Clever her for she also had on very sensible shoes. Not that I am one to critique another's footwear, that is a personal prerogative. Cement floors you know.
Oh sweet, there's that god be damned push-up man, stepping around the corner of a wall so that he is not visible to HALF of the room and then inserting napkins in his armpits. I thought of walking over to his half exposed uncouth self, shoving him up against the garbage can & spitting on him, just as he had done to my partner at one of the city's PRIDE events. Loser. He fished around all the closed doors, blocked off hallways & chatted up a staff member to try to get into, what he thought was probably, the special rooms.

The Art Gallery of Alberta. It is every Albertan's gallery afterall, even ours. Which is why I really must commend the gallery staff for making us feel so so SO welcomed there. In light of a recent excursion to "a museum, don't you know" (claimed one audaciously rude employee), I was a little guarded about the AGA's potential reaction to my child being in tow. She was embraced! As was I. Now, of course, she was on decent behaviour. She was initially stunned by the newness of it all (& the fear that this building might not meet her criteria for the need of stairs as opposed to elevators), she was wowed into silence. Seemingly impressed by the process of it all; all the people, checking our coats ("maybe I should carry mine, will they give it back?",says the child), lining up and studying the photographs of the gallery's construction history. She was remembering, reminiscing! It was fantastic, this was HER Art Gallery too.
You know what? Every step of the way she was greeted with respect & interest. The AGA representatives took their time to ensure that this 4 year old impressionable mind was given their positive attention, was given something to be interested in during HER walk through the Gallery. Every single AGA staff member we passed, even casually, acknowledged her with welcome. I could take lessons from them!!
And when the time came that she was starting to lose her patience, feeling hungry, thirsty, overwhelmed with the need to go sit somewhere & process this event ... the staff was right there to help us get through it successfully. "Can you find the one photograph with the 2 kitties in it?", asked one helpful woman. I was floored. I don't expect staff to parent or entertain my child but it was such a drastic difference from what we had experienced a week prior when visiting the Muttart Conservatory, where we were asked to quiet the laughing children down (in the common area!!!!) because there was "a very 'important' meeting taking place" on the other side of the glass partition. What is so bleeping important that children can't enjoy themselves in a public place. A place of Winter reprieve I might add! The children were tickled to be amongst the paradise like atmosphere, filled with warmth, green, flowers, aromas, pure beauty. They were absolutely and purely elated. I might also add that the other patrons were even charmed by the children's enjoyment. Why shouldn't they be, the paradise had its desired effect! On all of us. Huh, well almost all of "us".

Anyway, let me get back to the AGA...the lovely all accommodating AGA. Aside from the feeling of welcoming solidarity given us by the Art Gallery of Alberta, the gallery is fantastic! I must say that I am not a fan of the building exterior design, it just really doesn't fit Edmonton, to me. However, once inside, it was impossible not to be seduced by its bends and folds leading you to undiscovered experiences. I did feel like I was in a "world class art gallery". It reminded me somewhat of Tate Modern in London, UK. The only unimpressive part to me was the lack of a cosy place for tea. A hockey rink-like snack bar in the dingy basement did not leave me with a pleasant 'cherry on top' impression.
Nevertheless, the gallery's spiritual-like stairwell ascent was delightful. The first exhibit physically moving, I can't wait to return to The Murder of Crows for the full effect. A man laid on the floor, listening, feeling. I want to do that. Could I? Would I? I appreciated the warning for those with children and the possible inappropriateness; too loud really, for babes. Intrusive for them.
The Karsh photographs were breathtaking, and the surrounding photography elements & information were charming. I can't wait to get into that one some more too. My daughter did enjoy this one quite a bit. She asked about quite a few of the portraits & who they were. And she listened attentively while I told her. At one point she ran to a photograph of Glenn Gould exclaiming "oh Mama, its James Barrie! Is it him?" I said "um yes, good eye honey! :)". She started to wane at Degas, fair enough, we did have to wait for some time in the back stairwell for the preceding tour to finish. Popular exhibit apparently. And the children's art room was, all the while, in plain view. We whisked through Degas and spent probably an hour in the children's art room, properly named BMO World of Creativity: Play on Architecture. A brilliant space for children of all ages, disappointingly small I thought and linear? monotonous? pigeon hole-ish? But then again, I am not a child and mine had no problem getting creative in that space! As did the other children we encountered. The staff in that particular room were genuinely interactive with us. This room was not popular with the critical mass so we were able to enjoy it at leisure.

The most unfortunate part of our experience there had nothing to do with the AGA itself, see I was "skirt'n a migraine" that usurped my entire body as the day went on.
The second most unfortunate part, a reminder that we are, indeed, still in the inner city. While waiting for the public transit to take us home, a coupla dudes were frisked down by the police a few paces from the bus stop. Fortunately, with some effort, I was able to shield the child from this. We get on the bus, three drunk dudes stumble on with their clothes half off & unzipped etc. They get off at the same stop as us, the public library. One says to the other two that he just has to check his "Facepuss". Nice.

But for a time, I was somewhere else. And though I had to shelter my child from parts of the day, (none of it involving the AGA personnel) she was able to be in it too. IN ART.