War Stories 1917

Exhibition Details

War Stories 1917 focuses on the individuals who fought, died in, and contributed to the pivotal battles of 1917—Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele. The stories of these individuals are primarily told through artifacts used by or connected to these individuals, but to help bring these stories alive, contemporary artists, Jason Baerg, Dianne Bos, and Adrian Stimson present the battles of 1917 through their artistic practices. Jason Baerg illuminates the service of First World War veteran Mike Mountain Horse with a contemporary interpretation of Indigenous story telling and indigenous record keeping. Dianne Bos uses pin-hole photography to capture the 1917 battle fields as they appear today. Adrian Stimson has spent time researching Indigenous participation in the First World War in the Military Museum’s archive and has created a series of performances based on this research that will unfold over the course of the exhibition. War Stories 1917 brings 100 year old stories alive through the eyes and lenses of contemporary artists.

This initiative is made possible by the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between Calgary Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.