Exhibitions

Taras Polataiko: DEFIANCE
May 26, 2023 – September 24, 2023
DEFIANCE features Ukrainian-Canadian artist Taras Polataiko, whose critique of cultural representation is in reaction to political instability attributed to the historic and current Russian aggression in Ukraine. Through video, painting, sculpture, photography and text, Polataiko revisits the ubiquity of Russian-Ukrainian conflict associated with l…
Read MoreShell Shocked: The Long Road to Recovery
May 30, 2023 – August 13, 2023
At the beginning of the First World War, mental illnesses and nervous conditions were believed to result from an individual’s “weak” mind or character, rather than a legitimate reaction to an overwhelming event. However, the evolution of the war with its mechanization and brutalization added a different dimension to the understanding and treatment…
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To Oldman River: New Additions to UCalgary’s Military Collection
November 8, 2022 – April 30, 2023
To Oldman River showcases significant new material in UCalgary’s Libraries and Cultural Resources’ holdings at The Military Museums (TMM). The exhibition includes firearms, uniforms, medals, relics and archival film from the mid 1800s through to the First World War, encompassing a massive swath of Alberta’s military history. Artefacts and archives…
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A Uniform Coat of Many Colours: Military Immigrants in Alberta
June 11, 2022 – September 11, 2022
A Uniform Coat of Many Colours: Military Immigrants in Alberta explores and presents diverse stories of immigrants in Alberta, who have undertaken military service in their countries of origin. Organized by The Military Museums, The Founders’ Gallery has collaborated by curating art components to visualize some of the compelling stories from around…
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Currencies of Conflict: University of Calgary Collections at The Military Museums
March 9, 2022 – May 23, 2022
Currencies are much more than monetary denominations. As means of establishing value that can circulate, exert influence, and be exchanged, currencies are influential concepts that also depict and precipitate conflict. Exemplifying this territory through the University of Calgary’s role at The Military Museums, Currencies of Conflict presents an as…
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Mission: Afghanistan
July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Mission: Afghanistan is a major bilingual traveling exhibit developed in partnership between The Military Museums in Calgary, and the Department of National Defence Directorate of History and Heritage in Ottawa. The exhibit discusses Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan from 2001-2014 and is based upon the experiences of Canadians who serve…
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Tensile Strength: Weavers and War
July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Tensile Strength: Weavers and War showcases intriguing forms of carpet-making known as Afghan War Rugs. Mounted to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, and curated by Michele Hardy, PhD, all exhibits come from the textile holdings at Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary. These iconic forms of material culture first appeared after the…
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They Never Talked About It: Untold Stories WW II
June 15, 2020 – March 31, 2021
2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, affording opportunities for reflection on the world’s largest conflagration, and the manner in which art and heritage can recalibrate humanity in times of crisis. They Never Talked About It: Untold Stories WW II details Canada’s wartime involvement across multiple continents and c…
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Steven Nunoda: Ghostown
February 7, 2020 – April 13, 2020
This solo exhibition is based on Nunoda’s research into Japanese-Canadian internment during World War II, addressing social, familial and personal fallout. Comprising a large-scale sculptural installation, Nunoda explores questions of culture, memory and community, supported by an adjunct interpretive exhibit organized by Founders’ Curatorial Coord…
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Daughters of Uranium, an exhibition by Mary Kavanagh
September 27, 2019 – January 26, 2020
On July 16, 1945, when the United States detonated the world’s first atomic bomb, the atmospheric radiation released by this event marked the beginning of the what is now called the Nuclear Anthropocene. In this exhibition, artist Mary Kavanagh engages different modes of representation, structuring the Nuclear as a totalizing concept rather than as…
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