ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The Alberta Society of Artists is pleased to present a solo exhibition featuring the work of Alberta artist Mary Whale, ASA.

This exhibition coincides with the play “Amigo’s Blue Guitar” by Joan MacLeod, which runs February 7-17, 2024, at the Walterdale Theatre, 10322 83 Ave. NW, Edmonton Alberta. 

There will be a public opening on Tuesday, February 6, 7-8 pm followed by a free preview of Walterdale’s production of ‘Amigo’s Blue Guitar’. The exhibition is free and open to the public when the theatre is open. 

“The term Wabi Sabi connotes such qualities as impermanence​, humility, asymmetry and imperfection in things. The way we, as people, age is not unlike that of a revered piece of pottery that has survived the ravages of use; the cracks to be filled with gold. The ‘beauty of use’ can be witnessed in old people; the patina, the textures, and the incredible lines.”

– Mary Whale, ASA

The Artist – Mary Whale, ASA

About

Mary grew up on a small acreage just outside of Edmonton. She later acquired degrees in the arts and nursing at the University of Alberta, travelled the world, and gave birth to three daughters, the latter of which was truly life-altering. Mary has been both a practicing artist and nurse for most of her adult life. She has found them to be mutually rewarding professions with intersecting and permeable boundaries – informing each other in subtle ways. Mary expresses herself through the direct and personal connection of commission pieces, which helps build her studio portfolio. Most recently, she has been exploring the therapeutic potential of the portraiture process, specifically as it applies to the latter part of life and the aging aesthetic. She has participated in the “Artists on the Wards” program at the University of Alberta Hospital and is a current member of the Alberta Society of Artists, the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, and the Federation of Canadian Artists.

Artist Statement

As an artist, I am moved by the titillating nature of asymmetry and imperfection of the ageing process. I seek the beauty, the poignancy, the drama, and the authenticity in all my subjects. People as subject matter are of special interest to me. I believe each person has a basic need to maintain dignity despite the circumstances of their lives. The complexity of combining the physical and psychological elements of characters has infinite possibilities for artistic expressions.