The University of Lethbridge opens a new exhibition this month in the Helen Christou Gallery. Notebook (art+People=x), which opened Jan. 6, is a curated selection of work 
produced by a diverse range of Lethbridge artists who responded to a call to engage with the U of L Art Collection.
The opening reception for the exhibition is Jan. 12 from 4-6 p.m.
The work was be produced following research in the collection and a series of workshops at the Bowman Arts Centre. The artists were restricted to written notes only, no sketches or visual prompts, when viewing the works in the collection and then created their own take on the concepts and imagery they encountered in this research based only on their memory and written notes.
In the main gallery, the Winnipeg Alphabestiary runs Jan 12- March 1, 2012.
Alphabestiaries (an alphabet with illustrations of various beasts) are closely associated with children's books, assisting a child's development in terms of language. Animals fascinate and delight, residing in our consciousness and in our imagination.
Winnipeg-based arts magazine Border Crossings commissioned The Winnipeg Alphabestiary, selecting 26 artists who call or have called Winnipeg "home."
The result is an impressive collection featuring work by many established artists such as Wanda Koop, Eleanor Bond, Aganetha Dyck, and Diana Thorneycroft; recent stars such as Marcel Dzama and Sarah Anne Johnson; and several who are gaining a reputation nationally such as Mélanie Rocan, Dominique Rey, Erica Eyres and Shaun Morin.
