Calgary’s Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts (TGVA) is unique to Alberta for its display of the most current contemporary art and cultural variety of artists. Along with offering cutting-edge exhibits, the gallery is committed to securing Canada’s place on the international art scene.

The gallery was established in 1988 by the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society (CCAS), a non-profit organization. They established Triangle Gallery to promote visual arts as an integral part of community life. The gallery’s name embodies this vision: “Triangle” refers to the structure’s architecture, but also to what curator Jacek Malec describes as the “Triple A’s” of art, artists and audience.

“The mandate of the Triangle Gallery is to present the very contemporary art, both Canadian and international,” says Malec. “Not only are we dealing with the visual arts, but with industrial and architectural design.”

Triangle strives to include all elements of contemporary art. When creating an exhibit, Malec enjoys compiling the works of artists from diverse backgrounds. “We’re looking for the broader spectrum of art in western Canada,” says Malec. “We feature the artists who have ties in Japan, in Germany, in England. Their culturally influenced images reflect the Canadian mosaic.”

The CCAS’s mission is to spread international awareness of this local talent. Triangle launched its first international campaign in 2000, when 26 leading contemporary Calgary and western Canadian artists were featured in prestigious galleries in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

Triangle maintained an international presence in the Czech Republic, Poland and the Republic of Slovakia from 2007 to 2009 with “Images & Reflections: The Artists’ Circle of Calgary,” a presentation of renowned Calgary-based visual artists. In November 2008 they broadened their reach by bringing their “Seven Canadian Sculptors” presentation to the Liu Haisu Art Museum’s 2008 Cultural Olympiad in Shanghai, China.

In the fall of 2009 the gallery returned to Poland at the 2009 International Triennial of Graphic Art with “Beyond Printmaking: Images in Objects — Experimental Printmaking in Western Canada.” This exhibit of eight experimental Canadian print artists was selected out of a group of nearly 300 as being a key international thematic exhibition dedicated to contemporary print art.

Their latest exhibition, entitled “Inhabiting Spaces,” will feature acclaimed Calgary-based artists from June to October 2010 in Poland, Portugal and Finland.

A look at the Triangle’s local spring lineup promises to be just as diverse.

On March 27, Triangle Gallery presents the Annual Home and Studio Tour 2010. The tour features four prominent Calgary-based artists and designers, as well as an art collector. “We’re presenting a neutral ground,” says Malec, “the opportunity to visit the artists’ homes and experience the art-making process first hand.”

From March 19 to April 28, Triangle focuses on key artists in Alberta’s early modernism with its “At the Crossroads” exhibit, showcasing the works of artists Helen Stadelbauer and Wes Irwin.  Featuring oil paintings, watercolors and works on paper, the exhibit delves into the artistic lives of two fundamental players in Calgary’s modern development.

Triangle also strives to showcases talent of all ages. From May 6 to 19 the gallery hosts its 23^rd Annual Exhibition of Children’s Art, featuring artists from ages three to16.“We treat them like professional artists from the very beginning — as little Picassos or van Goghs,” says Malec. “They are the future generation of our artists.” •

For more information visit trianglegallery.com.