Old School opens today at 1pm!

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Today from 1 - 5pm: Art exhibition! Book launch! All-ages party!

UPPERCASE gallery invites the public to a grand opening celebration of Old School. The "Old School" theme celebrates the aesthetics of twentieth century education through an art exhibition and companion book, as well as curated back-to-school stationery and unique objects. It is inspired by vintage flash cards, wooden desks, biology class, science fairs, crayons, card catalogs, textbooks, lunchboxes, gym class, maps, lockers, report cards, film strips, recess, chalk... and the list goes on!

In addition to drawing, painting and collage, we will be exploring old school technology such as typewriters, film projections and polaroid photography. The exhibition features 80 local and international artists and runs until September 30.

In honour of this theme, UPPERCASE gallery has been transformed into an old-fashioned elementary school classroom equipped with school desks, vintage maps, a globe of the world, chalkboards, anatomy models, an abacus and many more authentic artifacts of school day’s past. The exhibition is so large that we have enlisted our neighbour, One Blue Wall Gallery, who will become the principal’s office! 

Please join us Saturday August 23, 1 - 5pm for a special opening day party and book launch. Children of all ages and the young-at-heart will be treated to old-fashioned refreshments. Participating artists will be on hand to sign your Old School book. Guests can pose for a polaroid class photo, make simple jewellery with their initials, and type old school memories on vintage typewriters. Don’t forget to pick up our freshly-printed book,  signature pink erasers and Old School pencils as keepsakes of the show.   

We encourage party-goers to bring their old school style to the event. Demonstrate your school spirit by dressing up as your favorite old school character. Have an old lab coat tucked away in the attic? Fancy dusting off those pom poms? Still fit into your school uniform? We love librarians, cheerleaders, teachers, jocks, preppies,  janitors, junior scientists, geeks, mathletes and the whole school crew. Hope to see lots of you in costume at the big event and we’ll award a prize for most school spirit.

Type Tuesday: Derek Beaulieu

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Chains: Derek Beaulieu

OPENS THIS THURSDAY AT UPPERCASE
Private reception May from 5-7pm
Open to the Public from 7-9pm
May 1-30, 2008

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derek beaulieu is the author of 4 books, the most recent, Chains is a collection of letraset visual poems. Continuously pushing the boundaries and restrictions of the “regular life” of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, beaulieu'’s work underscores the playfulness of language and challenges the way readers have come to expect letters to behave. Using techniques that combine graphic design, fine art and experimental writing, beaulieu opens up new ways of approaching and interpreting poetry. Author, editor, publisher, translator, illustrator and sessional instructor at the University of Calgary, derek beaulieu has been published and exhibited internationally.

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(portrait by Kevin McPherson)

Call for submissions

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Mike and Renata suggested "Little Critters" as the theme for April, so we are looking for submissions. Send us a link or a jpg of your little critter – whether an illustration or sewn toy or other, by this coming Monday. This is a quick impromptu exhibition - the show goes up April 1st! More details on request.

Here are some fantastic creatures by Darling Clementine out of Norway. These are greeting cards that I will be ordering for the shop, and hopefully will arrive in time for the Little Critters show.

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Suggestions? Ideas? Proposals?

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Yesterday was great - thanks to everyone who visited, left comments, sent emails and wished us well.

Over the next month, I will be incredibly busy with Work/Life (the latest UPPERCASE publication in the works) and some client projects (yes, I know I said I wasn't going to take on as many, but I just can't say no to a good job... expecially when a trip to New York City and the National Stationery Show is in the works!) This busy schedule has left me without any time to plan a gallery show for the month of April. So I am sending the call out for help.

Ideas, anyone?

Trio Magnus Book Review

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by Frances Ewington

Oh, a peaceful Saturday afternoon with the art of Trio Magnus. The testosterone-filled Canadian artists Clayton Hanmer, Aaron Leighton, and Steve Wilson have finally published the inner workings of their warped sketchbooks.

As I flip among the bright pages of 'Equally Superior' I am forced to come face to face with the mind diarrhea of these feisty, brew-drinking Canuck boys and their collective works of sketched vomit. That introduction may sound like I don't approve of this book. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I love this book! Who wouldn't want to spend an hour exposing one's eyes to the loud chaos of fart-man scribbles, Jesus-freak pictures and ass-picking perverts. This book puts life into perspective in a totally warped way: How can you be sad when that poor alligator is trapped in a space suit, aimlessly floating in an abyss of tongue-slurping space ships? How can you be scared when Cappy Wilso isn't afraid to don a cape and brave fully exposing his Johnson to save the dehydrated grass? How can you be vain when every character in this book is uglier, more disgusting, and stupider than you in every possible way? At least you don't don the ancient symbol for retard on your head! This is the feel-good read of the year, especially because there isn't much to read but so much to read into. I hope those who find power in being offended find this book empowering. I hope those who can't draw are encouraged to try it. I hope these warped artists sell all their books. I hope little children everywhere never get their hands on this wonderful piece of filth.

And for all the rest I say: if a turd going for a jog in fubar pants doesn't make you smile then nothing will.

Aaron's Sketchbook

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Thank you, Aaron, for coming to Calgary for the Trio Magnus opening. We all enjoyed seeing you! (Thank you, Anne and Koyama Press, for making this possible.) Aaron's on a plane back to Toronto, but I took some pictures of his sketchbook before he left. I'm also making an animation of the collaborative drawing piece being made on Saturday - I'll post it as soon as I can.

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TYPE BLOCK update

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Our Type Block project is going well. We've got 28 participants from all over contributing to the Flickr pool. This submission, above, is by Alan Campbell (Kentigern) from Glasgow, Scotland. He has some amazing photo sets worth checking out. You can join the group here. (You can sign up for a free Flickr account if you don't already have one.)

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Two Doug Frasers: Last chance!

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There are just two Doug Fraser drawings left. I'm offering FREE SHIPPING if they are purchased today. Otherwise, I will be sending them back to Doug on Friday.

Jesus & Poote 1, alkyds on paper, matted and framed has just been spoken for. Thank you!
Merc, alkyds on paper, matted and framed, $400

Please call 403-283-5318 or email info (at) uppercasegallery.ca if you are interested. We are open until 9pm tonight for Art Central's big shopping night.