Two dozen artists made a pilgrimage to Banff’s Canada House Gallery on Nov. 22 to celebrate an anniversary milestone for a true home to Canadian contemporary art.
“Today we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary,” Canada House Gallery co-owner Barbara Pelham said. “We have been here in this location for 40 years, my parents opened the gallery in 1974 and I worked in it as a kid growing up and officially my husband and I took it over in 2000.”
Canada House Galley currently showcases 50 painters, 20 sculptors, plus Inuit art.
Pelham’s father, Peter McCaffrey, was present to celebrate the institution he first created with his wife Marika.
“It feels wonderful, we’ve had a long road and it’s been a good road,” McCaffrey said. “When we first started Canada House it wasn’t much of a gallery because we only had the front part by the stairs and we were limited to that space for the first 20 years, and 20 years ago we were finally able to show a much larger variety of art and as you can see, much bigger pieces.”
The 24 artists present for the anniversary party hailed from across Canada, with members present from Quebec, Salt Spring Island, Victoria, Vancouver, Regina, Kelowna, East Kootenays, Edmonton, Calgary, Bragg Creek and Canmore.
“The event is an opportunity to meet and show love for the art, enjoy the art and share the art and we’re just so grateful – it’s a true celebration and we’re honoured that we’ve had support from locals, artists and gallery friends,” Pelham said.
“This gallery, in my mind, is what all other galleries should judge themselves by,” painter Rod Charlesworth said. “They do everything right here and they’re so professional and treat the artists like they’re rock stars.”
