SOUTHERN ALBERTA ART GALLERY MAANSIKSIKAITSITAPIITSINIKSSIN ART LIBRARY PROJECT
Begun in 2020, the Gallery presents exhibitions as in-situ interventions within our Art Library. The Art Library Project features a diverse selection of artworks and mediums from regional contemporary artists. Artists are invited to think of the library as a unique exhibition context by investigating the Gallery’s programming around readership, publications, and its place within Lethbridge’s historic Carnegie library which opened in 1922. Artists are encouraged to consider the physical architecture of the library and its material holdings, responding to a broader and generative idea of what a library might be, as they change and adapt to new forms of knowledge production.
READ
The Gallery Library holds an extensive collection of hard-to-find contemporary Canadian and international exhibition catalogues spanning from the late 1960s to the present. There is also a wide selection of books for readers who have a general interest in art., including books of photographs by Roloff Beny, who was born in Medicine Hat and maintained a studio in Lethbridge.
BROWSE ONLINE
You can access and browse the gallery’s catalogue through the University of Lethbridge website. The Gallery’s catalogue, while maintained by the university, is not integrated with the University of Lethbridge's library collection.
RESEARCH
The library is organized into five main sections: solo artist exhibitions (SAAGEXH ARTIST), group exhibitions (SAAGEXH GALLERY), and art books and monographs (SAAG-MON). Within each category, the documents are arranged alphabetically on our shelves. If you need any help, ask at the Front Desk and we will be glad to assist you.
ENJOY
Feel free to enjoy the Gallery Library by reading art books, researching artists and exhibitions, or just hanging out! You are welcome to bring a bagged lunch or simply enjoy the panorama of the Galt Gardens from the Library's picture windows overlooking the park.
LENDING POLICIES
While everyone is welcome to read and utilize the materials of the Gallery Library within the gallery, the Gallery does not lend or loan its materials.