Past Exhibitions
2020
From June 30 to July 17, The Musée Héritage Museum will be hosting two special exhibitions on the history of Residential Schools, created by the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Please take the time to visit the exhibitions if you are able, or you can learn more through the resources found on our website.
Generations Lost: Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools
For several centuries, Indigenous children were taken from their homes and communities and placed in institutions called Residential Schools. These schools were run by religious orders in collaboration with the Federal Government and were attended by children as young as four or five years of age.
Separated from their families and prohibited from speaking their native languages and practicing their culture, the vast majority of the over 150,000 children that attended these schools experienced neglect and suffering. The impacts of sexual, mental, and physical abuse, shame, and deprivation endured at Residential Schools continue to affect generations of Survivors, their families, and communities today. Remarkably, in the face of this tremendous adversity, many Survivors and their descendants have retained their language and their culture and continue to work toward healing and Reconciliation. This is likely due to their traditional and cultural beliefs, teachings and way of life prior to attending Residential Schools.
Peter Henderson Bryce: A Man of Conscience
As medical health officer for the Department of Indian Affairs, Bryce had found that large numbers of First Nations children were dying each year due to conditions in Residential Schools and lack of tuberculosis treatment from 1904 to 1921.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates that at least more than 6,000 children died in the schools from preventable disease, abuse, and neglect. There may be more, but it would be impossible to try to estimate how many at this point.
“Whistleblowers” from all walks of life called on Canada to help the children. The Federal Government and many Canadians chose not to listen, or to do the bare minimum, with tragic results. Many would have been saved had the Government listened to Dr. Bryce or if the public had become significantly outraged had they pressed the Government to change the system and to stop the abuses. Unfortunately, the last school only closed in the North in 1997.
Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest
An Exhibition from the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
December 1–May 16, 2021 at Musée Héritage Museum (St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street, St. Albert)
Since ancient times, both men and women of the Northwest Coast have marked their clan crests and symbols of personal identity onto their skin. After 1885, when the practices of tattooing and potlatches were banned, the display of personal crest designs was transferred to clothing and jewellery.
The exhibition features five contemporary tattoo artists who are reclaiming traditional techniques and traditional rights to be tattooed. Guest curator Dion Kaszas (Nlaka’pamux), Nakkita Trimble (Nisga’a), Nahaan (Tlingit), Corey Bulpitt (Haida) and Dean Hunt (Heiltsuk) create art that transcends mere decoration to provide healing, protection and a profound sense of belonging.
Keeping the Peace: Early Policing in North Central Alberta
January 28–November 21, 2020 at Musée Héritage Museum
Here’s an opportunity for you and your family to get a fascinating glimpse of law enforcement in North-Central Alberta; from First Nations and Métis concepts of justice, to modern civic and national law enforcement.
Keeping the Peace is produced in partnership with the Fort Heritage Precinct. It describes the evolution of policing in areas around St. Albert, Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan including the creation of the North West Mounted Police, Alberta Provincial Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Covering hundreds of years of history, the exhibition will introduce you to the first policeman in St. Albert, describe the “Laws of the Buffalo Hunt” that the Métis used to manage large groups of people from different communities, and look at how the arrival of policing bodies from settler communities affected the people of the region.
2019
Enemy Aliens: Internment in Canada, 1914–1920
November 26, 2019–January 19, 2020 at Musée Héritage Museum
This exhibition explores Canada’s internment operations that began during the First World War. “Enemy aliens” was a term commonly used to describe citizens of states legally at war with the British Empire who resided in Canada during the war. Between 1914 and 1920, the federal government interned 8,579 people identified as enemy aliens in a network of 24 camps across Canada.
One hundred years later, using photographs drawn from Canadian archival collections, we reflect on the country’s first national internment operations and the experiences of the internees: who they were, the conditions they endured, and the legacy they left. The Musée Héritage Museum has also added some content from the Second World War illustrating the Government’s treatment of Japanese, Italian and German nationals during that conflict.
This exhibition has been developed by the Canadian War Museum in partnership with the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation.
We gratefully acknowledge that funding for the Enemy Aliens exhibition was provided by Canadian Heritage (Patrimoine canadien) through the Museums Assistance Program.
Sit Down and I’ll Tell You a Story
September 17–November 17, 2019 at Musée Héritage Museum
If chairs could talk! Featuring artifacts from such diverse places as the Alberta Legislature, Youville Convent, and Bruin Inn bar, each of the chairs in this exhibition is connected to a story, person, and time. From the halls of government to the local beauty parlour, a selection of these often-overlooked objects will be brought together with stories for a glimpse into the everyday activities of their owners.
Looking Back Again: St. Albert’s History in Photos
June 11–September 8, 2019 at Musée Héritage Museum
Ten years ago, we scoured the archives and discovered photographs illustrating an array of people and experiences that make up St. Albert’s history. Since then, we have collected hundreds of archival donations and proceeded to digitize more of the collection. Your donations to our archives have enabled us to once again exhibit a fresh selection of photographs depicting our local history!
The display of enlarged community photos will be poignant, comical, captivating and nostalgic. Although the earliest image of the Mission dates back to 1880, we will still exhibit selected gems from the last few decades. During this exhibition, you will get to know more about the people, landscapes, events and activities that were a part of life in St. Albert.
Gold Mountain Dream!: Bravely Venture into the Fraser Valley
April 2–June 2, 2019 at Musée Héritage Museum
An exhibition created by the Royal BC Museum in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History.
Through meticulously chosen archival photographs and immersive storytelling, Gold Mountain Dream! illustrates the personal triumphs and sacrifices of Chinese migrants in the 1850s as they landed on British Columbia’s shores in search of gold.
The Musée Héritage Museum will be adding local St. Albert content with tales of prospectors willing to risk it all for gold.
Dumplings and a Movie!: Saturday, April 13 from 2–4 pm
Pandemic!: A Cautionary Tale
January 22–March 24, 2019 at Musée Héritage Museum
The exhibition Pandemic!: A Cautionary Tale ran at the museum from January 22–March 24, 2019. At the time we didn’t know that we were about to see the world plunged into another fight for our lives. The original exhibition started as a commemoration of the Spanish Flu epidemic at the end of WWI, but we thought it was also important to remember the smallpox epidemic that devastated St. Albert in 1880 and bring awareness to recent and current threats to global health.
View the online exhibition2018
Alberta & the Great War: An exhibition from the Provincial Archives of Alberta
October 30–January 13, 2019 at Musée Héritage Museum
November 11, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice. Created by the Provincial Archives of Alberta in 2014, this exhibition “…commemorate[s] the centennial anniversary of the First World War…dedicated to how the war affected Albertans on all fronts. Historical memorabilia such as photographs, letters and newspapers transport the visitor to the Great War era.”
The exhibition story includes: The Western Front, Women in the War, The Home Front, Opposition and Oppression, and The Aftermath. With artifacts included to bring the text to life, each of the subjects will inform us about how this earth-shattering global event affected St. Albert, the province and the country.
In Their Footsteps: A Century of Aboriginal Footwear in the Canadian West
August 21–October 21, 2018 at Musée Héritage Museum
The Musée Héritage Museum is delighted, once again, to be working with guest curators Bill and Michelle Tracy. Representing a century of creative tradition, In Their Footsteps brings together over 100 pairs of moccasins, leggings, slippers and mukluks in a captivating exhibition of Aboriginal footwear.
Featuring the stories of several of the makers, the exhibition highlights the diversity, innovation and artistic expression found in the strong traditions of the Dené, Cree, Métis, and Plains peoples of Western Canada. Selected from the extensive Tracy collection, the Robertson Trading Company collection, the Musée Héritage Museum and others, In Their Footsteps is a unique opportunity to see a truly beautiful array of footwear styles and decoration.
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Digital Photo Exhibition
June 12–August 12, 2018 at Musée Héritage Museum
The Musée Héritage Museum presents the 8th annual Take Your Best Shot youth digital photo contest, a student-based exhibition that has seen nearly 300 students display their photographs in a professional exhibition. The theme this year is “My St. Albert”; winners in the different categories will receive generous gift certificates sponsored by McBain Camera.
Our aspiring photographers will be exhibiting alongside a feature wall of work by one of St. Albert’s renowned professional photographers, Victor Post.
Witness Blanket & FORGET-ME-NOT, MÉTIS ROSE
April 3–June 3, 2018 at Musée Héritage Museum
Witness Blanket:
This exhibition about the Witness Blanket is a story that comes from the heart, mind and hands of master carver Carey Newman (Ha-yalth-kingeme).
“Strewn in the wake of the Indian Residential Schools are an immeasurable number of broken or damaged pieces. These fragmented cultures, crumbling buildings, segments of language, and grains of diminished pride are often connected only by the common experience that created them.”
FORGET-ME-NOT, MÉTIS ROSE:
Through the eyes of their Métis ancestor, Suzette (Chalifoux) Swift, two artists interpret the endemic flora and fauna of the family homestead in the Rocky Mountains.
“When her art found her relatives, the land called them home.”
Lisa Shepherd and Kristi Bridgeman, Métis artists, met serendipitously through an artist group, where they exchanged stories of family and ancestry. As they pieced together their stories, they began to realize their connection through their common ancestor.
A Taste of Science – La science a bon goût!
January 16–March 25 at Musée Héritage Museum
Come and experience the Fun in Fungi! A Taste of Science is an bilingual interactive exhibition that engages all your senses. You’ll find lots on the menu to feed your mind and imagination!
As you wander through giant food containers, you can try out activities and games for the whole family. Learn about fungi, germs, microbes, fermentation and discover what processes make food spoil. And if you’re really brave, smell the different types of food that have spoiled!
We gratefully acknowledge that funding for A Taste of Science was provided by Canadian Heritage (Patrimoine canadien) through the Museums Assistance Program.
2017
The Michel Band
September 19–January 7, 2018
The Musée Héritage Museum is pleased to be the host of an exhibition curated by members of the Michel Band Council. The history of this First Nation is deeply connected to the region. With family objects loaned to us by band members and pieces from the museum collection, they will tell their story of strength, family, injustice, challenge and perseverance.
Michel Callihoo, the namesake of the Band, was the son of Louis Kwarakwante, a Mohawk man from Kahnawake, near Montreal. For many years the family was settled in the Jasper area but as Louis’s children grew they moved throughout Western Canada. Michel worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company for 26 years, living in Lesser Slave Lake and Fort Edmonton before joining the little mission community at Lac Ste. Anne.
In 1878, Chief Michel and two headmen signed an adhesion to Treaty 6. In 1880, the Michel Callihoo Reserve was created approximately 29 km northwest of Edmonton. After many years of great pressure and lack of support from government agents, the reserve was broken up, through surrenders and enfranchisement. The Band still seeks to regain formal recognition of their status.
The Michel Band and Musée Héritage Museum gratefully acknowledge that funding for the Michel Band exhibition was provided by Canadian Heritage (Patrimoine canadien) through the Museums Assistance Aboriginal Heritage Program.
Listen to an interview with Celina Loyer, guest curator and councillor for the Michel Band, on CFWE here.
Listen to CBC radio the Doc Project “Why my grandfather dissolved the Michel First Nation and renounced his Indian status” to find out more about this story here.
View the online exhibition
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Photo Exhibition
Contest Theme: My Canada
June 20 – September 10
What does your Canada look like? Keeping with the theme of Canada’s 150th anniversary, the subject for our 2017 photo contest is “My Canada.” We expect to get some great images of what Canada means to our young citizens.
Each year we ask participants to tell us why they chose their subjects. It is amazing to see read about the different perspectives of our young photographers.
It will be a special exhibit his year as we add images from the St. Albert Photo Club, celebrating their 25th anniversary. The adult photographers will also be presenting the theme “My Canada.” We look forward to examining the work of multiple generations and viewing different approaches to the subject.
The Life and Legacy of General Sir Arthur Currie
An Exhibition from the Museum Strathroy-Caradoc
April 1 – June 11
As we continue to remember the events of World War I, the Musée Héritage Museum is pleased to host The Life and Legacy of Sir Arthur Currie: An Exhibition from the Museum Strathroy-Caradoc.
Discover the story of Sir Arthur Currie—from his upbringing in Ontario to his rise through the ranks to become the first Canadian Commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
We will also feature some of the contributions of local entrepreneur and military strategist, Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel, who served under Currie’s command.
We gratefully acknowledge that funding for the Life and Legacy of General Sir Arthur Currie exhibition was provided by Canadian Heritage (Patrimoine canadien) through the Museums Assistance Program.
Rebellion and Confederation
A Travelling Exhibition from the Canadian Museum of History
January 24 – March 26
“On July 1, 1867, Confederation was proclaimed, marking the birth of today’s Canada and the culmination of a journey that had taken nearly 30 years. This exhibition explores the route to nationhood taken by a society in transition, and by the people who fought, negotiated and made compromises to forge a more peaceable union.
By tracing the pivotal moments leading to the draft of the British North America Act, this exhibition helps visitors to better understand how this legacy continues to affect our identity, our values and our institutions.” – Canadian Museum of History
Along with the travelling exhibition, the Musée Héritage Museum will be uncovering some intriguing facts and information about what the world was like in 1867—locally and internationally.
2016
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Photo Exhibition
Theme: Old Stone, New Steel (photos of our built environment)
November 18 – January 15, 2017
Discover the incredible talent of St. Albert youth at our annual Take Your Best Shot Youth Photo Exhibition—one of our most popular events! This year’s exhibition, themed “Old Stone, New Steel,” will feature fabulous photos of our built environment snapped by photographers in Grades 3 – 12. Chosen by a jury, the top three photographers from each age group will receive prizes from McBain Camera. Photos from all three age groups will be on display at the Museum from November 18, 2016 to January 15.
Weiller and Williams Co Ltd: Building a Livestock Empire
September 20–November 13, 2016
In 2015, the Musée Héritage Museum received a large donation of business and family items that had belonged to Leland Stanford (Lee) Williams, partner in one of Canada’s largest cattle-commission firms. Weiller and Williams Co. Ltd. was founded in 1925, with Lee heading up operations in Edmonton.
This exhibition tells an important Alberta story with images and artifacts from Lee’s years with the company and also from his extensive involvement with horse racing in the province.
View the online exhibition
Satisfaction Guaranteed
June 28 – September 11
This exhibition will look at how some of our local businesses have advertised for more than a century. Come and peruse our collection of signs, newspaper ads, posters, calendars, knick-knacks, clothing, and packaging. Great slogans, images and event celebrity endorsements have been used to separate you from your hard earned paycheck.
This exhibition will include promotional material from dozens of St. Albert businesses, like Gusto Burger, the Bruin Inn, and Perron’s store.
Celebrate St. Albert
April 26 – June 19
This fun and colourful exhibition will take a look back at the many public celebrations that have taken place in our community. We’ve had gatherings for important anniversaries, the building of local landmarks, individual accomplishments and sometimes, just to have fun.
It’s hard to believe that St. Albert has been celebrating for over 150 years. This exhibition will include pictures and stories about some of our early events, like St. Jean Baptiste Day and the visit of Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier.
Join us as we reflect on our past events and look forward to more fun and fabulous celebrations!
The True Cost Of Oil: Canada’s Oil Sands And The Last Great Forest | A Photographic Exhibition By Garth Lenz
February 2 – April 17
This collection of stunning photographs told stories of environmental issues, threatened wilderness regions, devastation, and impacts on indigenous people.
Garth Lenz is an award winning photographer and one of only 60 photographers to be named a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. His work has appeared in many of the world’s leading publications, including Time Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Times, International Wildlife, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Canadian Geographic, and GEO.
2015
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Photo Exhibition
November 20, 2015 – January 24, 2016
Take Your Best Shot has become one of the Museum’s most popular events and each year it sees more amazing talent. The fifth annual Take Your Best Shot, explored the theme “Nature” with a record number of entries.
Photos chosen by a jury from three age groups, Grade 3 – 6, Grades 7 – 9, Grades 10 – 12, were exhibited at the Museum. McBain Camera generously contributed to gift certificates given for the top three photos in each group. Prizes were awarded to the top three photos (as decided by the jury) in each age group: 1st prize: $200 gift card to McBain Camera, 2nd prize: $150 gift card to McBain Camera, and 3rd prize: $100 gift card to McBain Camera.
The Street Where You Live
September 8 – November 15
The names on street signs don’t usually get much attention, but do you ever wonder who were the people that still “hang around” your neighbourhood? This exhibition revealed the identities and stories of many of the individuals and families whose lives merited public acknowledgement by having a street named in their honour.
In The Money
A bilingual exhibition from The Currency Museum
June 30 – August 30
Our feature exhibition for the summer of 2015 was from the Bank of Canada in Ottawa. Starting with the earliest paper money printed in China, In the Money explored the science of note-based currency, ranging from mulberry paper to cotton and linen rag and, ultimately, the polymer material used for Canada’s new series of bank notes. Funding for the In The Money exhibition was provided by Canadian Heritage (Patrimoine canadien) through the Museums Assistance Program.
Francophones In Alberta: Courage And Determination
Les Francophones En Alberta: Courage Et Détermination
April 21 – June 21
This bilingual exhibition, based on the holdings of the Provincial Archives of Alberta, told the story of the French in Alberta. The Museum included artifacts from our own collection to reflect the Francophone history of the St Albert area, highlighting objects from local families to help illustrate the great experience of Francophone immigrants across the province.
Wus’kwiy / Waskway: From Berry Baskets To Souvenirs
January 27 – April 12
Birch bark artifacts from the Royal Alberta Museum, the collection of Bill and Michelle Tracy, and other private collections highlighted the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the First Peoples of North America in this exhibition.
2014
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Photo Contest
November 25 – January 18, 2015
Winning entries from the fourth annual Take Your Best Shot youth photo contest were displayed at the museum in this exhibition that informed visitors about how students see and enjoy our city. In 2014, students in grades 3 – 12 took photographs of “shapes” in St. Albert.
Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel: And The Motor Machine Gun Brigade
September 9 – November 16
This exhibition told the story of a remarkable man. After serving on one of the last sailing ships, the young Brutinel joined the French Military. In 1904 he moved his family to Alberta. His contributions to the fledgling province include serving as editor for Le Courrier de l’Ouest, Alberta’s first French language newspaper, surveying routes and resources for the Grand Trunk Railway, playing a central role in the development of the Coal Branch and building the Interurban Railway between Edmonton and St Albert. When the First World War began he served in the Canadian Forces, creating the Motor Machine Gun Brigade which he tirelessly championed as a new tactical force in modern warfare. His brigade played a vital role in many crucial battles. During the Second World War he continued the fight, working with the French resistance, to yet again free his homeland.
Joining Up: Our Men And Women In The First World War
June 17 – November 16
In spite of being half a world away, the battlefields of the First World War had a great effect on St. Albert. Being such a young country, many of our citizens still had strong ties to their homelands and a passionate desire to defend them. European-born French, Belgian and Swiss immigrants were called home to serve and dozens of Canadian-born patriots rushed to sign up as well. Like so many other towns in western Canada, the impact on the small community was intense and long lasting.
This exhibition told some of the stories of those who served and those we lost.
The Home Front: Life In St Albert During The First World War
June 17 – August 31
What was St. Albert like at the outbreak of the war and how did its citizens react to the conflict? Roughly ten percent of the population of this small, primarily Francophone, town went to serve in Europe. Those at home were let to keep the town running, raise money and supplies for the war effort and harvest crops to send overseas for the troops. They rallied to support not only the war effort but also each other in this time of stress and great loss. Through photos, news clippings and artifacts this exhibition looked at what life was like in St. Albert leading up to and during the Great War.
Hands On Nature: Discover Biodiversity!
An exhibit from the Royal Ontario Museum
April 1 – June 8
Visitors learnt about different aspects and levels of biodiversity from the broad perspective of habitats to the relationships of species and their genetic makeup in this interactive exhibition from the Royal Ontario Museum.
Piece Makers (Quilting): How Our Grandmothers Re-Cycled
An exhibit of quilts at the Musée Héritage Museum
January 21 – March 23
Quilts from both the Royal Alberta Museum and our own collection highlighted the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the creators in making attractive items to decorate their homes and keep their families warm.
2013
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Photo Contest
November 26 – January 12, 2014
Explore St. Albert through the lens of our youth! The Musée Héritage Museum displayed the words and images of youth from grades 3 – 12. Along with their photos, we invited younger members of the community to tell us why they chose their subject of ‘Play’ in St. Albert.
Lace Up: Canada’s Passion For Skating
September 3 – November 3
The Musée Héritage Museum was proud to bring an exhibition to St Albert that tells the story of one of the oldest and most popular recreational and sporting activities in the country. Lace Up: Canada’s Passion for Skating is a travelling exhibition produced by the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec.
Lace Up explores the history and importance of skating in Canada and gives a glimpse of three major ice sports: figure skating, speed skating and hockey. Skating is more than a great Canadian tradition. It is an important part of our national identity. The exhibition puts our love of ice sports into a historical and social context.
The exhibit also had photos and memorabilia from local sports icons Joe Benoit, Eddie Joyal, Mark Messier, Jerome Iginla, Meagan Mikkelson, Troy Murray and Olympic speed skater Tamara Oudenaarden, who all skated in St Albert before moving on to the national scene.
Transforming Tradition: Contemporary Aboriginal Artists Re-Envision Traditional Crafts
June 25 – August 25
The invited artists participating in this exhibition all shared a deep connection to the traditional craftwork of their cultures, which include Cree, Blackfoot, Sioux, Dene and Métis. Working in hide, beads, feathers, fish scales, textiles and other media, the artists took those traditions and layered them with their own visions and contemporary viewpoints. The exhibition contained fabric and hide clothing items from dance regalia pieces to women’s coats, a baby’s Pow Wow outfit, and a modern interpretation of a warrior shirt. Jewelry and other personal and decorative items showed the artist’s skill in beading, quillwork, and caribou hair tufting and a selection of fans showed how new techniques can transform traditional objects. Contemporary twists on traditional craft could be seen in all the pieces through choices in colour, materials and patterns. Each of the artists brought their own interpretations to their work which is exceptional in both its skill and beauty.
Arctic Life: Lomen Brothers Photography
April 9 – June 16
The Musée Héritage Museum presented Arctic Life: Lomen Brothers Photography, an exhibition from the Glenbow Museum from April 9 – June 16. Drawn to the north by tales of the gold rush and the untouched riches of Alaska, the Lomen family moved from Minnesota to Nome in 1903. Always looking for an opportunity, they purchased a photographic studio in 1908 and a drugstore in 1909. In 1913 they started a successful reindeer business, shipping meat to the lower states.
Brothers Carl, Harry, Alfred, and Ralph were partners in the photography business. Harry managed the studio but all of them took photographs, quickly learning how to keep cameras in working order at Arctic temperatures.
Tragically in 1934 their studio burned to the ground. Over 30,000 negatives and 50,000 prints were destroyed. The stunning photographs in this exhibition are some of their surviving images of the local Yupik people and life in Nome at the start of the 20th century.
Catching The Light: The Life And Photography Of Victor Post
January 29 – March 31
Catching the Light: The Life and Photography of Victor Post was an exhibition made up of some of the most significant and award-winning images of St. Albert photographer, Victor Post.
Victor Post’s photographs captured many of Alberta’s pivotal events and famous faces of the 1970’s and 80’s, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics and visits of the British Royals and Pope John Paul II. Photography was only one of his many passions, which also included science, music, aviation and amateur radio.
In 2001, Victor Post passed away leaving thousands of prints and negatives which were recently donated to the Musée Héritage Museum. A glimpse of his many talents and interests can be found in our selection of photographs and personal archives.
For additional information on the Victor Post fonds, please click here to visit our Archives page.
Wind Work, Wind Play: Weathervanes & Whirligigs
October 30 – January 13, 2013
This exhibition showcased over 30 pieces of wind-powered folk art from the collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The weathervanes and whirligigs date from the 1870s to the 1970s, from across Canada.
Weathervanes have been part of the European and North American landscape for centuries, perched atop every community’s tallest buildings – on barn roofs, church, steeples, castle towers. Many are now considered icons of folk art. Whirligigs, on the other hand, are created to amuse and entertain. These wind-driven lawn ornaments are generally small figural creations, which, when placed outdoors, engage in frantic movements as they ceaselessly accomplish nothing.
The scarred old weathervanes are charming– classic horses, fish, pigs and arrows rendered in wood, sheet steel, and wrought iron by skilled, often amateur, hands. The whirligigs, new and old, are masterworks of fun– sawyers that saw away, fiddlers that fiddle away, farmers that milk cows, and voyageurs that paddle all the faster when the wind blows.
2012
Take Your Best Shot: Youth Photo Contest
November 27 – December 24
The Musée Héritage Museum held its second annual youth photo contest! The theme was Nature Nearby and youth were asked to take a picture of something from nature (in or nearby St. Albert). Winning photographs were displayed at the Musée Héritage Museum from November 27 – December 24, 2012.
Cut And Paste
September 4 – October 21
Within the collections of the Musée Héritage Museum and its archives are many fascinating albums of photos and keepsakes, which give us a glimpse into the history of St. Albert families, organizations and individuals. The creators compiled books of treasures and trinkets in an effort to preserve those things that they saw as important in their lives, and we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy them.
The exhibition Cut and Paste featured family albums, personal collections and scrapbooks from clubs and community groups covering over 100 years of history!
In Focus: Photographing The Alberta And Montana Frontier, 1870 – 1930
May 29 – August 19
In spite of extreme challenges, early photographers were able to create both beautiful and informative images. Government, military, scientific and commercial photographers recorded historical details, promoted businesses and reported events, creating an often romanticized vision of the disappearing Western frontier. This exhibition is organized and circulated by the Glenbow Museum.
A selection of Blood, Blackfoot, Northwest Mounted Police and ranching artifacts from the Royal Alberta Museum and Musée Héritage Museum will be featured along with the photographs.
Slavic St. Albert
February 14 – May 19
At the start of the 20th century, many Eastern Europeans began to settle in this area, adding to the diverse mix of cultures and traditions that make up St. Albert. This exhibit is based on the work of Michal Mlynarz, who researched the lives and contributions of the Polish, Ukrainian and Russian families that continue to choose this community as their new home.
The Musée Héritage Museum is bringing in photos, clothing, furniture, handicrafts and personal items from several local families, as well as items from the Polish Solidarity movement of the 1980s. We will also be featuring some belongings of Brother Anthony Kowalczyk, OMI from the Oblate Collection at the Grandin Archives. The Vatican is considering Brother Anthony, OMI for Sainthood.
Click here to watch the MyEdmonton Youtube video on the Slavic St Albert exhibit.
2011
Take Your Best Shot
November 25, 2011 – February 5, 2012
As a wind up to our 150th celebrations, we invited younger members of the community to tell us what they like best about St Albert in 2011. Take Your Best Shot featuredthe words and photographs of youth from 8-18 years old.
Gift cards to McBain Camera were awarded to the top 3 photos in each age group: 8 – 12 years, 13 – 15 years and 16 – 18 years.
The Mission Makers: Father Lacombe And Bishop Taché
This exhibit looked at the two founders of the St. Albert Mission. By 1861, Lacombe and Taché had know each other for many years. They were friends who worked closely to establish the Catholic Church in the west. Although Lacombe is better know in Alberta, without Taché’s support his work would not have been successful.
2010
Local Lenses: Nature Photographers From St. Albert
St. Albert is home to many talented photographers. They take advantage of the amazing natural areas at our doorstep to create wonderful images. This exhibit showcased the work of three photographers from St Albert: Dave Conlin, Al Popil and Peter Stahl. Visitors were surprised and inspired by the variety of wildlife in our area captured in their local lenses.
Patterns In Glass: Métis Design In Beads
The design and creation of beadwork by Métis women were highlighted in this exhibit. Artifacts from the Musée Héritage Museum were shown along with pieces from other collections, illustrating the lives of the makers and the variety of designs used to decorate clothing and personal items.
2009
Looking Back: Fabulous Photos From St Albert’s Past
Decoys To Decoratives: The History And Art Of Decoy Carving
Featured carvings by Ludo Bogaert
2008
Pillars Of The Community
This exhibition featured architecture of St. Albert.
2007
A Brighter Future: The Growth Of Agriculture In St Albert
An exhibit about growing community.
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
“How we treat the earth is a reflection of our National Character” Lois Hole