About
I am a born and raised Calgary artist and I continue to make this city my home. I am a graduate of the Visual Communications program at the Alberta College of Art (now AUArts) and have extended studies in web design, drawing, painting and printmaking. I work as an exhibit and graphic designer, as well as maintaining a visual art practice.
In my design career I’ve played a key role on many exhibits and signage projects for parks and trails like Dinosaur Provincial Park, Cypress Hills, Maligne Canyon, Writing-on-Stone, as well as numerous City of Calgary projects. So, the natural environment and history of Alberta is both familiar and precious to me.
Throughout my career I have continuously produced personal drawings, paintings and prints to express myself creatively. In recent years I have focused on advancing my visual art practice through studio work, commissions, Calls to Artists and exhibitions.
Notable Accomplishments
In 2016, I was invited to participate in the City of Calgary “Artists Working in Community” workshop and my final project proposal was chosen. The project, entitled “Eye to Eye” was a series of 56 eye portraits of staff and clients drawn on-site in the lobby of the Sheldon Chumir Health Centre. The drawing installation was exhibited in the street level window of 12th Avenue SW for six months.
Since then, I have been awarded several public art projects including a City of Calgary group utility box project along 5th and 6th Avenues SW and prints of my paintings have been installed in the City’s BRT transit shelters along 17th Avenue SE.
In addition, I participated in an Artist’s Book project entitled “Print(ed) Word”. This unique collaboration between 12 local writers and 12 printmakers was originally displayed at Loft 112, then at Grand Forks Art Gallery and has continued to grow in significance. There was even a documentary produced about the project by Roadwest Pictures. Currently, “Print(ed) Word is a permanent exhibit at the Calgary Central Library, with revolving artist and writer talks occurring throughout the inaugural year.
Presently, I am working on a group project entitled "The Energy Futures Print Portfolio". This is a collaborative project between 20 writers/poets, 20 visual artists/printmakers and the EFL Fellows. The project will respond to the difficult topic of climate change. The process will result in a portfolio of art, stories and poetry that express tangible and imagined visions of Alberta's Energy Future.
Experience
Nexus Exhibits 2017 – 2022 Exhibit Design, Graphic Design
Sylvia Arthur Design 1989 – present Freelance Exhibit Design, Graphic Design and Illustration
Westwind Design 2000 – 2011 Creative Director, Exhibit Design, Graphic Design and Fabrication
Brown Bag Design 1995 – 1999 Exhibit and Graphic Design partnership
Sylvia Arthur, Visual Artist 1985 – present artistic practice; painting, printmaking and drawing
Education
Portrait Drawing 2020 Atelier Artista
Drawing Facial Emotion 2019 Atelier Artista
Intermediate Etching Techniques 2017 Alberta Printmakers
City of Calgary 2016 Artist Working in Community, Public Art & Social Practice - Workshop Series
Alberta College of Art (now AUArts) 2012 Website Design, Extended Studies
Alberta College of Art 2005 Designing for Websites, Seminars
Alberta College of Art 1996 Print Making, Extended Studies
Alberta College of Art 1982 Visual Communications Diploma with Minor in Painting
Mount Royal College (now University) 1978 Interior Design
Exhibitions & Installations
Fire Exit Theatre Gallery 2022 Solo Art Show
Alberta University of the Arts 2022 Mural installation "Changing Perceptions"
Pumphouse Theatre 2022 On the Move Exhibition (Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery)
Loft 112 – 2022 Cards for Community
Ambrose University Gallery 2020 – 2021 Solo exhibition
City of Calgary Public Art Project 2020 Jury panel member for International Ave Public Art project
City of Calgary Public Art Project 2019 Short listed for International Ave Public Art project
Calgary Central Library 2019 Print(ed) Word permanent exhibit
Loft 112, Alberta Printmakers 2017 – 2018 Print(ed) Word: Artist’s Book project & exhibition
Fire Exit Theatre Gallery 2018 Exhibition in theme of play “Every Brilliant Thing”Centre Street Church 2018 Art Show, “The Armour of God”
The City of Calgary 2018 BRT Public Art Installation
Centre Street Church 2018 Easter Art Show
Gallery 2 exhibition Grand Forks 2018 Print(ed) Word
Centre Street Church 2018 Art Show, “Revelations”
Fire Exit Theatre Gallery 2017 Exhibition of recent work
Loft 112, Alberta Printmakers 2017 – 2018 Print(ed) Word: Artist’s Book project & exhibition
(Canada Arts Council Grant)
Centre Street Church 2017 Autumn Art Show "Fruit of the Spirit"
Fire Exit Theatre Gallery 2016 Showing of “Poems with Pictures”
City of Calgary Public Art Project 2016 Eveline Kolijn & Alberta Printmakers utility box art
City of Calgary Public Art Project 2016 Sheldon Chumir Health Centre “Eye to Eye”
Centre Street Church 2016 Easter Group Art Show
Feather Gallery 2016 “Disclosure”
Pumphouse Theatre Gallery 2015 “Refuge From the Cold”
Poems With Pictures 2015 – present Art and Poetry Blog (poemswithpictures.com)
E5 Group 2013 Corporate office art panels
Teine Energy 2012 Corporate office murals
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum 2011 Great Moments in Sport Theatre mural
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum 2011 The Winter Gallery mural, graphics and exhibits
Parks Canada 2011 Maligned Canyon interpretive trail signage and illustrations
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park 2008 Exhibit gallery and mural
Writing-on-Stone Park Visitor Centre 2007 Exhibit structures, signage illustrations
Dinosaur Provincial Park Visitor Centre 2006 Lobby mural banner and sculpture