Walter Phillips Gallery

Walter Phillips Gallery is exclusively committed to the production, presentation, collection and analysis of contemporary art and curatorial practice. For contemporary artists, particularly those engaged in alternative forms of practice, Walter Phillips Gallery remains an essential and principal site where art is presented to an audience for critical reception. In an effort to ensure a broad and balanced representation of the different areas of research at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the Gallery displays and collects: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photography, and new media-based works.

Esteemed Visual Arts Faculty and Walter Phillips Gallery Artists include: H.G. Glyde, Walter Phillips, A.Y Jackson, Takao Tanabe, Janet Cardiff, Rebecca Belmore, Ken Lum, Brian Jungen, Ragnar Kjartansson, Shary Boyle, Mike Nelson, Heather and Ivan Morison, Guy Maddin, Andrea Buttner, Neïl Beloufa, among others.

History

Established in 1976, Walter Phillips Gallery bears the name of a distinguished printmaker and painter who, from the 1930s to the 1950s, played a seminal role in the development of the visual arts program in the Banff School of Fine Arts. It quickly evolved into a small but dynamic gallery and became known for a contemporary art program that championed curatorial innovation with a commitment to emerging forms of art including video and performance. See our past exhibitions here. 

Location

Walter Phillips Gallery is located at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff National Park, a one-and-a-half hour drive from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Centre overlooks the Banff town site from Tunnel Mountain Drive. The Gallery is located on the ground floor of Glyde Hall and is wheelchair accessible.

Tours

Group tours of the exhibitions and facilities can be arranged by calling us at 403.762.6281 or sending us an email at walter_phillips_gallery@banffcentre.ca to arrange an appointment. 

Support

Walter Phillips Gallery gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Canada Council for the Arts. 

Established for the purposes of exhibition, education, preservation, and documentation, the Walter Phillips Gallery Permanent Collection is composed primarily of works by artists who have participated in the various programs and exhibitions at Banff Centre and thus also serves to document the history of the organization and its place in the development of visual culture.

Presently, the Permanent Collection contains more than 1,500 artworks that reflect the nature and development of artists who are making a significant contribution to contemporary visual art. Steered by an appointed Acquisition Committee, these holdings represent a broad range of art practices and includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photographs, video, and new media-based works.

Please contact walter_phillips_gallery@banffcentre.ca if you have any questions about the Permanent Collection.