EDMONTON, AB.- The Art Gallery of Alberta announced three new exhibitions: The Piano (May 25-August 18); New Acquisitions: The Mitchell Endowment; and Adam Waldron Blain: does his best (June 29-August 18). Unique programs and events complement these exhibitions including, a baby grand piano turned bar (complete with summer cocktails!).

The Piano features work by 13 contemporary artists, which take the form of video projections, performances and sculptural installations—from gutted innards to hammered keys, synchronized scores and the comfort of a piano bar. The works examine the image of the pianist, from the virtuoso to the DIY amateur and the role of the piano, from a hub of bar room entertainment to an instrument of reverie and personal salvation.

“Visitors will be immersed in a powerful auditory and visual experience focused on the piano. The works in this exhibition continue the experimental tendencies of the post war avant-garde”, says Catherine Crowston, AGA’s Executive Director / Chief Curator. “Some of the artists seek to produce new and innovative sounds; others transform the piano into a mute, sculptural object, thereby denying its function as a musical instrument and source of popular entertainment.”

Artists in The Piano are: Dean Baldwin, Patrick Bernatchez, Stan Douglas, Rodney Graham, Carole Itter, Tim Lee, Euan MacDonald, George Maciunas, Gordon Monahan, Katie Paterson, Rober Racine, Michael Snow and Charles Stankievech.

Unique highlights of this exhibition include Dean Baldwin’s Bar Piano, a fully functional bar built from a baby grand piano. From May 29-August 14, visitors are able to enjoy a complimentary cocktail on the Gallery’s outdoor Terrace served from the Bar Piano during the AGA’s new late-night Wednesdays.

The Piano is organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House. The exhibition is curated by Barbara Fischer and Catherine Crowston and presented by Enbridge and Giovanni Music.

Also New Acquisitions: The Mitchell Endowment, which is the second of two exhibitions this summer that showcases artworks recently add to the AGA’s permanent collection. As part of their support of the Art Gallery of Alberta’s New Vision capital project, Edmonton’s Mitchell family donated funds to build the AGA’s permanent collection, focusing on works by living Canadian artists.