Art on 9th

As a painter with more than 15 years of experience under her belt, Calgary artist Michele Holland struggled to find non-gallery venues in the city to host art shows. “I found that there were no great venues outside of art galleries [and] you don’t have as much control when you’re in an art gallery,” Michele says. Frustrated by her lack of options, she devised a plan to open up her own exhibit space that would offer artists a place to exhibit their work without unnecessary gallery contracts or high commission rates. More importantly, Michele wanted to situate her space in a modern venue in a neighbourhood that would provide ample walk-in traffic. After an unlikely turn of events, Michele finally brought her plan to fruition and opened Art on 9th in the heart of Inglewood on May 4, 2017.

Upon entry, Art on 9th is an open concept, brightly lit space that serves as Michele’s own personal white walled canvas. “The hanging of the work is extremely important to me,” Michele says. “We can put a realistic piece next to an abstract with a little impressionism. There can be bold work in here, but there can also be really soft work in here. Because if we put the right pieces next to each other, you shouldn’t be seeing one piece more than another.” The gallery is arranged as a “tapestry” collage of pieces throughout the venue, as well as a few of Michele and her fellow Art on 9th staffers’ own paintings added into the mix. “I didn’t want it to be just about me, it was just that I could still integrate it,” Michele explains.