Current Exhibits
UP HIGH: THE HEALING ADVENTURES OF PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT LEMERMEYER
JUNE 7, 2024 – DECEMBER 22, 2024
For 25 years, Robert Lemermeyer roamed the world as a travel and architectural photographer. After experiencing burn-out, alcoholism, and depression, he was urged by his son Yuri to turn his lens, and his attention, closer to home and towards the Rocky Mountains. Since 2017, Robert and Yuri have ascended 130 mountains together of which a selection are featured in UP HIGH. Not every journey has been easy, nor has the weather always cooperated. Robert’s relationship with Yuri has grown, and these mountains have provided the healing he needed to rebuild his connection with his son, to this landscape, and to life.
SURVIVAL IN PARADISE: COAL MINING IN CANMORE
ONGOING
Canmore’s coal mining heritage is integral to the history of this place. This exhibition shares the evolution of mining in this area, and the communities that grew up around it. Based on a book published by the Canmore Museum and authored by Walter J. Riva of the same name, Survival in Paradise features objects from the museum’s collection combined with community storytelling. Experience the labyrinth of underground mines beneath the Town of Canmore with the aid of virtual reality, and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the No. 2 mine as it would have been. Stories by veteran Canmore miners Ed Latvala and Ernie Lakusta provide first hand knowledge and experiences of working in the coal mines.
Upcoming Exhibits
MOUNTAIN KIDS: GROWING UP IN CANMORE
Opening February 2025
Growing Up in Canmore invites you to step into the world of childhood in Canmore, exploring how growing up here has evolved (and stayed the same) over generations. Through captivating historic photographs and treasured objects from the museum’s collection, this exhibit brings to life the stories of youth in the Bow Valley.
Digital Exhibits
COMING SOON – CANMORE COAL MINER PORTRAITS AND STORIES
This digital exhibition will feature over 40 portraits of the hard-working people who lived and worked in Canmore, captured by photographer Lawrence Chrismas after the mine closed in 1979 after nearly a century of operations. Chrismas’ collection of stories and photographs, many of which are part of the Canmore Museum’s collection, provide an intimate look at life in this “single-industry town” during a time of transition.
Past Exhibits
SOIL SUPERHEROES
FEBRUARY 2, 2024 – MAY 20, 2024
Soil Superheroes introduced visitors to the league of superheroes who live beneath our feet that make life on earth possible, and the scientists above ground who study them. From earthworms to decomposing humus, soil provides humans with food and medicine, cleans the water we drink, and helps us to navigate a changing climate. Developed by the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, this interactive exhibition designed to engage with youth and adults alike, illuminated the difference between healthy and unhealthy soil, how human activity impacts natural processes and how we benefit from them. This travelling exhibit is on loan from Ingenium | Canada Agriculture and Food Museum.
WAGICHIBI ÎHNUTHE: DANCE REGALIA OF THE ÎYÂRHE STONEY NAKODA
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 TO JANUARY 18, 2024
Wagichibi Îhnuthe traces the journey of the Îyârhe Nakoda people as they reclaim the cultural traditions of dance, regalia, and ceremony from the very earliest recorded performance for non-Indigenous guests staying at the Banff Springs Hotel in 1894, to the rise of Banff Indians Days and the “Indian Encampment” at the Calgary Stampede, and competitive powwows hosted at Mînî Thni (Morley) and Eden Valley today. This exhibit developed in collaboration with members of the Îyârhe Nakoda Nation features regalia created by Îyârhe Nakoda artist Teresa Snow, and objects on loan from Îyârhe Nakoda people in neighbouring Mînî Thni (Morley).
ALONG THE BOW: THE ART OF THIS PLACE
MAY 19 TO SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
Along the Bow showcases the artistic legacy of the Bow Valley area, from Canmore to Mînî Thni (Morley). The exhibition highlighs the contributions of resident and visiting artists who developed a visual history of communities along the Bow River. Featuring painting, sculpture, print making, photography, and craft, a sense of community identity through the eyes of artists becomes a central theme of the exhibition