Gainsborough Galleries, established in 1923, is Calgary's longest-established art gallery. It is also one of the cities most vibrant and exciting galleries, featuring an incredible range of paintings and sculptures. Located at 441-5th Ave SW Calgary
“I personally have about 125 paintings hanging on my walls,” says Marie Wood, owner of Gainsborough Galleries. That seems like a huge number, but then again, Marie is a huge art lover. She’s been involved with the gallery since 1990 and now runs it with help from her son Robert.
Besides paintings, Gainsborough Galleries also features an extensive collection of sculptures made from soapstone, jade, and various bronzes. Some of the featured artists include Kal Gajoum, Tinyan Chan, Merv Brandel, and “The Frog Man” Tim Cotterill, whose nickname and fame come from his innovative frog sculptures. The gallery also features work by Marie’s late husband Karl, who produced some truly breathtaking landscape pieces.
According to Marie, the gallery focuses on representational art, with both realist and impressionist styles appearing on its walls. “When you look at it, you know what you’re looking at,” jokes Marie. She says that in the past, she tried to mix in more abstract pieces. But people who were fans of one style generally didn’t like the other, so she chose to specialize. That said, there’s a huge variety of subject matter on hand here, including animals, city scenes, landscapes, flowers and more.
There are more than 1,000 frames and mouldings to choose from at Gainsborough Galleries. The experienced staff will help you select from popular brands such as Larson-Juhl, Roma and Omega Moulding Company. Each piece of art or memento requires a distinctive treatment, and Gainsborough will create that look to suit your taste. Established in 1923, this is one of the oldest and most respected art dealers in the city.