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Edmonton Things To Do: Art Gallery of Alberta Adult Drop-In Studio

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Tons of Ideas by Vera Gartley

Earlier this summer, I was making plans with a friend of mine. Due to scheduling conflicts, it was somewhat difficult to find a time that worked for both of us to get together. Futhermore, I didn’t want to do our typical thing of just going for dinner or doing a Paint Nite event. So, I started to scour the internet for ideas of what else we could do in Edmonton.

Honestly, I don’t even know how I eventually ended up on the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) website, but I did. What I found is that they actually offer a weekly Adult Drop-In Studio every Wednesday night. While that particular day of the week didn’t work for her, I was intrigued and I wanted to check out a few of those sessions for myself. I gathered other friends of mine and I made it to three different classes over the span of September.

The first one I went to, I phoned ahead to reserve spaces for me and my friends because I wasn’t sure what kind of attendance to expect (there is a maximum of 20 spaces). You are able to hold spots the day of the drop-in, but you do have to provide payment info at that time. You can phone it in and pick up the tickets at guest services upon arrival at the gallery, or you can walk-in and pay in person.

Tickets are $18 plus tax per person and that includes all of the materials that you’ll be using. The price point is stellar for a two hour activity, especially when compared to the majority of other creative events running throughout the city.

Carving our designs out of lino.
Inking the roller to make our prints.
The table is covered with printmaking materials.
My finished prints from my lino carving.

As it turns out, reservations weren’t really necessary. Only half a dozen people showed up for printmaking the first night. Initially, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of direction. The website had indicated that we would be doing lino carving with a theme of cityscapes. Yet, it pretty much turned into a freestyle situation in that we weren’t at all limited. Everyone was allowed to design whatever they wanted, and guidance only came into play once we started doing more of the printmaking itself.

In fact, I loved printmaking so much that I made my way to Delta Art & Drafting Supply that weekend in order to pick up all of the materials needed to do the same thing at home (I have a couple of special projects planned). Thankfully, there was a sale going on.

Samantha Walrod’s Vanitas exhibition was inspiration for our Floral Studies session.
One of the finished pieces from Samantha Walrod.
The beginning of the floral clock in Samantha Walrod’s room.

The following week, my colleague and I ventured out into the cold to make it to the AGA for their Floral Studies drop-in. We arrived a little bit late, but, once we paid, we managed to catch the group of about ten people as they were heading up to the galleries. The instructor for the night wanted us to take inspiration from an exhibit called Vanitas by artist Samantha Walrod. She turned the RBC Work Room (a studio-like residence space) from an empty gallery into several pieces of finished art that explored the idea of life and loss using floral imagery and the passing of time. Her work utilizes layering through multiple mediums like collage, ink and paint.

Acrylic paint and chalk pastels formed the basis of our Floral Studies work.
Learning how to apply colour and texture to paper using different techniques.
I love how the blue flowers turned out.
My finished piece…just wish I didn’t get fingerprints everywhere.

I was kind of hoping that we would be doing something similar to what we’d seen. Instead, the focus was more on learning to work with chalk pastels and acrylic paints together. Not quite what I expected. Still, I managed to learn some new ways of applying colour and paint to paper, as well as creating my own colours using pigments from the chalk pastels and mixing it with the acrylics.

Finished Japanese stab bounded books.

The final session that I made it to was about book binding. I failed to take photos during this one, but I do have a picture of the finished products. We were taught how to put our own travel journals together using just paper, a couple of binder clips, a push pin, a needle and some thread. We used a simple Japanese stab process, which is easily searchable on Google or YouTube. After we each completed two books, we took them up to the James Wilson Morris gallery where we practiced our sketching techniques (i.e. shading, blind contour, gesture, etc.).

All of these turned out to be fun in their own unique ways. I’ve got my eye on a silk screening class in early-November, but in the meantime, they have a variety of other drop-ins like plaster casting or slow stitch through October. Additionally, if you show up to the gallery early, you can take advantage of the All Access Evenings. Those happen every Tuesday and Wednesday from 5pm to 8pm and it grants all patrons entrance to the exhibits for free.

The design of the AGA building is always fun to explore.
Manning Hall, accessible as you enter the AGA, always has interesting art. This one is from photographer M.N. Hutchinson.

The Art Gallery of Alberta is definitely making an effort to increase the accessibility and affordability of art and art-related activities. Don’t miss out. Sure, not every workshop is going to call to you, but in the scope of a year, there’s bound to be something that will get your creative juices flowing. Keep an eye on the AGA calendar and carve out some time at this local gem of an institution.

Support Local YEG: Black Box x Gibbard Block Kickstarter Campaign

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Three ventures to anchor the historic Gibbard Block.

Earlier this week, Kirk and I were invited to Salz for a media event. As you may or may not know, Salz is owned and operated by Nate Box and his partner Mike Forgie under the Black Box Hospitality Group umbrella. Alongside that business, they also run Elm Café & Catering, District Café & Bakery, and Little Brick Café & General Store. All of those forged ahead by embracing their place in the community to which they were situated.

Today, Black Box is embarking on their largest project to date. The evening we attended was an effort on their part to spread the word about their plans for not just one, but three endeavours that they intend to open in the historic Gibbard Block building (6425 112 Avenue) over in the heart of the Highlands neighbourhood. They are working closely with the landlord/developer, Sparrow Capital, to make this a reality.

The plans are already underway!

Their ambitious vision will see to it that the heritage of the building is not lost. Simultaneously, they want to bring new favourites into the area that will meet the needs of residents without impeding on other businesses that already call the Highlands home. While they have even more ideas in the works, it was after careful consideration that they came up with June’s Delicatessen (named after Mike’s mother), Fox Burger (the moniker is an amalgamation of Forgie & Box), and Highlands Liquor (dreamt up when they realized there were no stores selling craft beer in the vicinity). Those ventures are going be the anchors to the Gibbard Block, taking up 8,000 square feet of space on the main floor.

Anyone who has shown interest in the restaurant industry is probably aware that it’s a very fickle business. Even the best of the best don’t always succeed. Despite Black Box Hospitality Group’s stellar track record, the bank needs to know that they can meet them part way before they agree to fund a portion of the estimated $900,000 project.

A screenshot from their live Kickstarter page.

Therefore, Black Box is looking for help by turning to crowdfunding. They have just under three weeks left to raise their all-or-nothing goal of $100,000 through their Kickstarter campaign. Within the first day they managed to make it a tenth of the way there and they’re currently sitting at $30K; however, they need a big push to accelerate them to where they need to be.

It isn’t always easy to understand why entrepreneurs ask for assistance. After all, someone who owns a handful of successful businesses shouldn’t have any issues, right? The thing is, it doesn’t equate to millions or even hundreds of thousand dollars sitting in their bank accounts at this second. It just means that they’ve taken enough risks and seen enough gains to ensure that daily operations can run smoothly.

The campaign offers a number of fun rewards.

The beauty of backing a Kickstarter is that it comes with very little risk to you. If they don’t collect enough through pledges, your money stays in your wallet. Yet, if they do, you receive a selected reward in return. In this case, there are some excellent ones available at a variety of accessible price points: free monthly coffee for a year ($25), dinner for two at Fox Burger ($75), roof top kick-off party ($97 per person), customizable tasting for eight ($200), and many more.

Ultimately, by getting involved, you’re helping to shape the culture and the landscape of the community for the better. With a more vibrant area and an increase in jobs, it’s a win-win situation. So, I’ll stop preaching to you now, but I highly encourage you to visit the Black Box x Gibbard Block Kickstarter page. Watch their video and read through their pitch. They’ve got a great group of passionate people behind this, and I hope you’ll choose to back it like I have.

Edmonton Event Preview: Vignettes Design Series 2018 & Nuit Blanche

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Salvador Dali is hidden in one of the Vignettes rooms.

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the 2018 Vignettes Design Series VIP Gala. It was held inside Edmonton City Centre in the old ATB Branch on the ground floor (next to the 101 Street West Entrance). When we arrived, we found a huge line already snaking across the mall. It seemed that we were in for a less than exclusive event.

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When we finally made it into the Vignettes space, we were each welcomed with a tiny disposable cocktail glass filled with a couple of sips of sangria. After that, all other food (aside from what was available in the Sanctuary room) and drinks required ticket purchases at an additional cost. Needless to say, for a $40 price tag per guest, I wasn’t too impressed with how this event was executed. It became much too packed way too quickly, making it extremely difficult to maneuver around (architecturally, the overall footprint is small).

Spectra was sort of a simple space, but it felt foreign because of the lighting, sound and simplicity.
Wabi Sabi designed this room about ever-changing realities and the beauty of imperfection.
This room was the craziest.
Everything was askew.
Artists Peter Gegolick and Marcus Coldeway were the visual artists behind this space.
Tiki door into a fantastical world by Bob and Kelvin.
Vintage Voyage
Got 99 Problems, but this Vignette Ain’t One
Northern Light vibes

Mostly, my hope of getting to mix and mingle in-person with the artists that had worked on the individual rooms was dashed. They were much too busy with the hoards of other guests that had also paid to get into this party. While I do understand that the money collected from ticket sales does go back into the creation of future Vignettes events, I would rather that the organizers made it a little more low key. Spend less money on getting a DJ (it’s so hard to talk or hear) and expensive catering and allow people who want a more in-depth experience to get just that.

The hidden bar.
Snacks inside the Sanctuary by FRESCO Culinary.
Chef Michel Nasrabadi of Butternut Tree was behind the menu in the Sanctuary.
The spread of food inside the Sanctuary.
Time stands still inside The Grand Palastrio.
What’s inside The Grand Palastrio door?
Rainforest vibes built by a 4th grader’s father.
Inspired by Dr. Seuss.
Save the sloths 🙂

Still, I don’t want to take away from the creativity of the work or the artists themselves. They did a phenomenal job transforming mundane offices, closets and walls into over a dozen fantastical or modern spaces. My favourites included a hidden bar, a rainforest (designed by a 4th grader and built by her father), a living space that utilized hydroponics (FRESCO Culinary provided snacks!), and The Grand Palastrio where time is questioned.

The idea of changing perceptions.
Search for the stars.
Closer inspection of the trees in Giselle Denis’ 3D space.
Giselle Denis live painting.
Public gallery opens Sept 28!

Thankfully, the Vignettes gallery will be open to the public every Thursday to Saturday for a month starting on Friday, September 28 and running until Saturday, October 27. While it won’t have the same crazy atmosphere of the VIP Gala (if that’s more your thing), tickets are only $15 per person and they will have timed entrances to help mitigate overcrowding. I expect that this setup will give visitors a chance to really engage with what’s in front of them without feeling rushed to move along. If you can fit this into your schedule before it’s gone, I do recommend taking the time to see this.

The Grand Palastrio

The launch of the public gallery for Vignettes also coincides with Nuit Blanche Edmonton 2018. The latter is a free late-night contemporary art party that takes place from 7pm on Saturday, September 29 to 7am on Sunday, September 30. Nuit Blanche is in its second full scale iteration (technically the third year in the city though), and this particular event happens for just the one evening throughout the downtown area. To find out what’s in store for this year’s programming, click here. Vignettes has been incorporated into Nuit Blanche and, based on the ticketing site, it appears as though they will not be charging for entry into that area during Nuit Blanche hours. However, you may want to check with Vignettes in advance just to be sure.

Nuit Blanche is an experience like no other with a lot of volunteers working behind the scenes to get the exhibits up and running (I was one in 2015). Although the weather forecast is looking chilly on Saturday night, venture out! Bundle up in a warm coat with a hat and gloves, and maybe bring a thermos with your favourite hot beverage. Participating works come from artists across the globe, and everyone who attends is bound to discover something that they fall in love with.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse

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Unlimited meats, salad bar and brunch items!

Step aside Pampa, there’s a new steakhouse in town! In all honestly, I’ve never actually tried Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse myself. I’ve always been weary of the prices ($51.99 per person for dinner and $33.99 for brunch), unsure if it’d be worth the money considering I can’t really eat all that much meat in one sitting. But, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed earlier this summer and I noticed quite a few posts about a similar restaurant called Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse.

The spacious interior of Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse.

This new business is located on the ground floor of the Water’s Edge building at 10143 Saskatchewan Drive. On a nice summer day, it’d be quite enjoyable to sit out on the patio with views of the bridges and the city skyline. During our visit though, it was starting to turn chilly and the winds were high, so indoors we went. It’d been years since I’d set foot into that space (it previously housed New Asian Village). From what I can recall, it used to be a lot more cramped. Now, it’s very open and spacious with a more modern design that utilizes bold colours on the walls and art.

Green = More / Red = Pause

We did have an OpenTable reservation. However, I will note that it wasn’t particularly busy when we arrived. They offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Timing it so that we could eat before a Fringe Festival show, we decided to dine at 1:00pm. Perhaps showing up later meant it had already quieted down. Therefore, we were quickly seated and given instructions on how the meal works — the buffet is available at any time, but the meats are brought out from the kitchen throughout; if you want the churrasco (Brazilian barbecue), flip the circular card to green and if you need a break, flip it to red.

Brunch at Fumaca is $25.99 and includes French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs and hash browns as well as a salad bar and an unlimited amount of seven select cuts of meat (at dinner there are 15 varieties, hence the increased cost of $44.99). We started our meal by perusing the buffet. I stacked my plate with the aforementioned French toast and pancakes, dressing those with a berry compote. I also scooped up some hash browns and mashed potatoes on the side. From their salad bar, I chose some red beets, marinated mushrooms, a curry pasta, and the pièce de résistance, full bulbs of roasted garlic.

My initial plate of pancakes, French toast, hash browns, mashed potatoes and veggies.

The latter of my collection from the salad bar was perfect to accompany most bites of meat that I sampled. I mean, garlic works with everything. As for the rest of my choices, they were all tasty and well-seasoned. Nothing was overly salty or inedible. Although, I did feel like the salad bar was a tad scant. There were plenty of dressings and oils laid out to go with bowls of mixed greens and some additional veggies, fruits and toppings, but not much else. If someone opted to pay just for the brunch salad bar on its own ($19.99), I’m not sure that it’d be all that filling.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pancakes and the French toast though. It’s very easy for those to be ill prepared as part of a buffet. When items like those are left out for too long, they can either become hard or soggy. These stood the test with the pancakes remaining rather fluffy and the French toast holding a crispness on the outside.

Signature Beef Rumpsteak carved table side.
Beef Garlic Steak

Then came the meat. Our introduction to their rodizio was through their signature Beef Rumpsteak. Carved right at the table, it was that perfect medium rare pink. The meat was juicy and not overpowered by seasoning. Simply dressed with only a little bit of sea salt, the steak itself was left to be the star of the show. The second was a Beef Garlic Steak; a smaller cut of meat that was succulent and had an extra hint of flavour. The third beef steak we ate was the Top Sirloin. It was a tougher cut since it was leaner than the other two. Flavourful, but, comparatively, the chewier texture wasn’t ideal. Admittedly, we thought the staff were kind of skimping with the slices, but once you’ve eaten several kinds of meat, it’s eventually more than enough.

The Chicken Drumsticks were nicely charred to get that grilled taste. They were also plump. I could have done without those though. I’d much rather something outside the norm of what I might make at home. That’s where the Leg of Lamb comes in. Not too gamey at all and super tender, this was a total treat to be able to have lamb included as part of a limitless brunch.

Crispy Pork Belly with what remained of my Pork Sausage.

When I first told Kirk that there wouldn’t be any regular sausage or bacon, he seemed quite disappointed. Then I mentioned that they serve barbecued Pork Sausage and Crispy Pork Belly instead and his spirits brightened. After all, those are just elevated versions of the usual brunch fare. Initially, we couldn’t put our finger on the herb used in the sausage, and we ended up asking one of the servers. To our amazement, it was cilantro. That is pretty much my taste bud nemesis. Yet, somehow, they managed to make cilantro edible for me. I’m not sure what black magic they’re using in the kitchen, but it worked and the sausage ended up being one of my top picks.

Still, my absolute favourite was the crispy pork belly. These were thick cut portions of pork belly that were seared beautifully on the edges. I did have to remove a little excess fat that had not rendered away during the cooking process, but the acidity from the spritz of lime helped to cut through that as well. The second portion of pork belly was even better. It seriously made the meal.

Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse seems to have a solid foundation in the kitchen. They’re the only other business of this kind in Edmonton giving the long reigning Pampa a run for its money. The service we received was great, too. I just hope that they get some more people through their doors, and perhaps they can expand their salad bar a bit. Nevertheless, for any meat lover with a hefty appetite, this should be one of their go to places to fuel up on the weekend.

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Riverbank Bistro (St. Albert)

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Dessert in the form of Key Lime Pie!

After a day out at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in August, Kirk and I decided to treat ourselves to dinner out. Instead of sticking around the busy area of Old Strathcona, we made the trek over to Riverbank Bistro in St. Albert. I’d read recent praise about the restaurant, which opened up inside the Victorian-Style house situated on Mission Avenue last fall, and I wanted to try it.

The Victorian-style exterior of the building.
The foyer has a door to the right that leads into the Riverbank Bistro lounge.

We showed up for our OpenTable reservation early (at about a quarter to 5:00pm), so I snapped some photos of the building and the interior of the house before we went inside. Interesting to note is that Riverbank Bistro also has a lounge serving a very different bites menu; however, it’s completely cutoff from the restaurant. The lounge actually has a different door on the right hand side of the foyer, accessible when you enter the building. The door to the left takes you into the main dining room.

The dining room is through a door on the left.

Upon our arrival we were greeted immediately. Although we could have requested to sit outside on the patio that overlooks the Sturgeon River, we ended up seated at a table for two inside. Personally, I believe we made the right choice seeing as how a couple that had originally opted to dine outside ended up shifting indoors. It sounded like the bugs were invading.

Prior to our visit, I had perused the Riverbank Bistro menu online. The list of classic items had an elevated air to them, and I was excited to sink my teeth into their offerings. What I didn’t realize was that on Sundays, the only menu they have available is their Sunday Feature Menu. It’s a two-course dinner that includes a starter and an entrée for $28.95 per person. While I’m all for the price, I was a tad disappointed that it was our only option. The menu provides four appetizers and three mains to choose from. My singular hope was that the chef had selected the best from their menu to showcase every Sunday.

If anything, the lack of choice made our decisions that much faster. Kirk decided on the Caesar Salad (normally $14) and the Roast AAA Alberta Beef Prime Rib (not on the usual menu). I ordered the R.B.B. Soup Creation (regularly $8) and the Pan Seared Salmon Fillet ($27 on its own). I also began my meal with a Mission Ave Mule ($13).

Caesar Salad

For the Caesar Salad, the kitchen refrained from chopping the romaine hearts. Instead, they cut them lengthwise, laying them open and then piling on the dressing, focaccia croutons, shaved Asiago, crispy capers, and grape tomatoes. To finish things off, it was topped with a grilled lemon slice. The juices from that created a charred acidity. I appreciated that the appropriate amount of dressing was used. More often than not, salads either have too much or too little dressing. In the case of Riverbank Bistro it was just right for me. Plus, the ample cheese helped. What kind of gave the Caesar salad a twist was the addition of those grape tomatoes, bringing a pop of tang and sweet here and there.

Roast AAA Alberta Beef Prime Rib

The Roast AAA Alberta Beef Prime Rib was decent. The meat looked to be cooked to a proper medium or medium rare. Yet, I found it to be a bit dry in spots. The rosemary jus was flavourful though, and the smashed potatoes were buttery. I kind of wish there had been more potato. Although, I suppose with a side of Yorkshire pudding, there was already enough starch to go around. Speaking of the Yorkshire pudding, Kirk called it his dessert. Most days he prefers salt to sugar, and I have to agree that Riverbank Bistro’s version is good. It had a crisp outer shell and a fluffy interior with a slight chew, ideal for soaking up leftover gravy. The roasted carrots and turnips were prepared nicely as well.

R.B.B. Soup Creation

The R.B.B. Soup Creation changes all the time, but boy did I luck out that weekend! The chef had made a creamy potato Asiago soup with caramelized onion and bacon. In my opinion, when it comes to soups, I can take or leave a broth. I’m all about an amazing cream soup, and this one was luxurious, to say the least. It was surprisingly smooth. Whatever they did to puree the potatoes, they were undetectable in terms of texture. It was warm, thick and creamy all the way down to the last drop. The flavours of the cheese, onions and bacon melded together perfectly. I’d go back to Riverbank Bistro simply for this.

Pan Seared Salmon Fillet

My main of Pan Seared Salmon Fillet was passable. I will give them props for the fish itself. The cut was large and it was pan seared so that none of the moisture was lost. The fish was succulent and flaky without falling apart too easily. I’m not entirely certain as to how it was seasoned. If I had to guess, I think it was simple salt and pepper with some maple syrup as it looked lightly caramelized on the top. What I wasn’t a huge fan of was the base of the dish, which consisted of an herbed spaetzle along with a bacon and corn succotash. I found the dill heavy handed and the overall taste saltier than I would like. While bites of the noodles seemed to help tone down the brininess, it was still a lot for my palate to take.

Mission Ave Mule

What really assisted with washing away the salt was my Mission Ave Mule. It’s a typical mule cocktail mix with vodka, lime, and ginger. Riverbank Bistro took it up a notch by adding in blueberry. I could clearly taste the fruit in the beverage with every sip, but they also decorate the top of the drink with frozen blueberries as an extra touch. My only wish is that for $13 it came in a bigger cup. I really had to savour that drink slowly.

Key Lime Pie

To cap off our dinner, we decided to share the Key Lime Pie ($10) for dessert. This was plated beautifully on a large white backdrop with colourful dollops of puree and pieces of fruit. It was creative and playful. The pie was delicious with a filling that leaned towards creamy instead of spongy. It was smooth and had a pleasant zestiness. The crust was also different from a basic pie since they incorporated coconut into it giving it a toasty flavour that married well with the key lime.

Despite the initial revelation that their regular menu was not available on Sunday, it turned out to be a pretty good meal. It gave the two of us an idea of the potential that lies in Riverbank Bistro. With the mains, maybe they just had more of an off night since I do believe that improvements are needed. But, wow, did they do a great job with things like their appetizers and dessert. I also think that the service was excellent (aside from one forgetful moment where we were brought our bill prior to our dessert coming out). We’re definitely willing to give Riverbank Bistro another shot as long as we visit on a Tuesday to Saturday instead.