Before You Go: Five Details to Discover in The Whyte’s Summer Exhibitions

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By Anaïs Goorriah, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, and Julie Fesseler, Tour Program Manager

Before you visit The Whyte this summer, here are five details worth slowing down for in our current exhibitions. From hidden stories and rare Rodin sculptures to archival photographs, portraits, and unexpected moments of recognition, Thick as Thieves and When our eyes touch invite visitors to look closer at art, memory, power, and connection.

Thick as Thieves is a contemporary art exhibition organized by MacKenzie Art Gallery and curated by nationally recognized curator Crystal Mowry. When our eyes touch is a collaboratively curated exhibition of Peter and Catharine Whyte’s work by our Archives and Curatorial teams. 

Together, these exhibitions invite reflection on themes of trust, power and community, and the stories we tell through art, archives, and relationships.

Here are five things to look for during your visit:

1. The Stories Behind the Story

Throughout Thick as Thieves, we can observe common themes such as trust, power and community, but what unites the display is the stories behind the story. During the opening night, curator Crystal Mowry unravelled the many secrets and anecdotes that dot the exhibition. A crowd favourite is the story behind King Nobbler’s Double (1916), which speaks to the powerful bond between humans and our furry companions – and, more specifically, how collector Mr. Norman Mackenzie documented his love for his dog more than his relationship with his wife. Find more of those anecdotal stories by reading the labels, or join one of our Art Gallery tours for more stories behind the story.

2. Nic Wilson's Indexes and Voids

In a display that is constantly reinventing itself, Nic Wilson’s practice interrogates the spaces between what’s seen and unseen – the index and the void. The combination of the index and the forms can be read as an experimental form of writing, complemented by the void the forms create. The juxtaposition of the hand-cut pieces grounds itself in themes of the exhibition and in multiple conversations between the curator and Wilson. An intriguing index is the plastic bag…. Can you find it?

3. Is That a Rodin?

You’re right! Walking past Behind this lies my true desires for you (2012/2026) installation by August Klintberg, you will encounter not one but two of Rodin’s sculptures. Auguste Rodin’s sculptures are not represented in the permanent collections of major public galleries in Alberta, making this a rare opportunity to view two works by the founder of modern sculpture. Eternal Spring and The Kiss offer an intimate look at the artist’s craftsmanship but speak louder to Rodin’s conflicting relationship with Camille Claudel. The story is explored under the theme of desire and power.

Before you leave, make sure to continue your journey to the Rummel Room through the Heritage Gallery.

4. Hold Still. Don’t Move.

In When our eyes touch, we explore a different narrative to the relationship Catharine Robb Whyte and Peter Whyte entertained with members of the Bow Valley community. Long unquestioned as friends, the exhibition interrogates the power dynamics of those relationships to the community through the lens of Catharine and Peter’s portraiture painting practice from art school and beyond. This is an invitation to look at the Whyte’s paintings with fresh eyes.

5. Identifying the Sitter

Turning the corner of the Rummel Room into our Reading Room, you can find photographs of Peter and Catharine’s art school days. The couple entered the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1925, where this story begins. The sitters in When our eyes touch can be spotted in photographs alluring to the artistic ability of Peter and Catharine to capture likeness. Flick through our photo archives to identify sitters. Bonus point if you can spot the photograph from which Peter Whyte’s Untitled (1937) was based in the Recognizing Relations photograph collection. That project began as a community naming project, bringing archival photographs of unidentified Indigenous people to local Elders in hopes of identifying those photographed by name.

Experience The Whyte's Summer Exhibitions in Banff

As you navigate through the galleries, we invite you to wonder, to find something you didn't expect – in a portrait, on a label, in an archive photo that catches your eye, or a piece of art that stays with you.

We can’t wait to share these summer exhibitions with you. Learn more about our exhibitions, guided tours, and events on our website, and begin planning your visit today. Once you're here, dig deeper into the exhibition by joining a guided tour of the galleries, free with museum admission.

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The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 111 Bear Street, Banff, AB. Join us in person to discover the stories, portraits, archival photographs, and unexpected details waiting inside Thick as Thieves and When our eyes touch this summer.

Follow us on social media and keep an eye on The Cairn for more exhibition stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and upcoming programs at The Whyte.

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