News
Coal in Alberta – Exhibit in Red Deer Alberta.
Coal in Alberta will be showing Red Deer Arts Council – Kiwanis Gallery, Red Deer Public Library at 4818 – 49 Street, Red Deer, Alberta on August 18th 2026 to October 12th 2026.
Monochrome Guild members taking part include Arturo Pianzola, Court Smith, Fred Braakman, Nigel Goldup and Rob Pohl.
Opening Reception with Artists in Attendance – September 4th 2026 – 5:30 to 7:30PM.
Past: at the Leighton Art Centre, June 2022.
About the Exhibit:
A small collective within the Monochrome Guild (Fred Braakman, Nigel Goldup, Arturo Pianzola, Robert Pohl, Court Smith) have been working since 2015, to document both what remains of the coal industry of the past and contrast it with that of today, and possibly tomorrow. The exhibition attempts to illustrate the past history of the coal industry in Alberta. For more information on this Exhibit, please see our Coal in Alberta under the collections tab.
Interview with Stephen Wreakes
General Manager of McBain Camera, Rene Rodrigue, sat down for a candid conversation with Monochrome Guild member Stephen Wreakes. Their conversation covered some philosophical ideas, approaching subjects, and observing/anticipating before shooting. There’s also a number of great photographers mentioned as inspirational (see below). To expand past the term ‘street photography,’ Steve documents humans being human, as well as the environments around them and us. The candid moments include musicians, activists, performers, and many other subjects.
Interview Link: A Conversation with Stephen Wreakes
Photographers Mentioned:
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertesz, Robert Capa, Diane Arbus, Elliott Erwitt, Lee Friedlander, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, Daido Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Robert Doisneau, Josef Koudelka, Jane Bown
Coal in Alberta – Exhibit in Crowsnest Pass Alberta
The Coal in Alberta exhibit took place at Crowsnest Pass Public Art Gallery, Oct 16-Nov 14, 2021, showing work of Guild members in traditional black and white photography, focused on Alberta’s coal industry.
About the Exhibit:
A small collective within the Monochrome Guild (Fred Braakman, Nigel Goldup, Arturo Pianzola, Robert Pohl, Court Smith) have been working since 2015, to document both what remains of the coal industry of the past and contrast it with that of today, and possibly tomorrow. The exhibition attempts to illustrate the past history of the coal industry in Alberta.