The Nickle Gallery: A Review

 The Nickle Gallery

A review by Yuki Grimoldby

Stepping into the Nickle Gallery for the debut of Ecologies by Evelyn Koliju, I felt a wave of excitement and curiosity. The prospect of exploring not just one, but two captivating exhibitions immediately drew me in. The experience was an unexpected blend—learning about the powerful role of horses in wartime, then shifting focus to the interplay of science and art in ecology. In this review, I’ll first introduce the Nickle Gallery, then discuss the fascinating Munnings: The War Years exhibit, and finally spotlight my personal favorite, Ecologies by Evelyn Kaliga.

"Taylor Family Digital Library." 
Travel Alberta, www.travelalberta.com/listings/nickle-galleries-10805. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

The Gallery is a university gallery located in the Taylor Family Digital Library on the University of Calgary campus. It offers a selection of contemporary work by Canadian artists. The gallery is easy to access, being just a 10-minute walk from the university CTrain station. The entrance I used did not have a wheelchair ramp for the stairs, but I am sure there are other accessible entrances. Before we entered, we found lockers for storing bags and coats, making it easier since the gallery is quite large. There is also a shop, which I did not visit but assume sells art-related knick-knacks. The staff greeted me, briefly introduced the two featured artists, and encouraged me to ask them questions about any piece. The two exhibitions are on different levels. The first floor hosts Munnings: The War Years, a partnership with the Canadian War Museum that highlights the roles of horses in World War I and Sir Alfred Munnings' experience as an official war artist with the Canadian military on the Western Front. Elevators and stairs lead to the second level, which houses Ecologies by Evelyn Kolijn, a smaller exhibition merging art with science and ecology. The gallery space itself is quite nice, with dim lighting that sets a solemn or whimsical mood depending on the exhibition, and it is sensory-friendly. I often find harsh, bright gallery lighting overstimulating. Overall, the gallery is accessible and would be a great place for a family outing or a date night. 

Munnings The War Years

Munnings: The War Years is a traveling exhibition created by the Canadian War Museum and Munnings’ Art Museum. It features works by Sir Alfred Munnings, who is known as England’s most famous painter of horses. He was invited to be an official war artist with the Canadian military during the First World War. His work often included themes from English rural and sporting life, but his time with the Canadians on the Western Front introduced him to new subjects and helped establish his influence as an artist. Throughout the exhibition, there are three symbols to look for, each representing a different perspective: an unmounted horse for Munnings’ experience as a war artist, a mounted horse for the importance of location or action during the war, and a picture frame with a horse’s head in the center for the artistic features and significance of the paintings. The paintings depict battlefields and nearby villages, militia horses preparing for battle, and forestry horses pulling logs for fuel. There are also items like horse tack, stirrups, bits, saddlebags, girth straps, soldiers’ hats, a full farrier’s kit, and medical supplies for horses. At the back, there is a taxidermied horse dressed in the gear used in battle, including tack, a saber, rifle, pistol, satchels, and more. This exhibition highlights the often-overlooked role of horses in war. They have supported us through many battles, especially before modern technology.

Taxadermied Horse, Unknown

Ecologies -Eveline Koljin

Now for my favorite exhibit at the gallery: Ecologies by Evelyn Kolijn. This show is inspired by biology, especially ecology, which examines how living things interact with one another and their environments. Evelyn Kolijn is a Calgary-based artist and author who combines science and art to create eye-catching pieces that also remind us of the importance of our environment. She taught herself marine biology, holds an MA in cultural anthropology from Legion University and a BFA from Alberta University of the Arts, and won a Governor General’s Award for Academic Achievement in 2008. Kolijn is a talented printmaker, skilled in etching, linocut, and woodcut, often showing detailed patterns of underwater life. She sometimes uses natural materials in her art, like a bee print made from crushed bee pollen. Kolijn doesn’t just make 2D prints—she also creates and designs 3D works. One piece that really stood out to me is called Breath of Life. It’s a light installation with 24 handmade lamps, each lit by LEDs, that represent the cycle of turning oxygen into carbon dioxide. The lamps are made with blacklight film, digitally printed and hand-cut, and mounted on an aluminum frame. The patterns on the lamps show lung tissue, leaves, and algae at different magnifications, especially the bronchi and alveoli. Lungs and chloroplasts are where plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. The piece shows three categories: one with only lung tissue, and another with a mix of lung and plant tissue. The lights are programmed to show the oxygen cycle: we breathe in oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide, plants take it in, and the cycle continues. The moving lights represent the exchange of oxygen between us and plants, with colors shifting from pink to green. Kolijn was inspired to make this piece during a lung cancer research residency at Norris Cancer Center at the University of California in 2013. I really enjoyed this exhibition and hope to see more artists blend science and art, since it makes learning so much more interesting.

'Breath of Life' Eveline Koljin, 2014

'A Black Team in the Jammer', Alfred Munnings 1918, Oil on Canvas 

Munnings’ War Years and Ecologies complement each other well. One explores the scientific aspects of how organisms interact with their environment, while the other highlights the support horses gave us in war and, in a sense, honors them. I highly recommend visiting the gallery, which is open until December 6. While I am unsure whether it will travel for a while, Munnings: The War Years is a traveling exhibition, so you may find it elsewhere soon.

'Beachwalk in Time', Eveline Koljin and Evelien Spikes, 2015