An exhibition exploring the unique culture and nostalgia of the West Edmonton Mall celebrated its last few days on campus with a public reception on March 30 that provided a look into the evolution of the Edmonton icon.

THE MALL, the most recent exhibition in the Mitchell Art Gallery (MAG), opened in January, showcasing West Edmonton Mall through sculpture, paintings and interactive artworks. Throughout its run, THE MALL featured artist talks and a series of live performances by artist Cindy Baker. At the closing reception, Baker performed Perch Menagerie for the final time.

The event also included the release of a new issue of Hungry Zine centred on mall food and featuring student and community contributors. A collaborative map with community stories of experiences at the mall was also celebrated, as were visual responses to the exhibition created by ARTE 119 and ARTE 301 students.

“My co-curator Hannah Quimper-Swiderski and I have been floored by the response to this exhibition,” says MAG curator Carolyn Jervis. “We are so appreciative of the ways that contributors to THE MALL have been such caring stewards of community stories.”

“Mall experiences are often considered unremarkable, but as this exhibition and all the artworks and programs demonstrate, the cultural and social experiences produced there really matter to people,” says Jervis. “I hope THE MALL has shown that mall culture is indeed culture, that it’s so important that we tell our own stories, and that it matters that we take care of our community’s stories.”

Click through the images below to see some highlights from the event.