The Art Drain: Why artists are migrating from Alberta to Quebec
By Natasha Pashak
A year ago I moved to Montreal. I thought I could learn more about the country by living in a place most different from Alberta, a place where I didn’t know anyone. To my surprise, I ran into people from Alberta everywhere I went – in grocery stores and shopping centers, at theatres and music venues, even walking down the street. Why are so many Albertans choosing to make Montreal their home? Some say they are dissatisfied with the political situation in Alberta. Others simply find Montreal invigorating, either because of the challenge of language and cultural differences or because they feel inspired by the variety of things happening in the city. For Alberta artists, the move to Montreal seems to have more to do with their desire to challenge themselves or develop creatively as individuals, and less to do with finding a cultural home – although some would not agree. I, for one, feel a certain freedom here that I didn’t feel in Alberta. As Alberta celebrates its centennial and ponders its cultural heritage, it is important to hear the voices of those who leave.
Wil Murray migrated to Montreal following friends’ advice that the city was cheap to live in. It’s freed up his time to focus on his art and avoid the “credit-card anarchists” – meaning those who want to be revolutionaries without affecting their credit rating. “Here, I’m surrounded by folks for whom a life in a rented apartment isn’t a failure. You can just LIVE here. It’s not that all the lifestyle stuff I left back in the West isn’t here. It’s just not the only way of life.” Murray was born and raised in Calgary and attended ACAD. He is working on a photo series about Calgary’s now-defunct Corral-4 Drive-in theatre. Wil knows a tiny bit about colour, composition, form, texture. He says that once he knows more he may just paint an apple.
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