Spring Newsletter 2026
Upcoming Exhibitions, Workshops and Travel
The Big Pop Up — Art on Ninth at Westhills Towne Centre, Calgary
Sneak‑Peek Opening: Evening of April 2 (Art on Ninth mailing list subscribers)
Exhibition Dates: April 3 – May 4
I’m thrilled to be part of The Big Pop Up in Calgary, presented by Art on Ninth at Westhills Towne Centre. I’ll be showing four large new forest landscape paintings, each rooted in the deep, interior old‑growth cedar environments that continue to shape my practice. These works lean fully into atmosphere — layered greens, shifting light, and that quiet sense of presence found in the forest.
If you’d like early access, Art on Ninth is hosting a special sneak‑peek opening on April 2 for their mailing list subscribers. All work will be listed on their website once the exhibition opens.
Enchanted, 40” x 60”, Art on Ninth, Calgary
Chasing The Light — 1401 Gallery at Cranbrook Arts, Cranbrook
Exhibition Dates: April 22 – May 30
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 25, 12:30–3:00 PM
My second spring exhibition, Chasing The Light, opens at the 1401 Gallery at Cranbrook Arts. This group show brings together three artists — myself, Janet Moore, and Anne Aitken Anderson — affectionately known as the Plein Air Trio.
I’ll be featuring a collection of small framed plein air paintings, around 15–20 works created on site in the forests and mountains around the Kootenays. These studies capture the spontaneous energy of shifting light and atmosphere with loose brush strokes, local colour, and thoughtful design. Alongside them, I’ll be showing a few larger studio works that grew directly from these plein air moments.
The three of us — the Plein Air Trio — will also be teaching an outdoor plein air painting workshop this spring. For details or to register, please contact Cranbrook Arts.
The opening reception on April 25 is a relaxed afternoon gathering, and it would be wonderful to see you there.
July: Into The Alpine
This July, I’ll be flying into the Trident Group in the Selkirks with four other female artists for a five‑day plein air expedition. We’ll be part of the Alpine Club of Canada’s General Mountaineering Camp — Independent Week, which gives us access to a truly remote alpine environment.
We’ll be painting high above the treeline: glaciers, rock fields, meltwater, and that sharp, crystalline light that only exists in the high Selkirks. It’s a rare opportunity to work directly in the alpine, and I’m excited to bring those impressions back into the studio. Field studies from trips like this often become the starting points for future series, shaped by the colour shifts and atmospheric edges we’ll encounter up there.
There’s also the possibility of a group exhibition inspired by this expedition, though those conversations are still unfolding.
I’ll share glimpses from the trip when I can on my Instagram @melaniemacvoy— quick studies, notes, and the small moments that often spark the larger work.