Fort McMurray artists bring Northern Lights and oilsands life to Calgary Stampede art show
Two Fort McMurray artists showcase Northern Lights and oilsands scenes at the Calgary Stampede art show, on view through July 12, 2026.
Amy Keller-Rempp and Alexandra Kavanagh, both based in Fort McMurray, have work on display at the Calgary Stampede art show, bringing a Northern Alberta perspective to the event. The exhibition, billed under a “Western Living” theme, runs through July 12, 2026 and features more than 50 Canadian creators. The pair’s pieces contrast sky-born spiritual motifs and grounded oilsands narratives, offering festival visitors a different view of northern Alberta life.
Fort McMurray artists featured at Calgary Stampede art show
Amy Keller-Rempp is showing selections from her SkyDance series, a body of work inspired by the aurora and the landscape she encountered after moving to Fort McMurray in 2008. The self-taught artist, born to a Mohawk mother and a German father in Belleville, Ontario, has developed a practice that blends metalwork, painting and public commissions. Alexandra Kavanagh appears in the “Rising Artists” gallery with paintings that depict oilsands sites and the people who work them.
Both artists say their Fort McMurray ties shape the content and reach of their work. Keller-Rempp credits local commissions and public art projects — including a large mural installed at the Fort McMurray airport — with helping her expand from studio practice into the public realm. Kavanagh, originally from Montreal, says years working on oilsands sites gave her subject matter, and early sales to colleagues opened doors to business and community networks.
SkyDance: Northern Lights rendered in metal and paint
Keller-Rempp’s SkyDance pieces attempt to translate the aurora into motion and narrative, layering animal imagery and sweeping light forms across metal and canvas. She describes the series as arising from a powerful impression on first seeing the Northern Lights — a sequence of visions that she felt compelled to depict. Her work often places animals such as bison, eagles and wolves within waves of light, creating scenes that the artist frames as spiritual encounters rather than literal landscapes.
The artist emphasizes technique as much as inspiration, combining metal fabrication with painting to create textured, luminous surfaces. Those materials reflect light differently in the gallery, reinforcing the sky-and-earth dialogue at the heart of the series. Keller-Rempp has previously produced public benches and prints, and the SkyDance pieces continue a trajectory that moves between commissioned civic work and gallery exhibition.
From oilsands shifts to public commissions
Alexandra Kavanagh’s trajectory is rooted in the day-to-day reality of the oilsands, where she spent years working on-site and later as a safety manager. Her paintings grew out of informal sketches and sold pieces among co-workers, which led local companies and organizations to take an interest. That attention helped her join community networks and the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce, which Kavanagh credits with accelerating her exposure to broader audiences and opportunities.
Her work at the Stampede includes acrylic-on-metal paintings that foreground infrastructure, labor and landscape, using layered composition to suggest movement and connection. One highlighted piece, titled The Journey, portrays winding routes and industrial forms alongside natural elements, aiming to show the people and families behind major projects. On June 22, 2026, one of Kavanagh’s paintings was presented as a gift to Canada–U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc during his visit to Fort McMurray, an example of how her work has moved into civic and diplomatic contexts.
Community and Indigenous roots in the work
Both artists situate their practice within a community context, but they approach origins differently. Keller-Rempp speaks of her Indigenous roots and a sense of spiritual direction in her work, saying each painting is an attempt to make visible the sacred images she experiences. Her combination of Mohawk heritage and a rural Ontario upbringing informs a visual language that connects ancestral motifs to the northern Alberta sky.
Kavanagh emphasizes the social ties of the oilsands community and the pride she sees among workers and families. Her paintings aim to counter reductive narratives about northern Alberta by portraying everyday dignity and the interdependence of people and place. Together, their works present northern Alberta as both a spiritual landscape and a living community shaped by industry, family and creativity.
Exhibition details and public access
The Calgary Stampede art show’s Western Living section features original artwork and photography from creators across Canada and remains open through July 12, 2026. Keller-Rempp is marking her third consecutive year at the show, while Kavanagh is participating in the Rising Artists program for the first time. Festival-goers can view the pieces within the gallery spaces dedicated to Canadian artists; several works on display include large-format paintings and metal constructions that require close viewing for full effect.
Organizers have arranged a mix of contemporary and traditional Western-themed work, and the inclusion of northern Alberta voices has become a talking point among visitors. Both artists said the Stampede platform allows them to reach audiences who might not otherwise encounter their subject matter, from Calgary residents to out-of-province tourists.
The Calgary showing also reflects an ongoing trend of artists from resource communities gaining visibility in national festivals and galleries. For Keller-Rempp and Kavanagh, the Stampede exhibition represents both a professional milestone and an opportunity to reshape public perceptions of life beyond the oilsands.
Each artist leaves the gallery with different aims: Keller-Rempp hopes viewers will sense the spiritual and luminous qualities she seeks to convey in SkyDance, while Kavanagh wants audiences to see the human stories behind industrial landscapes. Their work at the Calgary Stampede art show offers a brief but vivid window into Fort McMurray’s cultural life through both sky and steel.
