Glenbow to Debut Obsession: The Unscripted Life of Jeanne Beker in 2026
Exploring the legacy of a Canadian icon and her impact on pop culture
CALGARY, AB, Sept. 23, 2024 /CNW/ - Glenbow is thrilled to announce an incredible exhibition co-curated by Jeanne Beker and Paul Hardy: Obsession: The Unscripted Life of Jeanne Beker. This is one of the feature exhibitions Glenbow visitors will experience when the museum reopens at the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture in 2026. Through her gifted skillset of writing, storytelling, and innate ability to connect with people, Beker pioneered new forms of reporting, that in turn democratized public access to industries like music and fashion that had been largely veiled in exclusivity.
"Jeanne's incredible life story is really at the center of this exhibition," says acclaimed designer and exhibition co-curator Paul Hardy. "We've brought together personal belongings, industry items, and fashion from Jeanne's own wardrobe, all from designers Jeanne has interviewed. For years, Jeanne has brought a humanity to music, fashion, and gave voice to faces and social causes she had a conviction about."
At the heart of this exhibition is the uniquely Canadian story of Jeanne Beker's career. Beginning with her love of performing, Beker became a trailblazer in a world she was passionate about. As a television personality, fashion and lifestyle journalist, editor, and interviewer, her unique ability to connect with people made her a household name in Canada and around the world through her work as the host of Fashion Television, which aired for nearly three decades.
"As a child of immigrant parents, who were also Holocaust survivors, I was raised to dream and believe, be fearless, and tenacious," says Beker. "I hope this retrospective of my career will inspire young people to pursue their ambitions with passion and faith, knowing that with hard work, even the grandest dreams can come true."
Beker and Hardy first met in the early 2000s shortly before Hardy's first fashion show at Toronto Fashion Week, after which Beker compared Hardy's talent as being that of Marc Jacobs or Stella McCartney in her article published in the National Post. Since then, the two have been fierce friends and supporters of one another – culminating now in this partnership to bring together art, fashion, music, and storytelling.
Both Beker and Hardy are no strangers to Glenbow. In 2015, Hardy was Glenbow's Artist in Residence, culminating in the exhibition Kaleidoscopic Animalia. Beker has previously supported Glenbow's Schmancy gala, an annual fundraiser held prior to the museum closing for renovations.
"Glenbow is committed to telling and showcasing unique arts and culture stories you may not find anywhere else," says Melanie Kjorlien, Glenbow's COO and VP, Engagement. "This exhibition will be unlike anything people may have seen before at Glenbow or elsewhere. We're looking at how storytelling has shaped social culture and self-expression – as told through Jeanne's incredible career."
Obsession: The Unscripted Life of Jeanne Beker will debut at Glenbow's new home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture, upon the museum's reopening in 2026. The exhibition will be the first in the new double-height salon gallery, which will be named in recognition of Gail and David O'Brien. More information will be available at glenbow.org.
Ahead of this biographical exhibition, Beker's new memoir, Heart on My Sleeve: Stories from a Life Well Worn, publishes on October 8, 2024 through Simon & Schuster Canada.
Founded in 1966 as an independent, non-profit museum, archive, and gallery, Glenbow cares for an extraordinary collection of more than 250,000 works of art and historical belongings – from Canada and cultures around the world – on behalf of the people of Alberta. Glenbow Reimagined is a project to renovate the museum's 50-year-old building and provide a vibrant, thriving cultural resource in the heart of Calgary, committed to expanding the accessibility and impact of arts and culture. Glenbow's main building is closed as it renovates to become the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture. While renovations are underway, visitors can experience exhibitions at the museum's satellite gallery, Glenbow at The Edison.
SOURCE Glenbow
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