Winter Exhibitions at The Whyte - Elise Rasmussen: An Alpine Trilogy and Second Take: Histories of Film in the Rockies

On view at The Whyte from November 1st, 2025 to April 12th, 2026!

Elise Rasmussen: An Alpine Trilogy brings together three interconnected bodies of work that resonate deeply in Banff, where mountain culture converges with narratives of conquest, grandeur, and nostalgia. Through rigorous research and lens-based media, Rasmussen recasts traditional narratives of history and nature through an exploration of the French and Swiss Alps.

Together, these works reflect on visibility, memory, and the evolving relationship between humans and mountain environments.

This exhibition is organized by The Whyte and curated by Christina Cuthbertson.

On view in the Rummel Room is Second Take: Histories of Film in the Rockies. For over a century, the Canadian Rockies have been used as a backdrop for Hollywood adventure epics, melodramas, westerns, and comedies. Whether these movies meant to highlight the Canadian landscape or simply have the scenery stand in for elsewhere, the silver screen influenced how moviegoers see Canada. Drawing from The Whyte Archives & Special Collections, Second Take: Histories of Film in the Rockies explores how Canadian identity and stereotypes grew and changed from the silent era to the turn of the century. By highlighting the experiences of the Bow Valley community members involved in select productions, we peek behind the scenes of what it takes to create the fantasy of uninhabited wilderness, lurking enemy danger, stalwart heroes, and damsels in distress.

This exhibition is organized by The Whyte and curated by Elizabeth Kundert-Cameron, Dagny Dubois, Kate Riordon, and Brittany Staddon with special mention to Travis Rider and Colleen Crawler.

Image credit: Still from “Did you know blue had no name?”, 16mm film transferred to HD Video w Stereo Sound, 6:36 (looping), 2018