Reflections:10 Years Capturing Calgary’s Alt Music Scene at Studio Bell

Music is really powerful. It connects us all through different forms, as photographer Zoltan Varadi shows in his photos that range from 1992 to 2001.

Reflections: 10 Years Capturing Calgary’s Alt Music Scene is a feature exhibition at Studio Bell that you can see every Saturday and Sunday. This was put together by Varadi after going through old negatives during the pandemic. Some of the pictures had never been published before.

Varadi is described as a music photographer, having worked for several local arts and entertainment publications that lead him to portray not just acts from Calgary, but of national character as well.

“Most of the images were shot at a trio of venues that became a kind of alt-rock Bermuda triangle, just outside of downtown Calgary – the Night Gallery at the northern tip, the Republik to the southeast, and the Ship & Anchor in the southwest. It was an easy place to get lost for a decade or so…

Only one of those venues is still open today, but looking back at them, and reflecting on the musical scene they helped incubate and propagate; they’re at the heart of why it continues to thrive. Enjoy looking back with me.”

Zoltan Varadi

Though the building closes at 5:00 p.m. keep in mind that the last entry is at 3:30 p.m..