FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2013, KLEINBURG ON – Due to the tremendous success of Edward Burtynsky: The Landscape That We Change at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the exhibition will be held over until October 14, 2013. Originally slated to close on September 29, the exhibition’s popularity and resonance with visitors has prompted the gallery to extend its run by two weeks. The gallery will also remain open until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings between September 26 and October 31.
“Our visitors have clearly responded to Edward Burtynsky’s visually stunning images,” said McMichael Executive Director and CEO, Victoria Dickenson. “Along with the exhibition Ansel Adams: Masterworks, The Landscape That We Change has contributed to a ninety-five percent increase in attendance over the same period last year. These photographs are conversation starters for so many of the issues that are top of mind in Canada and around the world. We are thrilled to be extending its run to give more visitors, including returning school groups, an opportunity to see these large-scale images up close and continue these important dialogues.”
On August 24, Burtynsky delivered an eye-opening lecture complete with stunning visuals to a sold-out McMichael crowd. It included a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his latest project, a feature-length documentary entitled Watermark. Following the presentation, visitors lined up to have their books signed by the internationally renowned photographer.
“The importance of Burtynsky’s vision and practice is that it consistently addresses issues regarding the “new landscapes of our time” through his visual examination of the landscapes that humans have changed not only in Canada but also in other countries across the world,” said exhibition curator Chris Finn. “The artist’s works reveal the extent of the devastation and altered state of nature that is portrayed. The images are intended to provoke a thoughtful dialogue about the environment and societal attitudes.”
Visitors to the McMichael are not the only ones enthralled by the beauty and significance of Burtynsky’s work. The artist has attracted widespread attention this year with his Water project, consisting of a film, a book, an app, and a travelling exhibition. The film, Watermark, debuted to critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2013, and the first exhibition of photographs from the Water series will debut at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) on October 5, 2013.
Visit mcmichael.com for information about Edward Burtynsky: The Landscape That We Change, on display at the McMichael until October 14, 2013.
About the McMichael Canadian Art Collection
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of almost 6,000 artworks by Canadian artists, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, as well as First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists. The gallery is located on 100 acres of northern landscape and hiking trails at 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in the City of Vaughan.
For more information: www.mcmichael.com.
Media Contacts:
Wendy Campbell
Manager, Media Relations and Online Presence
905.893.1121 ext. 2201
wcampbell@mcmichael.com
Rachel Weiner
Communications Coordinator
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
rweiner@mcmichael.com