The breath of the Four Seasons must ever be our basic inspiration.
—J.E.H. MacDonald, A Landmark of Canadian Art (1917)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2015, KLEINBURG ON—To celebrate Canada’s four beautiful and distinct seasons, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection presents the exhibition For Every Season, on until January 2016. Visitors can journey through four galleries, enjoy floor-to-ceiling windows that provide breathtaking views of the Humber River Valley and 100-acre woodland setting, and admire beautiful landscape paintings by great Canadian artists.
This exhibition presents painted works by artists such as Emily Carr, Clarence Gagnon, David Milne, Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, and others from the permanent collection. Four of the McMichael’s lower level galleries are each dedicated to one of the seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.
A unique experience awaits visitors in the fall gallery, as the distinction between the indoors and outdoors is blurred. Glancing through the windows in the late afternoon, with paintings reflected in the glass, it appears as if each artwork is suspended in the trees—the notion of a treetop gallery literally comes to life. Visitors are then reminded that the McMichael is set within the very inspiration for some of the most iconic Canadian art—a beautiful landscape.
“Riots of colour in the fall leaves, soft quietude in the winter snow, the fresh promise of spring green, and the long hours of the summer sun are all vividly expressed in the painted canvases throughout this four-part exhibition,” said Sarah Stanners, Director of Curatorial & Collections at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. “I encourage the public to come and enjoy the art and then walk our extraordinary trails, exploring first-hand the connection between art and nature.”
Images from left: From left: Tom Thomson (1877-1917), Autumn Birches, 1916, oil on wood panel, 21.6 x 26.7 cm, Gift of Mrs. H.P. de Pencier, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1966.2.3; Clarence Gagnon (1881-1942), Twilight, Baie St. Paul, c. 1920, oil on canvas, 49.9 x 65 cm, Gift of Mr. Syd Hoare, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1975.61; Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945), Farm, Haliburton, 1940, oil on hardboard, 96.3 x 122 cm, Given in memory of Alice and Douglas Bales by their family, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1997.2
High resolution images are available to the media upon request by contacting: Daniela Travierso-Galati at dtravierso-galati@mcmichael.com or 905.893.1121 ext. 2210.
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, and the McMichael Canadian Art Foundation. 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:mcmichael.com.
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Media Contacts:
Daniela Travierso-Galati
Media Relations and Communications Coordinator
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
dtravierso-galati@mcmichael.com
Connie Febbraro
Associate Director, Marketing and Promotions
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2528
cfebbraro@mcmichael.com