Paul Klee’s The Lovers (1920) is part of the Met Museum’s Berggruen Collection—the source for Canada’s first Klee show in 40 years. Image: Facebook.
The National Gallery of Canada has released more 2018 lineup details—including the first Canadian exhibition of Paul Klee in 40 years. “Paul Klee: The Berggruen Collection from The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” opening November 16, brings together 75 drawings, watercolours and oils by Klee that encompass all aspects of his career. The gallery’s summer blockbuster is “Impressionist Treasures,” featuring 76 works by artists including Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Morisot and Renoir. The paintings all come from the Ordrupgaard collection in Denmark, and go on view to the public May 18. Also noteworthy: “Anthropocene: Human Footprint,” featuring new photos by Edward Burtynsky, films by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier and augmented reality, starting September 28; and a groundbreaking first retrospective of Victorian photo pioneer Oscar G. Rejlander, whose image manipulations foreshadowed the Photoshop era, a show which opens October 19. (press release)
A national Indigenous art billboard project is starting June 1. The artwork of 50 Indigenous women artists will be reproduced on 167 billboards from coast to coast to coast. The project produced by Winnipeg artist-run centre Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art and is curated by Lee-Ann Martin (Mohawk). In a release, Martin states, “The large-scale billboard images exist outside of art galleries, standing alongside the country’s roadways. The artists…stand as Defenders of their cultural sovereignty and Protectors of this land.” Artists include Rebecca Belmore, Ursula Johnson, Skawennati and Shelley Niro, with a full list of participants available on the project website. The project will run until August 1. (press release)
Maud Lewis is now a Canadian Screen Awards winner (kind of). On Sunday night, the feature film based on her life—Maudie, starring Sally Hawkins in the title role and Ethan Hawke as her husband—won Best Motion Picture at our national film and television awards, as well as a number of other wins, including Direction, Editing and Costume Design, among others. Also honoured was Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, which took home awards in Best Documentary, Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary and Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary (not to mention the Special Jury Award at Sundance, where it premiered in January 2017, and a place on the TIFF Canada’s Top Ten of 2017). Among the producers on the film is Mohawk museum professional Tim Johnson, who, according to the website of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, lives in Six Nations of the Grand River and has worked with Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian as well as Indian Country Today. (Canadian Screen Awards, Rumble)
There’s more debate happening about gentrification and art in Vancouver. Metro reports that at community forum last Wednesday at 221A arts space in Chinatown, artists with varying political views debated the ethics of accepting developer money. Says Metro, “Tensions rose at the meeting when some people, including Zachary Hyde a University of BC PhD candidate, spoke about the Vancouver Mural Festival, and suggested its work may have contributed to gentrification in Mt. Pleasant.” 221A librarian Vincent Tao, who helped organize the event, said art alone is not enough to solve the problem: “Instead, Tao wants artists to get engaged with citizen action groups such as the Vancouver Tenants Union, the Carnegie Community Action Project, and the Chinatown Action Group (of which Tao is a member)” to make more affordable housing overall in Canada’s most expensive city. (Metro Vancouver)
Victoria artist-run centre Open Space has formed an interim board of directors to deal what it calls its “current crisis situation.” Scrutiny of the organization has been heightened in the wake of a February 21 public letter by departing curator France Trépanier and a February 25 boycott call from the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective. “Addressing the significant concerns outlined in France’s resignation letter and the conditions of the ACC boycott letter will demand all of our experience and expertise, but we are confident that we will rise to the challenge given our shared abilities in community engagement, arts administration, and organizational governance,” said a statement from the interim board. Among other actions, the interim board will prioritize an apology ceremony for Trépanier, an equity audit, anti-oppression/cultural agility training, and reviewing the role of the executive director. (Read the full statement for the complete details.) Members of the interim board include Charles Campbell, Eli Hirtle, Michelle Jacques, Doug Jarvis, Megan Quigley and Sabrina Williams. Executive director Kegan McFadden has also issued a statement. (Open Space)
The Khyber Centre for the Arts, a long-running artist-run centre in Halifax, was broken into and robbed. Stated a Facebook post on March 11, “The Khyber was broken into and robbed early this morning. Everyone is safe and okay, however, we want to let you know that now is a great time to show some financial support.” Donations can be made in-person, by cash or cheque, as well as through Canada Helps online. (Facebook)
Feminist critiques of screen-based media, and a Steve Reinke spotlight, lead the newly released Images Festival lineup. North America’s largest festival for experimental and independent film, video and other time-based media has released details for its April 12 to 20 run. It launches with Leilah Weintraub’s SHAKEDOWN, a time capsule of a weekly party founded by and featuring African American women in LA’s underground strip club scene, continues with solo exhibitions by Sophia Al-Maria, Sara Cwynar, Trish Baga and Oraib Toukan, and includes a spotlight on Steve Reinke’s past and recent work (including his 2017 Venice Biennale collaboration with James Richards). The Super 8 Hotel on Spadina Avenue in Chinatown will also be a new venue. (Images Festival)
A trio of younger Canadian artists—all of them women—are receiving the inaugural New Generation Photography Award. The winners of this first New Generation Photography Award are Toronto-based artist Elisa Julia Gilmour, Ottawa-based artist Meryl McMaster, and Ottawa-based artist Deanna Pizzitelli. In keeping with the award guidelines, all are 30 years of age or younger, and all work in lens-based media. Each is receiving $10,000 and a chance to exhibit at the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada. (Canadian Art)
