Blog

The turnout of artists and friends for the opening reception of Progressions VI was excellent.

At the McMichael, there is a docent who is now a fast friend and a fellow artist. She organized and prepared much of a lovely potluck spread for our reception. Another representative of the McMichael, Rachel D'Oliviera spoke on behalf of the gallery. John Leonard RCA spoke, congratulating the group on the very high calibre of landscape paintings offered in this exhibition.

Part of the premise of the first Progressions exhibition was the supposition of "what if" the Group of Seven had continued until now. What would have developed? As John pointed out, there is still an unending variety of ways to paint the landscape of Canada. The McMichael is very pleased with the exhibition. Do try to take it in!

The show is very useful to the McMichael education department and so it is being held from Nov 28/16 until Feb 28/17. Schoolchildren are taken through on their way to the main galleries. Progressions VI provides them with an unusual art experience : First of all,the artists are still alive! and second, the paintings are all of a size that students can relate to. 12"x16". Over the course of the year, 30,000 schoolchildren visit the gallery. That would translate to about 10,000 seeing our exhibition!

It is a great thrill for us all to be part of an exhibition that shares a building with exhibitions of the finest in Canadian art. I am very grateful for the opportunity. And I never imagined that I would have this opportunity, much less 3 times. When doors are opened, my policy is Walk Through! Wonderful things can happen. I remember Pamela Wallin saying as a key note speaker "If you say 'yes' more often than 'no', you will do interesting things in your life." How true!

Currently there is also an exhibition of Toronto artist the late Jack Bush. His paintings are massive.

There is also an exhibition of Tom Thomson and A.Y. Jackson paintings that were done before the first World War and before the Group of Seven formed. The timeline was:

Tom Thomson and Jackson painted together from about 1912.

Jackson went to Europe as a soldier, was injured and then continued as a war artist (1915-19).

Thomson died in 1917 while Jackson was away at war.

Jackson and others formed the Group of Seven in 1920.

Cheryl Bailey with Buttonbush 2 at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection