Ottawa, January 30, 2007 From corporate boardrooms to government offices to Canadian embassies around the world, for 35 years the Canada Council Art Bank has contributed style and originality through its contemporary Canadian art rental collection. Now, for the first time, the Art Bank's fascinating history and the many artists represented in its collection have been captured in book form.
Art at Work/L'Art au Travail, published by Goose Lane Editions, is edited by Victoria Henry, director of the Canada Council Art Bank. Beginning with a foreword by former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, a number of illustrious contributors outline the history and continuing impact of this unique institution.
Ms. Henry said Art at Work is both social history and visual record of the Art Bank, which houses the world's largest collection of contemporary Canadian and has been an inspiration to governments across Canada and around the world.
"When it was created by the Canada Council back in 1972, the Art Bank was a uniquely Canadian vision, a means of both supporting Canadian artists and ensuring that their work could be seen and enjoyed by the public," Ms. Henry said. "Today, 35 years later, the Art Bank's works demonstrate the breadth, dynamism and vitality of the Canadian contemporary art scene. And the Art Bank has been a model for the creation of similar institutions by provincial governments and other countries, including South Africa."
Art at Work will be launched on Wednesday February 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Art Bank, 921 St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa. As a nod to the Art Bank's 35th anniversary, the Anniversary Bash and Book Launch will have a 70s theme; guests are encouraged to don mini-skirts and bellbottoms.
The media are invited to book an appointment to preview Art at Work, on Tuesday, February 6, from 2 to 4 pm, and on Wednesday, February 7, from 10 am to noon. Media will have an opportunity to tour the Art Bank, interview Victoria Henry and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Art Bank's operations. For an appointment, contact Donna Balkan at 613-566-5305. Please indicate whether you would like to interview any or all of the book's contributors, as well.
The publication of Art at Work, as well as the Anniversary Bash and Book Launch, are among the many events planned across the country to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canada Council for the Arts. The Canada Council was created by Parliament on March 28, 1957.
THE EDITOR AND AUTHORS
Victoria Henry, the editor of Art at Work/L'Art au Travail, and the author of two chapters, is the director of the Canada Council Art Bank. She owned and operated the Ufundi Gallery, Ottawa, from 1975 until 1992. In 1993, she joined the Canadian Museum of Civilization to establish the Commercial Enterprises Division, and the Canada Council for the Arts appointed her director of the Art Bank in 1999.
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, C.C., has been a fervent supporter of the arts throughout her career. During her tenure as Governor General of Canada, from 1999 to 2005, she chose and displayed many Art Bank works.
Peggy Gale, a Toronto critic and independent curator, received the 2006 Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. She publishes regularly in journals and museum publications internationally and in Canada.
Pierre Landry, an art historian, consultant, and freelance researcher and writer, teaches art history and museology in the department of Visual Arts, University of Ottawa. His electronic works include Canada in WWII, created for the web site of the Juno Beach Centre.
David P. Silcox, C.M, F.R.S.A., joined the Canada Council in 1965 as its first arts officer and has had a distinguished and varied career as a writer, educator, scholar, cultural administrator and arts advocate. He is currently the Managing Director of Sotheby's Canada.
Jeffrey M. Thomas, RCA, is a noted photographic artist and curator and a member of the Onondaga tribe of Six Nations, Ontario. Among his curatorial works is Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools, National Archives of Canada, 2003.
Goose Lane EditionsColleen KittsPublicist506-459-0858ckitts@gooselane.com
