Toronto, Ontario, May 15, 2010 – Today, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, celebrated the national historic significance of the Studio Building, and how this studio closely bonded with the Group of Seven artists helped revolutionize Canadian art.
“Before the Group of Seven were able to gather and share their inspiration and creativity here in the Studio Building, the beauty of the Canadian landscape was not recognized. The artists who gathered here presented the magnificence of Canada to us and changed a vast empty wilderness into a stunning home – our home – that has foundations formed by the incredible and distinctly Canadian art created at this site, a home that is now the envy of the world,” said Minister Prentice when he unveiled a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque.
The Studio Building, designed to be a workplace for artists, is an example of early 20th century modern architecture in Canada that rejected ornamentation and drew on industrial design. Its studios were specifically designed to let in the indirect northern sunlight - natural light sought out by artists for its clearness. The first six artists to use the Studio Building were Lawren Harris, Tom Thomson (who shared a studio with Jackson J. Beaty), A.Y. Jackson, J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Heming, and Albert Curtis Williamson.
Hosting several generations of artists, including the Group of Seven painters, the Studio Building is of enormous significance in the history of Canadian art. The building represents the contributions of generations of Canadian artists who produced the world-renowned paintings that are now prized possessions in museums across Canada and around the world. These artists shared a common interest in Canadian themes – together they radically changed and redefined the way Canadian art and artists were depicted.
For additional information, please see the accompanying backgrounder at www.parkscanada.gc.ca under Media Room.
Information:
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Scott Currie
A/Communications
Manager, Southwestern Ontario Field Unit
Parks Canada
519-596-2233 ext. 243
Backgrounder associated with this News Release.
The Studio Building National Historic Site of Canada
