UNews - director /curator

Closing de Grandmaison

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:40:51 +0000

The Nicholas de Grandmaison: Recent Acquisitions exhibit Closing Reception and Hoop Dance Performance takes place Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m. in the Main Gallery

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

Nicholas de Grandmaison travelled across the Canadian Prairies documenting history through the faces he painted. Recognized as one of the most significant portraitists of First Nations people in Canada, de Grandmaison's own story began across the Atlantic.

Nicholas de Grandmaison. Courtesy of U of L Archives.

Born in Russia in 1892, de Grandmaison's roots trace back to France and a great-grandfather who was rescued during the French Revolution. Because of his heritage, de Grandmaison's early years were privy to upper-class privileges his forefathers had been afforded by Catherine the Great a century earlier, including art lessons and learning about social graces as part of his schooling. After graduating from college, he attended a military school and was trained as an officer.

When the First World War broke out, de Grandmaison, who was in his early-20s, served as a soldier in East Prussia where his unit suffered a terrible defeat and he was sent to Germany as a prisoner of war. He spent a number years as a prisoner of war in Germany where he put his artistic talent to work, drawing his fellow prisoners and even some of the camp's officers.

Eventually, de Grandmaison regained his freedom, but his life was far from worry-free upon returning to Russia. As a monarchist, he ended up fleeing his civil war-ravaged homeland and escaping to Poland/Germany.

In time, de Grandmaison made his way to England. In London, with support from his friends, he attended St. John's Wood School of Art. That creative journey, however, did little to ease de Grandmaison's constant fear of deportation. So, using the winnings from a horse race wager, he set sail for Canada in 1923.

Upon disembarking in Quebec City, de Grandmaison connected with some harvesters who were headed to Manitoba. His career as a farm labourer, however, was not to be. After doing multiple odd jobs, de Grandmaison secured work at a large commercial art firm in Winnipeg. There, in addition to joining the Winnipeg Arts Club, he spent the next few years illustrating catalogues, painting portraits of chief justices, politicians and the children of local business leaders. But it wasn't until de Grandmaison ventured to northern Manitoba in 1930 that he found his true calling in life: capturing portraits of First Nations people.

He once wrote the First Nations people he saw inspired him "to forget the past and look forward to see and paint them all."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Wolf Tail (Apisoh'soyi), 1960. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

Wanting to capture First Nations people in an authentic setting ultimately compelled the artist to move to Alberta where he set out to paint First Nations people who lived far away from cities and towns, and consequently had managed to retain their customs.

While in Alberta, de Grandmaison married Sophia (Sonia) Orest Dournovo, a talented sculptor in her own right, and together they went on to have five children – all of whom would grow up to become artists or work in some facet of the art world.

When the children were young, de Grandmaison worked on a number of commissions as a way of supporting his growing family. Despite these everyday responsibilities, he remained devoted to drawing First Nations people.

Specifically, de Grandmaison was fascinated with his subjects' faces. In them, as he once described, he saw "…all the sorrow, oppression and history…indelibly written. They have character, colour and history in their blood."

But a rich past wasn't the only thing that de Grandmaison saw in the subjects; he was also keenly aware that their cultural practices were under great pressure from assimilation.

In fact, when the artist had arrived in Canada, First Nations people had been moved onto reserves and were being taught how to farm. This dramatic shift, as de Grandmaison came to understand, posed a serious threat to First Nations people's traditional way of life. So while first-hand memories were still vibrant, de Grandmaison felt duty-bound to document the history of First Nations people.

He accomplished this goal in two ways: by recording First Nations people as they told stories in their own languages and by preserving their features in pastel drawings. Today, those recordings and works of art – many of which are housed at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – serve as proof of de Grandmaison's unwavering loyalty to Canada's First Nations communities.

"There are not many paintings that actually depict First Nations people as individuals," says Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L's Art Gallery. "De Grandmaison's paintings focus on the honour, dignity and character of each person. He didn't see First Nations people in a stereotypical light; he tried to show their individual personalities and life stories."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Blackfoot Child, 1936. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

Not only a technically skilled artist, Mills says, de Grandmaison possessed the exceptional ability to capture an individual's unique personality. Through careful colour selections, precise compositions and gentle lines, he was able to depict subjects' expressions as well as their character.

De Grandmaison's attention to detail was evident in every aspect of his work. For example, he recognized the importance of portraying First Nations people in their real clothing. It was a commitment to authenticity that stood de Grandmaison apart from other portraitists who chose to dress First Nations people in ornate and often culturally inaccurate costumes.

Instead, de Grandmaison was deeply deferential toward First Nations people, and this approach did not go unnoticed by First Nations communities. In fact, as a symbol of the respect and affection that First Nations people felt for de Grandmaison, he was named Chief Little Plume, honorary chief of the Piikani Nation. When de Grandmaison died in 1978, he was laid to rest on the Brocket Reserve in southern Alberta.

Thirty-five years later, the gestural, unfinished qualities of de Grandmaison's drawings continue to intrigue viewers and tell an important part of the Canadian story. And thanks to a recent gift to the U of L, even more people will now be able to appreciate the late artist's work.

In February 2013, the BMO Financial Group donated 67 original pastel portraits by de Grandmaison to the U of L's Art Gallery, along with $50,000 to care for and create access to the works. The collection, which is valued at more than $1.6 million, spans a period of more than 30 years and traces the development of de Grandmaison's talent and facility as one of the most important painters and portraitists of western First Nations people in Canada.

The donated portraits are part of a portfolio of works by de Grandmaison that were purchased by BMO in 1978 from the artist's family following his death. To that end, the collection now has an ideal home at the U of L, says Robert Hayes, senior vice president, prairies division of BMO Bank of Montreal.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ already owns one of the most comprehensive collections of artworks and artifacts by this important Canadian portraitist. We are excited to enhance this collection with a gift that will allow it to continue to serve as a resource for students, faculty and independent scholars," says Hayes.

This gift of works from BMO Financial Group joins over 170 drawings, paintings and personal archival items (most of which have been deemed to be of outstanding significance and national importance) already housed by the U of L Art Collection and Archives, which the de Grandmaison family previously donated to the U of L.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ takes seriously what it means to be entrusted with these cultural treasures," says Mahon. "These pieces hold special meaning for the U of L as most of de Grandmaison's work was created in this area. I find it fascinating that the communities Nicholas de Grandmaison was passionate about are the same communities the university remains passionate about today."

Being chosen as the keeper of the additional portraits is a testament to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's overall approach to art.

One of the most significant art collections in Canada, the U of L's Art Gallery's holdings number over 14,000 objects from Canada, America and Europe – and those works are not simply kept in storage on campus. "The gallery does a great deal with its works," says Mills. "We exhibit them, send them on tours, loan them to other galleries and use them to generate research."

In addition to using the works as teaching and research tool for faculty and students across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, there are plans to initiate an oral history project that will collect stories from anyone who knew de Grandmaison and any of the subjects in his portraits. Mills has also commissioned First Nations artists, such as Jeffrey Thomas, to create new works in response to de Grandmaison's artwork, and there are future plans to loan the collection to other museums and create a touring exhibition.

"This generous gift will significantly enhance our collection, exhibitions, and public programs and thus be an excellent resource for our community," says Mills.

Most importantly, the gift preserves a part of the past.

"While we tend to understand history as big events, this piece of Canada's history focuses on the individuals and their stories," says Mills. "If we didn't have these paintings, we would be missing an important part of our Western heritage."

Editor's note: This article references Drawn From The Past – Nicholas de Grandmaison by Gordron Synder, Introduction by Joan Murray, as a factual resource.

The faces of history

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:12:40 +0000

The Nicholas de Grandmaison: Recent Acquisitions exhibit Closing Reception and Hoop Dance Performance takes place Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m. in the Main Gallery

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

Nicholas de Grandmaison. Courtesy of U of L Archives.

He once wrote the First Nations people he saw inspired him "to forget the past and look forward to see and paint them all."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Wolf Tail (Apisoh'soyi), 1960. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

But a rich past wasn't the only thing that de Grandmaison saw in the subjects; he was also keenly aware that their cultural practices were under great pressure from assimilation.

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Blackfoot Child, 1936. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

Being chosen as the keeper of the additional portraits is a testament to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's overall approach to art.

"This generous gift will significantly enhance our collection, exhibitions, and public programs and thus be an excellent resource for our community," says Mills.

Most importantly, the gift preserves a part of the past.

Editor's note: This article references Drawn From The Past – Nicholas de Grandmaison by Gordron Synder, Introduction by Joan Murray, as a factual resource.

Oral History Project appeals for contributions

trevor.kenney — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:37:50 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives is calling on Albertans to assist in a historical project in support of their vast Nicholas de Grandmaison collection of artworks and artifacts.

A cultural icon of southern Alberta, artist Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) captured the history of the region and its First Nations people in an entirely distinctive and personal manner.

As an itinerant painter, de Grandmaison often stayed with ranchers, farmers and Aboriginal families for several days at a time while he painted their portraits. His unique lifestyle, character and attitude having left a plethora of interesting experiences that augment the context of his paintings.

It is these stories that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archives are looking to tell through an Oral History Project that will complement the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's de Grandmaison collection of artworks and artifacts. They are currently seeking contributions from the Alberta community.

"By compiling an oral history, we really want to give the de Grandmaison collection another layer of meaning," says Karissa Patton (BA '13), a recent U of L graduate who is returning for graduate studies this fall and who is working with third-year Native American Studies student Maria Livingston on compiling the oral history pieces.

"The collection is remarkable, but in some instances we might only have the name of the person featured in the painting, and in others, we have no information at all. When you look at how the subjects are depicted, you can see that there is a story there that is just waiting to be told."

Working under the guidance of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Archivist Mike Perry and Lisa Doolittle of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, Patton and Livingston have contacted various members of the Kainai, Siksika and Piikani First Nations, searching for those people who may have had contact either with de Grandmaison or any of the subjects featured in his paintings.

"It doesn't have to be a story from someone who was actually painted, it can be anything from that era that adds to the story of
de Grandmaison's visits and work," says Patton. "Even the smallest of recollections help to create a larger narrative."

BMO Financial Group recently donated 67 original de Grandmaison pastel portraits to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's already comprehensive collection of artworks and artifacts. They have been featured in the
U of L Art Gallery exhibition Nicholas de Grandmaison: Recent Acquisitions, which concludes Thursday, June 27. On Tuesday, June 25, a Closing Reception and Hoop Dance Performance will be held at 7 p.m. in the U of L Art Gallery.

"It's been wonderful to be able to present these de Grandmaison works to the public," says Director/Curator of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Dr. Josephine Mills. "The BMO donation has significantly enhanced our collection and really inspired us to search for ways in which we can encourage new work from First Nations artists. I think this Oral History Project is an excellent way to give even more context to these works and bring our Alberta history to life."

For those looking to take part in the project, access the following website for more information: http://www.uleth.ca/artgallery/?page_id=5452, call 403-380-1868 or e-mail degrandmaisonstories@uleth.ca

Art that moves you

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:03:18 +0000

What was an ordinary walk to the washroom on Level 6 of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts is now anything but mundane.

The wall flanking the entrance to the U of L Main Gallery used to house a bank of pay phones, but with the removal of this obsolete technology, a great opportunity was afforded.

"I think people can easily agree, the advent of the smart phone has been terrific for the promotion of events and cultural organizations," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L Art Gallery. "For the gallery, changes in technology have meant another less obvious boon to our visibility."

The gallery quickly called dibs on the now vacant space.

"We requested a renovation that included the gallery-standard drywall over three-quarter inch plywood backing so that the wall could support hanging objects in frames, and we had the foresight to build in electrical and Internet connections," explains Mills. "Spurred by successful student design projects I had seen around campus, I initiated a call for proposals from new media students and faculty to create something for the new wall to raise the profile of the main art gallery."

The interactive wall located just outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Art Gallery allows people to immerse themselves in the art.

She assumed she would get ideas that involved applying vinyl or other traditional options to the wall.

"Instead, new media faculty members Leanne Elias, Dana Cooley and Carl Spencer, delighted and surprised me with a fabulously innovative idea to install an interactive projection, which was then developed by BFA New Media major Brendan Matkin," says Mills.

The playful interactive installation grabs attention as anyone walking by accidently sets the letters projected onto the wall dancing.

"With this collaborative project we wanted to try something new and different," says Matkin. "We wanted to promote the gallery, motivate others to realize this is a creative opportunity and have some fun."

Several people were involved with the project.

"We started planning in December and the hard work started in January," says Matkin. "In addition to Leanne, Dana and Carl, fellow student Alyssa Buck was an advisor on the project."

Matkin did the actual project development and worked with the open source Processing environment.

"We used a short-throw projector and Xbox Kinect and were able to overcome a few technical glitches," he says with a smile. "It's been a terrific learning experience."

Explaining how it works to a layperson, Matkin says, "Each letter interacts with the others as well as the digital shadow of people coming into the field. Gravity is used to
attract the letters back to their home position; however, to make the letters behave in a convincing manner, I used about 500 times normal gravity. The physics engine is the same as for Angry Birds."

Leanne Elias is pleased with the results of the project and its future potential.

"We are wildly excited about this project because it points towards new directions in interactive media," she says. "And the fact that this was a student-driven project makes it just that much more exciting."

She adds that several students, including Matkin, are going with her to the SXSW International Conference.

"Going to this interactive conference exposes our students to things we can't even imagine – truly cutting-edge technology."

Mills is excited about the future of the wall.

"Brendan created a superb inaugural project and, with the system in place, we are looking forward to further proposals for ideas to promote the gallery and our exhibitions and programs," she says.

The Art Gallery would like to thank the experts in the U of L Department of Facilities (Jim Vanderzee, Bill Hudains, Mick Nutley, Al Mueller, Paul Peterson) for their work in renovating the wall and installing the technology.

This story first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

BMO Financial makes significant donation of de Grandmaison works to gallery

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:38:03 +0000

BMO Financial Group has donated 67 original pastel portraits by Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892-1978) from its art collection to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery.

The collection, which is valued at more than $1.66 million, spans a period of over 30 years and traces the development of de Grandmaison's talent and facility as one of the most important painters and portraitists of western First Nations people in Canada.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge already owns one of the most comprehensive collections of artworks and artifacts by this important Canadian portraitist," says Robert Hayes, senior vice president, Prairies Division, BMO Bank of Montreal. "We are excited to enhance this collection with a gift that will allow it to continue to serve as a resource for students, faculty and independent scholars."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Across the Mountain. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2013.

De Grandmaison created portraits of southern Albertans and Canada's First Nations populations for over 45 years. After immigrating to Canada from Russia (by way of England) in 1923, de Grandmaison spent much of his life touring around the prairies, painting the people he met. De Grandmaison was well-known and beloved in this area, and before his death in 1978 he was made an Honourary Chief of the Peigan Nation.

The 67 pastel portraits are part of a portfolio of 100 works by Nicholas de Grandmaison that were purchased by BMO in 1978 from the artist's family after his death.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Mike Mahon says the portraits gifted by BMO Financial Group are of special significance due to the fact that de Grandmaison created most of his work in southern Alberta capturing the individual histories and personalities of those he painted.

"I find it fascinating that the communities Nicholas de Grandmaison was passionate about are the same communities the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ remains passionate about today," says Mahon. "The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge takes seriously what it means to be entrusted with these cultural treasures, and we look forward to sharing these works with our students, our community, our country and beyond in future initiatives."

Director/Curator of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Dr. Josephine Mills, says the gallery is already contemplating the many opportunities that will arise from this gift.

"I am excited to present an exhibition of the portraits in May and to work on further possibilities for exhibitions and research with the works from BMO and our existing collection of de Grandmaison artwork and archives," says Mills. "Future projects include conducting an oral history project about the artist and the First Nations subjects in the portraits as well as commissioning First Nations artists to produce new work in response to the BMO donation. This generous gift will significantly enhance our collection, exhibitions, and public programs and thus be an excellent resource for our community."

Included in the gift is $50,000 to care for and create access to the works. Mills says an oral history project that focuses on the artist and sitters will be created and that the gallery will commission Aboriginal artists to create a response to the works. The money will also be used to showcase the works nationally and possibly internationally.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery houses one of the most significant art collections in Canada. Numbering over 14,000 objects, the holdings include works from Canada, America and Europe, span the 19th and 20th centuries and continue to grow with 21st century additions. The gallery's major strength is the diversity of the collection, which not only represents a wide range of geographic locations, but also the full spectrum of media, artistic movements and genres.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery has scheduled an exhibition of selected works from the BMO gift from May 2 to June 27, 2013.

Installation creating a stir in 1st Choice Savings Centre

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:19:07 +0000

What is red, black, white and causing a stir? It's the new art installation in the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Health and Wellness.

Entitled Seek Knowledge Even Onto China by London, Ont. artist Jamelie Hassan, the work is a recent acquisition by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery. It was purchased with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance program, Sam Hassan and an anonymous donor.

"Seek Knowledge Even Onto China is a deceptively simple work that consists of carrying out the artist's precise instructions for installation," explains
Dr. Josephine Mills, Director/Curator U of L Art Gallery.

"Those include painting the wall a specific shade of red and attaching the black and white vinyl lettering, which are scaled to fit the location and repeats the title of the work in Arabic and Chinese characters."

The Hassan work Seek Knowledge Even Onto China as it is being installed.

Seek Knowledge Even Onto China can be displayed either inside a gallery, as it was last year at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as part of a touring exhibition surveying Hassan's career, or in a public location as it is now. The work is a limited edition and thus, despite the technical ease to reproduce it, there is a limit on the number of works that can exist.

Internationally renowned, with an extensive exhibition history, Hassan's practice has been distinguished by her use of a wide range of media – ceramics, watercolours, bookworks, photographs, video and installations – from which she selects an approach appropriate to the task at hand.

"Her work is well suited for public art because of her use of text that connects with memory and identity and her interest in exploring cross-cultural exchange and communication," says Mills. "While travel has a significant influence on Hassan's creative output, equally important to her practice is her view on the world from her home in London. Her pioneering practice has steadfastly asserted that artists have a responsibility to address the critical issues of our time while her geographical location in southwestern Ontario grounds her practice."

Despite the influence of her home, Hassan's work is equally influenced by other places: her research and travels in Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and particularly in Lebanon, the homeland of her parents.

This installation is part of a new direction when it comes to public art on the
U of L campus.

"I'm interested in expanding the range of what we have for public art on campus," says Mills. "It can be installations like this work, or other options beyond sculpture or framed works."

This story first appeared in the February 2012 edition of The Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Mills helping to engage through gallery

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:24:44 +0000

Dr. Josephine Mills is the director/curator of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery and an associate professor in the Department of Art.

She has worked as a curator and public programmer in art galleries and artist-run centres in Saskatoon and Vancouver. Mills has a PhD in Communication Studies from Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is a graduate of the Museum Leadership Institute at the Getty Center.

Her research interests focus on broader issues related to collecting for art galleries and for artists as well as on the relationship between art and notions of public in Canada. Mills is the president of the Canadian Art Museum Directors' Organization/Organisation des Directeurs des Musées d'Art du Canada and a past president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College Art Gallery Association of Canada.

The U of L Art Gallery is one of the most comprehensive galleries in the country. The gallery plays a central role for research, learning and community engagement at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. At the same time, the art gallery is a key component of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's public face and reaches audiences from Lethbridge, within Alberta and across the country. By making art works and the activities of the art gallery highly visible on campus, we foster understanding about the visual arts for the full range of students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. We also attract members of the public to campus thereby giving them access to contemporary and historical exhibitions, to professional visual arts programming and to research produced at, and disseminated by, the art gallery and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Campus Kudos - June

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:54:51 +0000

Dr. Heidi MacDonald (History) received an award for the best English-language academic article deemed to make an original and scholarly contribution to the field of women's and gender history by the Canadian Committee on Women's History. Her article, Who Counts? Nuns, Work and the Census of Canada, was published in a recent issue of Histoire Sociale/Social History. Reviewers indicated that MacDonald produced "…an impressive and insightful piece of work on the various ways in which women religious (nuns) have been excluded or significantly undercounted in the Canadian census."

Taras Polataiko's (Art) painting was on view at the National Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv. The work was part of an international exhibition curated by Kateryna Botanova.

Annie Martin's (Art) installation Untitled (horizon) was exhibited in the PAVED Arts main gallery in Saskatoon. A critical text was also commissioned to accompany this exhibition.

Dana Cooley (New Media) has a video work in the group show, A Century of Artists' Films, at the Theatr Mwldan in Wales. Curated by Mike Cousin in partnership with Oriel Mwldan, the show runs until July 2.

Three ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge teams recently walked to raise money to End MS, totalling an impressive $6,762.05 that was donated to the fight against Multiple Sclerosis. The team from the Faculty of Education, captained by
Dr. Cathy Campbell, and consisting of Dr. Robin Bright, Dr. Noella Piquette-Tomei and Dr. Cynthia Chambers raised $2,935. The team from Administration, captained by Dr. Mike Mahon, and consisting of Maureen Mahon, Laurel Corbiere, Trish Jackson, Virginia Wishart and Robin Hopkins raised $2,725. The team from the Faculty of Management, captained by Dr. Lori Kopp, and consisting of Dr. Robert Ellis, Dr. Sameer Deshpande, Dr. Brian Dobing, Dr. Pam Loewen, Joan Kendall, Diane Boyle and Steve Craig raised $1,102.05.

Pictured left to right are iGEM team members Harland Brandon, (fourth-year Biochemistry), Justin Vigar, ( fifth-year Biochemistry) and MSc candidate Lisza Bruder, BSc ’11.

Clark Ferguson, the U of L's chief information officer, presented the keynote address at the Futures in it – Collaboration Western Canada Academy Conference in Calgary recently. Ferguson's address was titled Business Experience – Applied to Post Secondary at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Austin Mardon (BA'85) received an honorary doctor of laws from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta at its Spring Convocation ceremonies. Mardon, an inspiring advocate for the mentally ill, is a member of the Order of Canada and a past recipient of the CM Hincks Award, the highest award given by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Three members of the U of L iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines) team are travelling to Stanford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in California to attend the 5th International Meeting on Synthetic biology. The sold-out conference attracts researchers from around the world who are working in the growing field of synthetic biology.

Dr. David Clearwater's (New Media) essay, What Defines Video Game Genre? Thinking about Genre Study after the Great Divide, was published in the Spring 2011 issue of Loading... (a Canadian journal covering videogames and interactive entertainment).

Dr. Josephine Mills (director/curator U of L Art Gallery) has recently been named president of the Canadian Art Museum Directors' Organization.

Dagmar Dahle's (Art) work was included in the exhibition ANIMAL, appearing at Museum London in Ontario.

Loralee Sand Edwards' (BFA '05) exhibition iGallery: curated auto-paparazzi (Self-Portraiture in a Digital Age) is in the Main Gallery of the Bowman Arts Centre until July 10.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Historic Festival involves U of L

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:37:45 +0000

The 1950s are the focus of the 2011 Historic Lethbridge Festival, May 3-8, with myriad activities planned for everyone in the family. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is hosting two events as part of the festivities.

The U of L Art Gallery has an exhibition entitled, The 1950s: Works from the U of L Art Collection & Galt Museum & Archives, in both the Main Gallery and Helen Christou Gallery.

"The exhibition was created from the perspective of the younger generation," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator. "It highlights areas of artistic developments and social issues from the 1950s."

The exhibition was curated by museum studies interns David Smith and Allison Spencer.

The official festival kick-off opens with a fashion show (7 p.m., May 3) of 1950s-style clothing, hosted by Leslie Robison-Greene, costume designer and professor in the U of L's Dept. of Theatre & Dramatic Arts.

Following the fashion show, enjoy a Hot Rock & Cool Jazz performance by U of L music faculty and students.

For a complete list of events, visit historiclethbridge.org.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Historic festival

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:18:43 +0000

The U of L Art Gallery has an exhibition entitled, The 1950s: Works from the U of L Art Collection & Galt Museum & Archives, in both the Main Gallery and Helen Christou Gallery.

The exhibition was curated by museum studies interns David Smith and Allison Spencer.

Following the fashion show, enjoy a Hot Rock & Cool Jazz performance by
U of L music faculty and students.

For a complete list of events, visit historiclethbridge.org.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - director /curator

Closing de Grandmaison

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

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The faces of history

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

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Oral History Project appeals for contributions

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Art that moves you

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BMO Financial makes significant donation of de Grandmaison works to gallery

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Installation creating a stir in 1st Choice Savings Centre

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Mills helping to engage through gallery

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Campus Kudos - June

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Historic Festival involves U of L

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Historic festival

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