Ottawa, June 20, 2011 – The Canada Council Art Bank is acquiring 52 new works by Canadian artists, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, and drawings, worth a total value of $303,025. The selection committee chose the works from 1,875 submissions received.

The Art Bank purchases include works from all regions of Canada.  The new selections of works by senior artists Liz Magor, Jeff Thomas, Joanne Tod, and Serge Tousignant are complimented by works by emerging artists who are already receiving major recognition like David Harper, Meryl McMaster, Aidan Urquhart and Anna Williams. Images of these artists’ work can be downloaded from the Canada Council image gallery.

“The jury, faced with a large number of submissions, remained at the same time open minded and highly critical of each and every choice,” said Art Bank Director Victoria Henry.  “The 2011 Art Bank purchase encompasses a broad spectrum of contemporary artistic practice in Canada today.”

The works were selected on the basis of artistic excellence, significance to current art practice and suitability for rental.  Regional representation and cultural diversity were also considered. A full list is attached.

The members of the acquisition committee were: Lorraine Gilbert, photographer and professor at the University of Ottawa (Ottawa), Heather Igloliorte, artist and art historian specializing in Inuit art (Ottawa/Labrador), Rick Leong, painter (Victoria/Montreal), Sarah Maloney, sculptor (Halifax).

General Information

The Canada Council Art Bank, with approximately 17,500 works, has the largest collection of contemporary Canadian art in the world. It was created to support the efforts of Canadian visual artists and to provide government and corporate offices with the opportunity to rent Canadian art for their offices and public spaces.  Since 2001, the Canada Council Art Bank has acquired close to 900 works through its purchase program.  Currently, one third of the collection is on rental and displayed in office and public spaces, giving Canadians across the country access to a variety of works by Canadian artists.

Media contact information

Mireille Allaire: 613-566-4414 or 1-800-263-5588, ext. 4523
mireille.allaire@canadacouncil.ca
Heather McAfee: 613-566-4414 or 1-800-263-5588, ext. 4166
heather.mcafee@canadacouncil.ca

New acquisitions by the Canada Council Art Bank

Name - CITY, Prov. - Title - Category
Leslie Bell – CALGARY, AB – Entropic 2 – Painting
Heather Benning – WATROUS, SK – The Dollhouse, 1/10 – Photograph
Paul Bernhardt – EDMONTON, AB – Communication Breakdown – Painting
Judith Berry – ALCOVE, QC – Filter – Painting
BGL – QUÉBEC, QC – Domaine de l’angle II, 4/7 – Photograph
Sarah Burwash – HALIFAX, NS – Heroines of Guile – Drawing
Marlene Creates – PORTUGAL COVE, NL – Larch, Spruce, Fir, Birch, Hand, Blast Hole Pond Road, Newfoundland 2007 (and ongoing) – Photograph
Robert Davidson – WHITE ROCK, BC – Shadows – Print
Sarindar Dhaliwal – TORONTO, ON – 28 Ambassador Cars, 1/5 – Chromira print
Paul Dignan – ELMIRA, ON – Cota 1 – Painting
Scott Everingham – TORONTO, ON – Dear Life – Painting
Rosalie Favell – OTTAWA, ON – Facing the Camera – Photograph
Paul Fortin – INUVIK, NT – Hillside Town – Painting
Christopher Will Gill – ST. JOHN’S, NL – Cape Spear Series, 1/3 – Photograph
Greg Girard – VANCOUVER, BC – Neighbourhood Demolition, Fangbang Dong Lu, 3/3 – Photograph
Eliza Griffiths – MONTRÉAL, QC – Fast Runners – Painting
David Harper – TORONTO, ON – Him (from the series The Wedding Portraits) – Embroidery on goat hide
Patrick Howlett – LONDON, ON – Vague and Hazy – Painting
Davida Kidd – VANCOUVER, BC – Log-On, 2/5 – Photograph
Thomas Kneubühler – MONTRÉAL, QC – Electric #2, 2/5 – Photograph
Christopher Lloyd – MONTRÉAL, QC – Martin Buys Some Love – Painting
Mary Longman – SASKATOON, SK – Hills Never Lie-Lebret Graveyard, 1/4 – Lenticular print
Liz Magor – VANCOUVER, BC – Modella Everest – Sculpture
Scott McFarland – TORONTO, ON – View of Rooke House, Looking Towards Highgate, 5/5 – Photograph
Meryl McMaster – TORONTO, ON – Jin, 1/5 – Photograph
Andrew Morrow – CHELSEA, QC – Lion vs. Gorilla vs. Polar Bear – Painting
Andrea Mortson – SACKVILLE, NB – You Are Loved – Painting
Val Nelson – VANCOUVER, BC – Tunnelling In – Painting
Marianne Nicolson – VICTORIA, BC – Praying for Forgiveness – Painting
Jennifer Norman – OTTAWA, ON – View Of A Tree Climber – Painting
Alain Paiement – MONTRÉAL, QC – Arrangement According To Nature (Madame), 1/5 – Photograph
Nujalia Quvianaqtuliaq – CAPE DORSET, NU – Kinngait – Drawing
Ramona Ramlochand – MONTRÉAL, QC – Unfallen (boys), 1/5 – Photograph
Nicole Raufeisen & Ryan Witt – DARTMOUTH, NS – Facial Reconstruction, 1/5 – Photograph
Sarah Rooney – MONTRÉAL, QC – Pierrot – Painting
Amy Schissel – GATINEAU, QC – Maintain Theta – Painting
Emmy Skensved – SYDENHAM, ON – Deco – Painting
Mark Stebbins – TORONTO, ON – Heap – Mixed Media
Barbara Steinman – MONTRÉAL, QC – Flight. After Muybridge (#1, 2, 7, 8) – Photograph
Norman Takeuchi – OTTAWA, ON – Upstream / Sudden Showers No. 2 – Painting
Daisuke Takeya – TORONTO, ON – Stoney Reserve – Painting
Jeff Thomas – OTTAWA, ON – Medicine Crow: My Conversation with Edward S. Curtis, 1/10 – Photograph
Diana Thorneycroft – WINNIPEG, MB – A People’s History (Riel), 1/7 – Photograph
Joanne Tod – TORONTO, ON – River Styx – Painting
Anna Torma – BAIE VERTE, NB – Transverbal IV – Fine Craft
Serge Tousignant – MONTRÉAL, QC – Liquide vert, 1/2 – Photograph
Aidan Urquhart – LONDON, ON – New Canadian Cabin Series # 2 – Mixed Media
Carol Wainio – OTTAWA, ON – Narrative – Painting
Chih-Chien Wang – MONTRÉAL, QC – Yushan Carries Shaore By Lake #2, 1/7 – Photograph
Anna Williams – OTTAWA, ON – Untitled (Fawn), 1/3 – Sculpture
Justin Wonnacott – OTTAWA, ON – I Remember and I Forget – Photograph
Jinny Yu – OTTAWA, ON – Story of a Global Nomad (de Vonk 1) – Painting