OTTAWA, Feb. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - From the splendid, celebrated paintings and drawings of Alex Colville to the colourful imaginary world of Marc Chagall, along with the luminous photographs of Frederick H. Evans, the mesmerizing drawings of M.C. Escher and leisurely strolls around Claude Monet's bridges, visitors to the National Gallery of Canada will be dazzled by the exhibitions presented in 2015, no matter what time of year they choose to come.
"We are dedicating the summer of 2015 to the work of a great Canadian artist: Alex Colville. This large retrospective organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario was a resounding success in Toronto last fall and we are excited to bring it to Ottawa," said NGC director and CEO Marc Mayer. "Our show will include the addition of a series of Colville's preparatory drawings, which he donated to the National Gallery in 2013, and which have never been exhibited."
Other exhibitions will also win visitors' hearts this year, serving up both surprise and inspiration.
Located in the heart of the lively ByWard Market neighbourhood, the iconic NGC building is home to the world's largest collection of Canadian art, in addition to extensive collections of European and Indigenous art, and striking installations of contemporary Canadian art. Visitors can spend fascinating hours exploring the collections, accompanied by audioguides available in various languages, or joining in activities in the Artissimo program for children. To find out more, visit gallery.ca.
Alex Colville. The major summer exhibition at the Gallery will focus on Alex Colville, a leading figure in Canadian art. The realistic paintings of this internationally renowned maritime artist capture scenes of daily life in enigmatic compositions. Tracing the artist's entire career, the show includes nearly one hundred paintings, some of which date from Colville's time as a student, as well as prints and drawings. From April 23 to September 7, 2015. Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario. Sponsored by Enbridge Inc.
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Shine a Light: Canadian Biennial 2014. Until March 8, discover a selection of the Gallery's latest acquisitions in Canadian contemporary and Indigenous art, and in photography. The exhibition showcases the most innovative and important works in Canadian art today. Supported by the RBC Foundation.
M.C. Escher: The Mathemagician. Until May 3, the Gallery is presenting 54 prints by the celebrated illustrator Maurits Cornelis Escher, whose works continue to hold great fascination.
Geoffrey Farmer: Leaves of Grass. Until next September, delight in the surprises offered by this monumental installation by Canadian artist Geoffrey Farmer, which traces five decades of social history through some 22,000 illustrations cut out from Life magazine.
Chagall's Daphnis & Chloé. This romantic fable, written by the Greek poet Longus in the second century A.D. and beautifully illustrated by Marc Chagall, will be on display from May 28 to September 13.
Luminous and True: The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans. Running concurrently with Chagall's work, this exhibition brings together superb photographs of cathedral interiors and facades, forests and landscapes made by this British photographer. These works from the national collection promise a contemplative, spiritual experience.
Beauty's Awakening: Drawings by the Pre-Raphaelites and their Contemporaries from the Lanigan Collection. From October 9, 2015 to January 3, 2016, the Gallery invites you to observe the tremendous changes that occurred in British drawing during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.
Monet: A Bridge to Modernity. Featuring twelve major paintings from prestigious collections around the world, this exhibition explores Monet's innovative experiments with the bridge motif. Le pont de bois (1872), the painter's early and historic masterpiece, currently on long-term loan to the Gallery, is at the centre of this dossier show scheduled to run from October 30, 2015 to February 15, 2016.
Hours
New, extended hours: From May 16 to September 7, 2015, the Gallery is staying open one hour longer. Doors will open daily at 10 am and visitors can continue touring the Gallery until 6 pm from Friday to Wednesday. The Gallery will still be open until 8 pm on Thursdays.
Admission
Admission fees to Alex Colville will be as follow: $16 (adults); $14 (seniors and full-time students, ID required); $7 (youth: 12-19); $32 (families: two adults and three youth). Admission is free for children under the age of 12 and for Members. Admission to Alex Colville includes regular admission to the NGC Collection. Tickets will be available online as of April 1st at ShopNGC.ca
Regular admission to the NGC Collection is: $12 (adults); $10 (seniors and full-time students, ID required); $6 (youth: 12-19); $24 (families: two adults and three youth). Admission is free for children under the age of 12 and for Members. Free admission on Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm (except for the Colville Exhibition). For more information, call 613.998.8888 or 1.888.541.8888.
NGC Magazine
NGCmagazine.ca, the National Gallery of Canada's online magazine, is a frequently updated source of information on the Canadian art world and events at the National Gallery of Canada. Correspondents from across the country provide engaging and exclusive content on historical and contemporary art in Canada. This online magazine also includes interviews with artists.
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About the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada's premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca
SOURCE National Gallery of Canada
Image with caption: "Alex Colville, To Prince Edward Island, 1965. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Photo © NGC (CNW Group/National Gallery of Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150218_C8065_PHOTO_EN_12274.jpg
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