Gallery Celebrates the Return of Famous Collection
Masterworks from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery will be presented from May 2 until August 23 following two years of touring North America. These 75 iconic and favourite works of art, augmented for their home presentation by an additional few dozen artworks not featured in the touring exhibition, by some of the world’s most prominent artists – Turner, Carr, Sargent, Constable, Delacroix, Gainsborough, Copley, Sisley, Matisse, Freud, Dali, and many, many more – will once again grace the walls of the Gallery in a spectacular blockbuster presentation occupying the main floor of the Gallery. This special occasion marks the first time these beloved and extraordinary treasures will be displayed in New Brunswick since their departure at the end of 2012.
The Gallery’s world-renowned collection of Masterworks is one of Canada’s greatest national cultural treasures, the most valuable art collection in Atlantic Canada, and one of the most significant collections of British art in North America. To enrich the experience of these signature works, a free, international lecture series in May will provide a forum for experts on particular artists to share their passion and knowledge with visitors. Five lectures will take place, featuring Elliott King, PhD, on Salvador Dali: From Surrealism to Pop (May 7 at 7pm); William Feaver on Lucian Freud: Life and Art (May 14 at 7pm); Katerina Atanassova, MA, PhD (cand.), on Canadian Art in a Global Context (May 21 at 7pm); David Adams Richards, CM, ONB, on Beaverbrook: the Extraordinary Canadian (May 24 at 4pm); and Sally Moss, DipAD Fine Art, BA Hons, FRSA, on Graham Sutherland’s Correspondences: Nature and Machines (May 28 at 7pm). These lectures are free and open to all.
To further enhance visitors’ enjoyment of the exhibition, a new audio tour will be available, daily tours will be offered, and a slate of special programming will be scheduled during the summer season. The audio tour is available in both languages, and features thirty-one of the works on display. In-person guided tours will be offered daily in both languages, from May 8 to August 21. English tours will be offered at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm; French tours will be offered at 11am and 2pm. Free with admission, these tours will introduce visitors to some of the stories behind the works.
For those visitors looking for a more in-depth opportunity to discover some of the most beloved Masterworks, special tours will be offered weekly, every Friday at 3pm, during this same period. For those looking for a creative outlet, two workshops will be offered as part of the Masterworks special programming: The Sky’s the Limit, an adult workshop with Jennifer Pazienza, will take place on the evening of June 12, and Painting with the Masters, a workshop with Kris Leblanc for youth ages 8 to 12, will take place over five Saturdays in May.
Finally, the hard-cover book, Masterworks from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, as well as a wide assortment of new merchandise related to the exhibition, is on sale in the Gallery Shop. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery Gallery looks forward to welcoming visitors to join in celebration of Lord Beaverbrook’s vision of bringing world-class works of art to the people of New Brunswick, and in celebration of the rich artistic heritage housed in New Brunswick’s provincial art gallery.
Masterworks from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is curated by Terry Graff. It is organized by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and supported by the Museums Assistance Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage, by Presenting Sponsor TD Bank Group, and by the law firm of McInnes Cooper. More information is available online at beaverbrookartgallery.org.
