In January
of this year, artists from across the province were invited to
participate in a juried exhibition celebrating the 100th
anniversary of the Archives of Ontario. Over 250 entries
were received from more than 150 artists.
From the submissions the jury selected thirty-four works for
the exhibition: A Celebration of Ontario Artists
which was displayed at the John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto from
May 27 to June 21, 2003.
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Rowley Murphy painting at Hanlan's Point
Toronto Island,1900
Photographer unknown
Rowley Murphy collection.
Glass plate negative
Reference Code: C 59-1-0-22-2
Archives of Ontario, I0002463
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David Carlin (North Bay)
Lake Spirit, Paddle Spirit,
2002
mixed media painting David Griffin (Pickering)
Fry, 2003
oil on wood panel | Piera Pugliese (Toronto)
Balsam Lake, 2002
oil, pastel, acrylic on canvas
These three pieces have been purchased by the Archives for the
Government of Ontario Art
Collection, renewing a tradition of collecting that
spans almost 150 years.
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The
Government of Ontario Art Collection, started in
1856 by Egerton Ryerson,
currently numbers almost 2,500 original works of historical and
contemporary art, located in more than thirty government buildings
throughout the province.
During the early days of the collection, new works were purchased
from the annual exhibitions of the fledgling Ontario Society of
Artists. Although this initiative ceased in the years around 1914,
the collection continued to grow through the late 19th and early
20th centuries as the government commissioned works of official
portraiture in recognition of its own history; a tradition which
continues today. More recently, policies recognizing the benefits
of art in government buildings have resulted in the acquisition
of contemporary works through the Art in Architecture Programme
(1966-1995). As well, significant donations to the collection
have also added new images reflecting the province’s history
and landscape.
The three-person jury for A Celebration of Ontario Artists was
comprised of artist, Doris McCarthy, Dale Barrett, Director of
the John B. Aird Gallery, and Gillian Reddyhoff, Curator of the
Government of Ontario Art Collection.
 Representing
the artistic activity that flourishes throughout Ontario in places
as diverse as North Bay, Peterborough, Oshawa, Kitchener, Parry
Sound, Kingston, Stouffville, Penetanguishine, Toronto, Simcoe and
Ottawa, etc., the artists and their media are:
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