Library and Archives Canada unveils new exhibition: Prime Ministers and the Arts: Creators, Collectors and Muses
OTTAWA, Feb. 7, 2019 /CNW/ - Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to share access to its vast collection with the public once again, with the official opening of its newest exhibition, Prime Ministers and the Arts: Creators, Collectors and Muses.
As the main repository of the archives of Canada's prime ministers, LAC is providing the public with a chance to learn more about the artistic interests and impacts of William Lyon Mackenzie King, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Sir John Sparrow David Thompson and other prime ministers.
Curated by Madeleine Trudeau and Meaghan Scanlon, this new exhibition weaves artworks, artifacts, documents, objects, portraits and photographs together, to reveal intriguing, less official, and often unexpected aspects of our prime ministers.
The exhibition offers a wide-open window on the less formal—but equally fascinating—aspects of the lives of our former prime ministers. It includes art reviews written by Sir Wilfrid Laurier, poems by Mackenzie King, and a portrait of Lester B. Pearson by the renowned Indigenous artist Carl Beam.
In addition to a wide range of rare documents drawn from LAC's own rich collection, a corner of the exhibition space is dedicated to Mackenzie King's library. In his will, he left much of his personal property to the people of Canada, and he appointed a group of literary executors to oversee the disposition of his papers and books.
Quote
"When we think about our prime ministers, we tend to think about their policies, their politics and their place in the nation's history. This exhibition is a chance to explore their legacies through the lens of their public and personal relationships with the arts."
Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada
This free exhibition runs from February 7 to December 3, 2019, at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa.
Links
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/about-us/events/Pages/Exhibitions/pm-art-expo.aspx
Upcoming event: Official exhibition launch, Prime Ministers and the Arts: Creators, Collectors and Muses
The media and the public are invited to attend the official launch of Library and Archives Canada's newest exhibition: Prime Ministers and the Arts: Creators, Collectors and Muses.
Just how well do you know your prime ministers?
DATE:
Thursday, February 7, 2019
TIME:
5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
PLACE:
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
About Library and Archives Canada
The mandate of Library and Archives Canada is to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations, and to be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, thereby contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada. Library and Archives Canada also facilitates co-operation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge, and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions. Stay connected with Library and Archives Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
SOURCE Library and Archives Canada
Richard Provencher, Media Relations, Library and Archives Canada, 613-894-7509 (cell), 819-994-4589 (office), [email protected]
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