VAG's exhibition "Charles Edenshaw" to tour across Canada

×

Expand

Photo: Rachel Topham, Vancouver Art Gallery

Charles Edenshaw at VAG Installation view

The Vancouver Art Gallery announced on January 23, 2014 that the enormously successful Charles Edenshaw exhibition will embark on a national tour after it closes on February 2, 2014. Featuring 240 extraordinary objects assembled from museums and private collections around the world, this exhibition marks the first major survey of Edenshaw, an iconic figure in Northwest Coast art. The exhibition will be presented at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa from March 7 to May 25, 2014, and at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Toronto from June 27 to September 21, 2014.

“We are deeply honoured to tell the story of Charles Edenshaw through this unprecedented exhibition," said the Gallery’s Director Kathleen S. Bartels. "We are beyond excited to celebrate Edenshaw’s legacy with the rest of Canada through this significant touring partnership.” 

The exhibition’s presentation at the Vancouver Art Gallery has been enriched by a series of guided tours with guest speakers, consistently drawing large crowds. Guest speakers have included co-curator and First Nations art specialist Robin K. Wright, artist Robert Davidson, artist James Hart and curator Kwiaahwah Jones. On Saturday February 1, the last Edenshaw tour at the Vancouver Art Gallery will be led by artist and educator Raymond Boisjoly, who will bring an innovative perspective to Edenshaw’s work as someone deeply interested in current issues of identity and representation.

The exhibition is also accompanied by the first and most comprehensive collection of writing on Edenshaw, co-published by the Vancouver Art Gallery and Black Dog Publishing (London). The first edition of 4000 copies was sold out within two months, making it the most sought-after 2013 exhibition catalogue at the Gallery. In addition, it was named a Favourite Book of 2013 by the Georgia Straight. 

Charles Edenshaw is organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and curated by Robin K. Wright, Director of the Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Coast Art and Daina Augaitis, Chief Curator/Associate Director with Haida advisors: Robert Davidson and James Hart.