The McMichael Canadian Art Collection never lacks imagination for its exhibitions. The latest is a full court press art exploration of Cobalt, Ontario, which emerged in 1904 as a mining hub, boasting rich deposits of silver, cobalt, ore, and nickel.
The exhibition Cobalt: A Mining Town and the Canadian Imagination focuses on a northern community that once drew global attention, luring miners, scientists, scholars, and artists. (Exhibition runs Nov. 18 to April 21, 2024)
The exhibition focuses on the artistry of those who documented Cobalt and its silver mines during the interwar years and after the resource boom subsided. Among these artists were influential Canadian modern painters, including Yvonne McKague Housser, Bess Larkin Housser Harris (above), Isabel McLaughlin, Frederick Banting, A.Y. Jackson, and Franklin Carmichael.
“Some celebrated Cobalt as a symbol of industry and enterprise, others focused on the town’s grit and dishevelment. Our exhibition and publication delve into this dynamic relationship, shedding new light on the settlers’ connection with the natural landscape,” the McMichael says.
McMichael Canadian Art Collection exhibition page, here.
Credits for the Franklin Carmichael painting, top of post: A Northern Silver Mine, 1930, oil on canvas, 101.5 x 121.2 cm, Gift of Mrs. A.J. Latner, McMichael Canadian Art Collection. See also a previous Art Junkie post on Group of Seven artist Franklin Carmichael and other members of the group (here).
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I love that first painting. So different and the colors he chose, incredible.
You have a great eye – this was definitely a stand-out, including the colors. One of my own favourites of his.