Group of Seven
The Southwest - Ontario
Interesting facts about the Group of Seven
Description: The Group of Seven was a circle of Canadian landscape painters. They are best known for their depictions of Canadian nature and life in the Canadian wilderness. The number seven refers to the founding members Franklin Carmichael (1873-1945), Lauren S. Harris (1885-1969), Alexander Y. Jackson (1882-1972), Frank Johnston (1888-1948), Arthur Lismer (1885-1969), James E. Macdonald (1873-1932), and Frederick Varley (1881-1969). Tom Thomson (1877-1917) was never a member of the group, but had a very strong influence on them.
Tom Thomson in Owen Sound
Description: Tom Thomson was a pioneer of modern Canadian landscape painting. His works, which often depict the wild nature of Ontario, had a significant influence on the Group of Seven, an influential group of artists in Canada. Although he was never officially a member of the group, Thomson is considered its spiritual forerunner. On July 8, 1917, Thomson was found dead in a lake in Algonquin Provincial Park. The cause of death remains unclear to this day, and numerous speculations and legends surround the artist's death. He is buried at the cemetery in Annan, near Owen Sound.
The Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound opened in 1967 and houses an extensive collection of his works.
Admission fees: 10CAD/Person
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Closed Sunday and Monday
For the GPS: 840 1st Ave W, Owen Sound
Our rating: The art gallery is tiny. The section dedicated to Tom Thomson and his companions consists essentially of a single room. There are also temporary exhibitions on display in two other rooms, but these are not usually related to the Group of Seven.
It would be unfair to say that the visit was disappointing, but we had somehow imagined a larger museum. Nevertheless, anyone interested in the work of Tom Thomson will definitely find what they are looking for here. The paintings are attractively presented and there is some interesting information about the artist's life and work.
Huntsville Outdoor Gallery
Description: The Outdoor Gallery is a public art exhibition featuring over 100 murals of works by the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson. Most of the murals can be found in downtown Huntsville. They are located on the exterior walls of shops and stores. Additional murals can also be found in Dwight, Dorset, Baysville, Oxtongue Lake, and Algonquin Provincial Park. A directory of all murals can be found on the official website. A special work can be found at the Canada Summit Center. This work, based on Tom Thomson, was painted by the heads of state of the G8 countries during their 2010 meeting, among others. The brushes used and the work itself hang in the foyer of the center in Huntsville.
Our rating: Huntsville itself is a really cute little town to explore. It was also fun to search for and discover the murals all over the city center.
Easels with paintings by the Group of Seven
Description: The members of the Group of Seven mainly painted the vast landscapes of Ontario. In honor of this, easels with paintings by the artists can be found all around Lake Superior and Lake Huron. These use examples and explanations to illustrate the artists' working methods. In this way, the works of these extraordinary painters are made accessible to a wide audience.
Our rating: As someone who has often painted outdoors myself, I loved the canvases that could be found everywhere on our journey through Ontario. It was fun to search for the canvases at each of the individual sights to find out more about the individual artists. We didn't find them all, so that gives us a good reason to come back and continue our search.
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
Description: The museum was founded in 1880. Since 1988, the museum has been located in its current building, designed by architect Moshe Safdie. The permanent collection now comprises more than 96,000 works. The collection focuses on works by Canadian artists such as members of the Group of Seven and Emily Carr. However, many international artists are also represented in the collection.
Admission fees: 22CAD/Person
Opening hours: open daily except Mondays
Our rating: Unfortunately, we didn't have much time for the museum during our visit. So we mainly spent our time in the Canadian artists' section. This museum is simply magnificent, and my opinion is certainly biased because I am involved in art myself, but this museum is really worth a visit. If we stop in Ottawa again in the future, we will definitely visit it again.
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Description: The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the most important and largest museums in North America. Its main focus is on works by Canadian and European artists. The museum was founded in 1900. The building in which it is located today was redesigned in the early 2000s by architect Frank Gehry. The reopening took place on November 14, 2008. The collection of works by the Group of Seven is very extensive, and several rooms are dedicated to them.
Admission fees: 30CAD per person
Opening hours: open daily except Mondays from 10:30 a.m.
Our rating: This museum is a must-see for anyone interested in art. It is simply magnificent, and it is almost impossible to see everything in one day. The section dedicated to the works of the Group of Seven alone is huge. This was certainly not our last visit to this magnificent museum.
