Latest news with #CanadianArt
CBC
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Artist draws 100 symbols of Canadiana
From classic symbols like the beaver, to more niche Canadian references like bagged milk, Calgary-based artist Lynne Rennie is piecing together a "cultural mosaic" of Canadian-ness — one drawing at a time.
CTV News
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Friday Harbour unveils custom Bentley Bentayga transformed by Toronto-based artist
One luxurious ride is now the vibrant face of a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist. On Saturday, Friday Harbour celebrated Canadian artistry and homegrown talent with the exclusive unveiling of a custom Bentley Bentayga transformed by artist Peter Triantos. 'Creating this piece at Friday Harbour was an incredible experience,' said Peter Triantos. 'Art should surprise, delight, and inspire. This collaboration was about movement, literal and emotional. I hope it sparks joy and reminds people that beauty and boldness can live in the everyday,' he added The Innisfil event was the first-ever contemporary live art activation. 'At Friday Harbour, we proudly celebrate the creativity and spirit of Canadian talent by curating unique experiences that showcase the best of our country's art and culture,' says Hani Roustom, CEO, Friday Harbour Resort. Known for his iconic 'Jelly Bean' and 'Abstract Expressionism' series, Triantos brought his signature designs to this one-of-a-kind mobile project. 'Cars and art have a long-storied connection,' said Adam Wexler, director of marketing at Grand Touring Automobiles. 'As a proudly Canadian company ourselves, working with local leaders at the top of their craft to explore this intersection for Canada Day was an honour and a privilege.' Friday Harbour continues to celebrate Canadian pride with a lineup of activities across the resort, topped off with a spectacular fireworks display over the Harbour.
CBC
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Degrassi, MuchMusic and the North American house hippo: Artist draws 100 symbols of Canadiana
From the classic symbols like the beaver and a Tim Horton's cup, to more niche Canadian references like bagged milk and the North American house hippo, Calgary-based artist Lynne Rennie is piecing together a "cultural mosaic" of Canadian-ness — one drawing at a time. "I am very interested in how symbols create a shared sense of identity, not just for products or hockey teams, but also for countries as well," she said. Her artwork series called Drawn to Canada explores what a national Canadian brand looks like, with drawings completed within an hour and shared to social media every day for 100 days. And the timing of her project is no coincidence. "With the current geopolitical climate, I was frankly thrilled that I could see our entire country lean into Canadianisms, being proud of being Canadian because we were threatened," Rennie said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's 51st state comments. Anne MacLennan, an associate professor at York University in the department of communication and media studies, describes this uptick in Canadian pride as "defensive nationalism" — a desire to assert that Canadians really are "Canadian," and definitely not American. "When we get a serious pushback like this, this is when there's a rise in Canadian identity. This is when [Canadians] push back when they're told they're the same as Americans. That's when people say, 'No, no, no, Canadians are like this,'" MacLennan said. Rennie also credits Canadian actor Mike Myers's "elbows up" gesture on Saturday Night Live back in March as a "catalyst" for this wave of pro-Canadian nostalgia and sentiment, proving just how powerful a symbol can be. "All of a sudden, people knew exactly what he was talking about," she said of Myers's hockey reference. "When you're backed into the corner, you come out swinging. You don't start the fight, but you defend yourself when you're threatened." WATCH | The symbolic gesture that stirred up Canadian pride: #TheMoment 'Elbows Up' became a rally cry against Trump 4 months ago Duration 1:23 In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, Canadian actor Mike Myers may have started a movement by pointing to his elbow and mouthing the words 'elbows up' during appearances on Saturday Night Live. The phrase has caught on and has become a rallying cry in the trade war. Degrassi makes its mark Another symbol in Rennie's collection of Canadiana: Degrassi, the much-beloved television franchise which followed children and, later, teens navigating their lives in Toronto. Linda Schuyler, the original show's co-creator and executive producer said she was delighted to see Degrassi make the list, as people have often told her, "Degrassi is like Tim Horton's. It's one of those just quintessentially Canadian things." Schuyler said Canadian values like embracing diversity were "hard-baked" into the Degrassi franchise, and it's one of the things she's most proud of. "There's such an unease about what is going on in the United States right now. And the manner in which this whole diversity and inclusion and equity is being dealt with. It is the antithesis of what we as Canadians believe. "Our big mantra on the show was to help reassure young people that they are not alone. It didn't matter what your cultural background is, what your skin colour is … it was an inclusive world that we were building," she said. The unapologetically Canadian franchise gained fans internationally, with Schuyler receiving fan mail from all over the world. In a storyline from Degrassi Junior High, when the character Spike became pregnant, Schuyler recalls people sending the show stuffed toys and baby blankets — a moment that helped her see how the show really resonated with people. Meet The Kids of Degrassi Street 40 years ago Duration 1:54 CBC visits the garages and back alleys of east-end Toronto in 1985 to see how the show operates. MuchMusic, much impact For George Stroumboulopoulos, MuchMusic's inclusion in Rennie's project is a no-brainer. The broadcaster and former VJ on the music channel said, "MuchMusic is a crucial part of Canadian storytelling and Canadian identity, and has been for decades." First airing in 1984, the channel was called "Canada's answer to MTV." Featuring charming VJ hosts with an obvious passion for music, Much reached the entire country from its studio space at 299 Queen St. W. in Toronto. "It was about making the best stuff for music fans and it was keeping kids company across the country who weren't connected otherwise," he said. "I was up in Nunavut, and I would meet kids who had never left Baffin Island and they had a connection to the rest of the country in a way that felt genuine." MuchMusic was also a launching pad for many artists. Musicians like Alanis Morissette and Barenaked Ladies came through its halls before becoming household names. Stroumboulopoulos described it as "lightning in a bottle." With no Teleprompters or studios, the team shot their shows from their workspace and prioritized their relationship with the audience. "It was just a weird kind of punk rock experience and you can't help but be authentic when you're doing that," he said. "I would come in in the morning, start working on that show for the day. Suddenly I'd hear a drum set being tuned up and it would be the guys in the Foo Fighters would be in there getting rehearsing.… You have to walk by them to get to the bathroom, like it was just madness all the time. "There had never been anything like that and there hasn't been anything since like that," he said. "A lot of the things that are touchstones for Canada, people come up with fairly consistent ideas about what makes Canada 'Canadian.' And, one of the things is our media," said MacLennan. Mr. Dressup, Casey, and Finnegan, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, and Cirque de Soleil are some of the other media references included in Rennie's project. The complexity of exploring a national identity While MacLennan said there are some symbols that speak to the country's national identity, she made it clear that it can't necessarily be all-encompassing, as Canada is vastly diverse, containing numerous visions of Canadian identities. "There's always different points in Canada: regional politics, regional identities, different concerns across ... It's a large country. There's all kinds of things that have to be integrated. So there's a push and pull in Canadian identity," she said. For Rennie, the Canadian symbols she's drawn are a way to express Canadian-ness in relation to American-ness. Primarily, she said she wanted to differentiate the country's identity from the "melting pot" of the U.S. "We are a cultural mosaic. We are allowed to express where we're from," she said. While Rennie originally planned to do just 100 days of drawings, she said Drawn to Canada has been so satisfying, for both her creative side and her identity as a "fierce Canadian," that she'll keep the series going beyond those hundred days.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group of Seven Shatters Records at Heffel's Landmark All-Canadian Auction
Heffel's watershed all-Canadian auction achieves $22M and shatters records for major artists Group of Seven masterpieces from University Club of Toronto collection dominate sale Multiple auction records smashed, including Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, A.Y. Jackson and Daphne Odjig TORONTO, May 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Heffel Fine Art Auction House is honoured to celebrate the success of its record-breaking Spring live auction, a watershed evening dedicated exclusively to Canadian masterworks. The all-Canadian sale, held in Heffel's Toronto saleroom, brought together collectors from across the country and around the globe, united in their pursuit of Canada's most legendary artists. It was an electric night for the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, whose major paintings shattered records and contributed to the evening's overall total of $22 million. As the leader in Canada's market and ranked among the top auction houses in the world globally, Heffel is proud to champion the nation's cultural icons on the international stage. The auction was led by three historic Group of Seven canvases by Lawren Harris, Franklin Carmichael and Arthur Lismer, consigned from the storied University Club of Toronto. These exceptional paintings by Canada's first national art movement—steeped in institutional history and national pride—anchored a night of landmark results and celebrated a vital chapter in Canada's cultural history. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer's premium.) "Tonight was a true celebration of Canada," said Robert Heffel, Vice President of Heffel. "To see such exceptional works by our country's iconic artists resonate so deeply with collectors is incredibly rewarding. It's an honour for our team to help steward these national treasures into their next chapters." Highlights from the Heffel Spring 2025 Live Auction A landmark canvas by Lawren Harris led the evening, drawing serious interest from collectors. Northern Lake, a 1926 masterpiece from the University Club of Toronto collection, realized $3,121,250. The historic painting of international acclaim, awarded a gold medal at the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and exhibited at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris, is a defining example of Harris's celebrated vision and mastery (est. $2,000,000 – 3,000,000). Leaf Pattern, the dazzling 1922 canvas by Franklin Carmichael shattered both its presale estimate and the artist's auction record and sold for $2,281,250 at the Heffel sale (est. $700,000 – 900,000). Also consigned from the University Club of Toronto, widely published and exhibited extensively throughout its lifetime, this stunning canvas truly captivated collectors. McGregor Bay Islands by Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer achieved an exceptional price of $1,621,250, setting an auction record for the artist and marking Lismer's entry first entry into the million-dollar club. Widely exhibited and long held at the University Club of Toronto, the stunning canvas stands as one of Lismer's most important works and a quintessential example of the Group of Seven's vision (est. $600,000 – $800,000). A.Y. Jackson's phenomenal Night on the Skeena River set a deserving new auction record for the artist, soaring to $1,081,250 (est. $800,000 – $1,000,000). Painted during his pivotal Group of Seven years, the dramatic canvas is widely considered one of the finest canvases ever painted by the artist. Tom Thomson's rare and coveted oil sketches continue to be among the most sought-after works in Canadian art. Three outstanding paintings each surpassed $1 million, showcasing his most iconic subjects and locations; Autumn, Algonquin Park sold for $1,201,250, Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park for $1,051,250 and Dawn on Round Lake (Kawawaymog Lake) for $1,021,250. Important works by Emily Carr realized strong prices in the Heffel auction, including her dynamic seascape canvas Shoreline, which sold for $901,250 (est. $750,000 – 850,000) and British Columbia Forest for $541,250 (est. $250,000 – 350,000), reaffirming the artist's enduring global appeal. Heffel continues to champion Carr's incredible legacy and unmatched place in Canadian art history. Carr's masterworks, together with works by Lawren Harris and other Canadian greats, are on view in the global touring exhibition Northern Lights, currently on at Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, before opening at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, New York. Daphne Odjig's beautiful Awakening of Spring set a new auction record for the artist and sold for $133,250. The powerful and distinctive canvas exemplifies Odjig's ability to blend traditional themes with contemporary expression, solidifying her status as a pivotal figure in Canadian art (est. $50,000 – 70,000). For more information on the works included in Heffel's spring live auction, visit Heffel is now welcoming consignments for the fall 2025 auction season. The deadline for fall consignments is August 2025. About Heffel Fine Art Auction HouseSince 1978, Heffel has connected passionate collectors across the world with outstanding works of art, with sales of more than $1 billion. Heffel is renowned for its expertise in effectively managing and handling the sale of works from estates, institutional collections, corporate collections and private collections, serving as trusted experts for navigating the complexities of art collections with precision and care. Notable results include the 2016 sale of Lawren Harris' Mountain Forms for $11,210,000– the record for any Canadian artwork ever sold at auction – as well as Jean Paul Riopelle's Vent du nord for $7,438,750 in 2017. With galleries and support facilities in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of specialists in Canada and provides premium client service to both sellers and buyers internationally. SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group of Seven Shatters Records at Heffel's Landmark All-Canadian Auction
Heffel's watershed all-Canadian auction achieves $22M and shatters records for major artists Group of Seven masterpieces from University Club of Toronto collection dominate sale Multiple auction records smashed, including Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, A.Y. Jackson and Daphne Odjig TORONTO, May 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Heffel Fine Art Auction House is honoured to celebrate the success of its record-breaking Spring live auction, a watershed evening dedicated exclusively to Canadian masterworks. The all-Canadian sale, held in Heffel's Toronto saleroom, brought together collectors from across the country and around the globe, united in their pursuit of Canada's most legendary artists. It was an electric night for the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, whose major paintings shattered records and contributed to the evening's overall total of $22 million. As the leader in Canada's market and ranked among the top auction houses in the world globally, Heffel is proud to champion the nation's cultural icons on the international stage. The auction was led by three historic Group of Seven canvases by Lawren Harris, Franklin Carmichael and Arthur Lismer, consigned from the storied University Club of Toronto. These exceptional paintings by Canada's first national art movement—steeped in institutional history and national pride—anchored a night of landmark results and celebrated a vital chapter in Canada's cultural history. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer's premium.) "Tonight was a true celebration of Canada," said Robert Heffel, Vice President of Heffel. "To see such exceptional works by our country's iconic artists resonate so deeply with collectors is incredibly rewarding. It's an honour for our team to help steward these national treasures into their next chapters." Highlights from the Heffel Spring 2025 Live Auction A landmark canvas by Lawren Harris led the evening, drawing serious interest from collectors. Northern Lake, a 1926 masterpiece from the University Club of Toronto collection, realized $3,121,250. The historic painting of international acclaim, awarded a gold medal at the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and exhibited at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris, is a defining example of Harris's celebrated vision and mastery (est. $2,000,000 – 3,000,000). Leaf Pattern, the dazzling 1922 canvas by Franklin Carmichael shattered both its presale estimate and the artist's auction record and sold for $2,281,250 at the Heffel sale (est. $700,000 – 900,000). Also consigned from the University Club of Toronto, widely published and exhibited extensively throughout its lifetime, this stunning canvas truly captivated collectors. McGregor Bay Islands by Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer achieved an exceptional price of $1,621,250, setting an auction record for the artist and marking Lismer's entry first entry into the million-dollar club. Widely exhibited and long held at the University Club of Toronto, the stunning canvas stands as one of Lismer's most important works and a quintessential example of the Group of Seven's vision (est. $600,000 – $800,000). A.Y. Jackson's phenomenal Night on the Skeena River set a deserving new auction record for the artist, soaring to $1,081,250 (est. $800,000 – $1,000,000). Painted during his pivotal Group of Seven years, the dramatic canvas is widely considered one of the finest canvases ever painted by the artist. Tom Thomson's rare and coveted oil sketches continue to be among the most sought-after works in Canadian art. Three outstanding paintings each surpassed $1 million, showcasing his most iconic subjects and locations; Autumn, Algonquin Park sold for $1,201,250, Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park for $1,051,250 and Dawn on Round Lake (Kawawaymog Lake) for $1,021,250. Important works by Emily Carr realized strong prices in the Heffel auction, including her dynamic seascape canvas Shoreline, which sold for $901,250 (est. $750,000 – 850,000) and British Columbia Forest for $541,250 (est. $250,000 – 350,000), reaffirming the artist's enduring global appeal. Heffel continues to champion Carr's incredible legacy and unmatched place in Canadian art history. Carr's masterworks, together with works by Lawren Harris and other Canadian greats, are on view in the global touring exhibition Northern Lights, currently on at Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, before opening at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, New York. Daphne Odjig's beautiful Awakening of Spring set a new auction record for the artist and sold for $133,250. The powerful and distinctive canvas exemplifies Odjig's ability to blend traditional themes with contemporary expression, solidifying her status as a pivotal figure in Canadian art (est. $50,000 – 70,000). For more information on the works included in Heffel's spring live auction, visit Heffel is now welcoming consignments for the fall 2025 auction season. The deadline for fall consignments is August 2025. About Heffel Fine Art Auction HouseSince 1978, Heffel has connected passionate collectors across the world with outstanding works of art, with sales of more than $1 billion. Heffel is renowned for its expertise in effectively managing and handling the sale of works from estates, institutional collections, corporate collections and private collections, serving as trusted experts for navigating the complexities of art collections with precision and care. Notable results include the 2016 sale of Lawren Harris' Mountain Forms for $11,210,000– the record for any Canadian artwork ever sold at auction – as well as Jean Paul Riopelle's Vent du nord for $7,438,750 in 2017. With galleries and support facilities in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of specialists in Canada and provides premium client service to both sellers and buyers internationally. SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
