For more than 80 years, The Group of Seven has been Canada`s best-known art collective. Founded in 1920, the Group--Franklin Carmichael, Lawren S. Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank H. Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, Frederick H. Varley, A.J. Casson, Edwin Holgate, and Lionel LeMoine Fitzgerald-was recognized for their strikingly bold, modernist and colourful images of the Canadian landscape. In creating their art, the Group also contributed greatly to Canada`s emerging sense of identity. In their inaugural exhibition catalogue, the Group poignantly wrote: `An art must grow and flower in the land before the country will be a real home for its people.`
In The Group of Seven in Western Canada, Catharine Mastin, curator of the Glenbow exhibition, along with five other Canadian scholars and curators explore the inspiration and influence of the west on both the Group`s artwork and their sense of national identity. The book focuses on the significant themes and works produced by the Group from artistic, political, geographical, social and cultural perspectives in order to create the first, and most comprehensive, study of the Group`s western muse.
With 130 images and photographs to accompany the fascinating and insightful text, The Group of Seven in Western Canada is a unique and outstanding contribution to the history and legacy of Canadian art.
The Glenbow Museum is a world-class multi-disciplinary institution that includes a permanent art collection, western Canada`s largest museum, Canada`s largest non-government archives, and an unparalleled western Canada reference library. Located in Calgary, it is world-renowned for its innovative programming and exhibitions.