Alfred Pellan
Végétaux marins, 1967 oil on panel, City of Kingston, Art Collection Society of Kingston Collection
Exhibitions
Art for Community: The Art Collection Society of Kingston
Kistorical Feature Gallery
19 April - 10 August
In early 1957, several months prior to the Agnes Etherington Art Centre's inauguration, the Art Collection Society of Kingston was formed by a small group of citizens keen to bring first-quality examples of Canadian contemporary art to this community. Over the next decade, with modest funds collected through membership and donation, the Society would assemble a focused collection of paintings, drawings and prints by some of the major artists of the day, including Jean-Paul Lemieux, Frederick Varley, David Milne, William Kurelek, Arthur Lismer, Alfred Pellan and A. Y. Jackson.
Inevitably perhaps, the Society's energies waned in subsequent years, and eventually it transferred ownership of the collection to the City of Kingston. For many years, key works have been stored at the Art Centre, making occasional appearances in our installations and in exhibitions across Canada and abroad. With Art for Community, the Art Centre presents highlights from the Art Collection Society's collection to celebrate the public impact of a private initiative distinguished for its vision and acumen.
On Saturday, 19 April at 2 pm a public reception was held marking the exhibition's opening.
Janet M. Brooke