Audain Art Museum hosts ‘largest and most historic grouping’ yet with The Collectors’ Cosmos

FEATURING 16TH- AND 17TH-CENTURY DUTCH AND FLEMISH PRINTS, EXHIBIT RUNS UNTIL MAY 15

BY ALYSSA NOEL

THE AUDAIN Art Museum’s new special exhibit arguably couldn’t be more different than the one before it.

After hosting Out of Control: The Concrete Art of Skateboarding, showcasing the intersection of contemporary art and skateboarding, last weekend, the museum welcomed The Collectors’ Cosmos: The Meakins-McClaran Print Collection.

This latest exhibit features more than 170 works of 16th- and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish prints, amassed by private collectors and donated to the National Gallery of Canada.

“It’s a very clear about-face from skateboarding to 16th- and 17th-century prints, but that’s very deliberate,” says Curtis Collins, director and chief curator of the museum. “It speaks to the range the Audain Museum wants to attract.”

For its part, the exhibit’s opening weekend attracted Drs. Jonathan Meakins and Jacqueline McClaran, the prints’ original collectors, to Whistler for the first time.

“The collectors both gave a public tour on Saturday,” Collins adds. “They were so thrilled to be able to personally engage with some of our members, docents, and members

The pieces featured in the exhibit offer not only a glimpse at early Northern European printmaking, but also a look at what life, science, society, and even the landscape was like during that period.

“It’s organized in a series of themes. One of those themes really centres on giving a

“Landscape was used as a setting for a religious scene—and there are religious scenes in this show—but, slowly, the importance of humans diminishes and the landscape is the subject,” Collins says. “That’s a new development in European art that continues in direction into the 19th and 20th centuries.”

Part of the show’s aesthetic appeal is in its details, he adds. “People will be well-advised to bring their reading glasses; there’s lots of details. It’s a show you can visit an endless number of times.” of the public. It was a very personalized experience for them. They were over the top about Whistler on departing.”

(And, if you’re in need, there are magnifying glasses to borrow at the front desk.)

Need further proof? One of the several Rembrandts in the show is a self-portrait that’s slightly larger than a postage stamp.

But, as Collins points out, Michael Audain, founder of the museum, alluded to another firsttime Whistler visitor because of this exhibit.

“Michael had a great quote. ‘Rembrandt is in the mountains,’” he says. “I’m going to venture to say Rembrandt has never been to Whistler—and he has his own self-portrait [in the show], too.” reflection of life in Flanders and Holland. But really, I would say, it’s a larger reflection on European life at the time. You’ll see things like, they only knew of seven planets then. There’s one wall of a series of the planets known at the time. The general belief was also the Earth was in the centre of the galaxy and the planets rotated around the Earth,” Collins says.

The exhibit also showcases the emergence of landscape images for the first time in European art.

“Rembrandt had a great sense of humour,” Collins says. “It came out in his work. He was a master printmaker. Primarily what you’ll see is etchings, engravings pulled from copper plates, and some wood block prints.”

Overall, the exhibit is groundbreaking for the museum.

“It’s a really interesting exhibit for the museum in the fact that this is the largest and most historic grouping we’ve had in the building,” Collins says. “It’s the first time outside of the National Gallery of Canada that this group of work has been shown.”

The Collectors’ Cosmos runs at the Audain Art Museum until May 15. n

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival rolls into town

ALSO IN ARTS NEWS: AUDAIN ART MUSEUM HOSTS NEW ART WORKSHOP; FOR THE LOVE OF WINTER MUSIC SERIES KICKS OFF

BY ALYSSA NOEL

ARE YOU READY for an onslaught of diverse mountain films?

The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is on the road and set to stop in Whistler on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

For the uninitiated, the eight films will be different each night, so if you have your heart set on a specific movie, be sure to choose wisely.

On Feb. 10, check out Free to Run, a documentary about an organization of the same name that helps women in Afghanistan access sport, Wild Waters, which follows a groundbreaking French kayaker as she attempts to become the first female to run a 30-metre waterfall, and the lighthearted Danny MacAskill’s Do A Wheelie

On Feb. 11, you can see Balkan Express about a pair of German mountaineers who bike and ski their way from Thessaloniki back home to Munich, Clean Mountains, featuring the famed Mingma Gyalje Sherpa and his sisters endeavouring to climb mountains and clean up some of the staggering amounts of trash left on Everest, and The Process about rock climber Tom Randall as he attempts to achieve unattempted off-road running routes.

Tickets for the festival are $29, available at showpass.com/banff-mountain-film-festivalwhistler-night-1-willow.

Explore Clay Handbuilding

The Audain Art Museum is hosting a unique three-session art workshop, starting on Feb. 4.

Stephanie Lowe, a professional artist and educator, will teach clay hand-building and monotype printing finishes, using a printmaking transfer technique.

The first session on Feb. 4 will focus on hand-building. The next, on Feb. 11, will teach printmaking, allowing participants to create several ceramic tiles then use them to monoprint their design onto clay.

Finally, the Feb. 25 session will be pickup day with a gallery walk—in particular a private tour of the Audain’s new special exhibit, The Collectors’ Cosmos.

The first two sessions run from 1 to 4 p.m. with the final day from 1 to 3 p.m.

Sign up for the $160 program at audainartmuseum.com/upcoming-eventsengagement.

For The Love Of Winter

Arc’teryx and Gibbons Whistler have partnered up to launch a new music series.

For the Love of Winter will feature music at venues throughout the village on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11, including genre-bending favourites Fort Knox Five on Saturday at The Longhorn Saloon. That show kicks off at 8 p.m. with DJ Foxy Moron opening the party.

Tickets are $25, available at members. aprespass.ca/event/FortKnoxFiveLonghorn.

Meanwhile, If you can get your hands on a ticket to see award-winning music producer Hayden James, he’s also set to perform at The Longhorn Saloon as part of the series on Feb. 10.

Who else is playing? Catch Neon Steve at Moe Joe’s and Smalltown DJs at Garfinkel’s on Feb. 10 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Then Whipped Cream at Moe Joe’s and James Hype at Garfinkel’s on Feb. 11.

For tickets and more info head to members.aprespass.ca/events. n

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Elaine Evelyn Shepherd

Aug 15, 1932 - Jan 17, 2023

Arts Scene

PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE

Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events