Family Day 2013 artist smallWe’ve recently written about several interactive art pieces we were excited to be installing in our galleries. In wonderfully different ways, each of the three artists had found inspiration in the canoe for their creation and these installations also served as inspiration for the range of programming on offer to over a hundred families that joined us at the museum yesterday for Family Day.Family Day artists small

One of the pieces, “Myth of the Steersman” explores the iconic artwork and mysterious death of Canadian artist Tom Thomson. Guests were invited to explore Thomson’s artwork further using brush and paint in our Preserving Skills Gallery.

Next to the most vocal of the installations, “Conundrum II” (which could be observed to be a drum with a canoe for its body) our young artists made elaborate drumsticks and put them to use to discover the booming tones this impressive instrument makes.

Conundrum II smallSukkanoe small

 

 

The “Sukkanoe”, an elegant structure that draws on the architecture of a wooden canoe hull and also the parameters of a Sukkah (a Jewish meditation shelter) provided a calm, inspirational location for a Nature poetry exercise.

Two of the three artists were able to join us for the opening and to discuss their muse for their particular piece. Unfortunately, Marcel O’Gorman was unable to attend and to discuss his piece “Myth of the Steersman”. He did make a brief video, which we’re happy to share here.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aQga9fmI7s&w=420&h=315]

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