Canadian War Museum presents contemporary military art from the Canadian Forces Artists Program

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release 

Ottawa, Ontario, February 1, 2018 — War art has formed a powerful link between the Canadian public and Canadian military in action since the First World War. The Canadian War Museum is proud to present an exhibition of contemporary art that brings Canadians face-to-face with the experience of military deployment, at home and overseas. Canadian Forces Artists Program – Group 7 showcases the work of eight civilian artists who depict the daily operations of soldiers, sailors and air force personnel in artworks that — in their own ways — contribute to our understanding of military history.

“The Canadian Forces Artists Program offers a unique perspective on the contemporary history of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Stephen Quick, Director General of the War Museum. “As Canada’s national museum of military history, we are honoured to present the extraordinary works generated by this important initiative.”

The thought-provoking works in this exhibition are inspired by the experiences of the seventh cohort of CFAP artists, who were deployed with the military in 2014–2015. Nancy Cole, Richard Johnson, Guy Lavigueur, Ivan Murphy, Kathryn Mussallem, Erin Riley, Mark Thompson and Eric Walker present a wide range of perspectives and styles, expressed through photography, video, sketches, oils, glass sculpture, and mixed media works on paper and textiles. The exhibition will be at the War Museum from February 2 to April 2, 2018. To complement the exhibition, an additional five pieces from previous CFAP deployments that are in the Museum’s collection will be on display in the corridor across from the gallery.

Canadian Forces Artists Program – Group 7 has been created by the Canadian War Museum in partnership with the Directorate of History and Heritage of the Department of National Defence. The Museum has also committed to hosting the CFAP exhibitions for Groups 8 and 9.

All eight artists will participate in a discussion moderated by Dr. Joanne Stober, the War Museum’s Historian of War and Visual Culture, at the Diefenbunker in Carp on February 3.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. Work of the Canadian War Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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Media contacts:
Yasmine Mingay
Director, Public Affairs
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819-776-8608
Email: yasmine.mingay@warmuseum.ca

Avra Gibbs Lamey
Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer, Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819-776-8607
Email: avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca