The Group of Seven Guitar Project at the McMichael Gallery, Toronto, ONTARIO May 2017 to March 18, 2018 (EXTENDED!!).
In Canada’s 150th year – the McMichael Canadian Art Collection will become a place to wander, celebrate and delight in acoustic space. Just north of Toronto Canada. In a beautiful 200 acre wilderness setting this gallery is one of Canada’ treasures.
J.E.H. MacDonald once noted that Lawren Harris was compelled to sing a tune when he sat nearby the natural rhythms of water to paint en plein air.
Here’s your chance to see 8 beautiful guitars designed and built by the six original apprentices of Jean Larrivee honouring the Group of Seven Painters.
“Music lovers will fall in love with the visual arts, and art lovers will fall in love with the artistry attached to the music industry,” said exhibition curator Sarah Stanners. “This unprecedented project at the McMichael is so much more than a typical museum exhibition,” she added.
- Sergei de Jonge – J.E.H. MacDonald
- Tony Duggan-Smith – Arthur Lismer
- George Gray – Frank Johnston
- Jean Larriveee – A.Y. Jackson
- Linda Manzer – Lawren Harris
- David Wren – Frank Carmichael
Also together we collectively designed and built the Tom Thomson guitar who died mysteriously in 1917 before the Group of Seven Painters officially formed but was friend to them all. We felt he should be included with the Group to honour his legacy one of Canada’s most beloved painters. This guitar will be offered for sale after the show closes.
A full length documentary film of the project by Riddle Films is available for purchase. (Contact myself or any of the other luthiers in the project to buy a copy) Performances on the guitars in the collection are by Bruce Cockburn, Suzie Vinnick, Jesse Cook, Don Ross, Toney Springer, Kevin Breit, Mike Francis and Emma Rush.
To purchase this DVD, contact Linda Manzer.