The 14th Biennial International Print Exhibition, hosted by the Center for Contemporary Printmaking , runs June 4 to August 20, 2023 in Norwalk, Connecticut. This biennial is an international, juried exhibition.  All of the artworks in the show are no larger than four square inches.  (Yes!  Magnifying glasses are available to viewers.) I hope the results […]

The spring Oak Bay Artists’ Tour and Exhibition is happening  April 22 and 23, 2023.  This brochure  lists all the artists participating.  You can plan a self-guided tour of  artists’ studios and the group exhibition space using this map. My artwork is showing at the Monterey Centre.  It’s a mixture of new artworks and ‘treasures’ […]

My artwork, grounded and free, was juried into the Connection exhibition at Dundarave Print Workshop in Vancouver, BC.  The show runs March 16 to April 2, 2023. In 2021 Dundarave Print Workshop marked 50 years (!) of fine art printmaking.  It’s a great space, with a gallery showcasing artist-members’ works, and public viewing  of the print shop space. I’m […]

I’m honoured to be featured in the current edition of Tweed Magazine. You can read The ties that bind us: The art of interconnectedness in Tweed’s connect issue here. Many thanks to Sean McIntyre who asks thoughtful questions and listens carefully. His article is a remarkably cohesive reflection of my rambling thoughts and ideas. It was also a privilege […]

Michael Harris has done it again – he’s written a significant book I wish everyone would read.  If you’re a (semi or) regular reader of The Art Caravan you’ll know that I’m a big fan of his writing. Here’s a post about his book Solitude and here’s a post about his first book,  The End of Absence. Apparently I’m in good […]

The November  Oak Bay Artists’ Exhibition is a hybrid of open studios at artists’ homes, and an exhibition space at the Monterey Centre.  Here’s a link to the brochure, listing all the participating artists. The Art Caravan exhibition at the Monterey Recreation Centre  includes handcrafted notebooks and journals, photo and original art greeting cards, postcards, […]

I’ve never been to Taiwan (have you?) but one of my artworks is juried into the  International Biennial Print Exhibition: 2022 ROC.   The show runs from August 27 to November 20, 2022 in the Dadun Cultural Center, Taichung City, Taiwan.  (It’s conveniently located next to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, in case you’re planning […]

  I’m happy to report three of my works are in The Ontario Miniature Print Exhibition 2022 (TOMPE 22).  Sponsored and organized by Print London, the exhibition is on view August 17 -27, 2022 at Satellite Project Space at Western University in London, Ontario. The maximum print size for this miniature print show  is 8 x […]

Two of my prints were juried into The New York International Print Exhibition.  The online exhibit runs June 15 – August 15, 2022 on the Manhattan Graphics Center website here. John Morning, noted print artist and a founder of the International Print Center New York, juried the show. The image size limitation for NYMPE is […]

Twice a year, the community of Oak Bay has an art show and sale.  The Art Caravan display includes handcrafted notebooks and journals, photo and original art greeting cards, postcards, bookmarks.  Original prints, suitable for framing, are available. Twenty artists are showing a wide variety of work. Paintings (acrylic, oil and watercolour), paper casting, mixed […]

I’ve just added the movie June Again to the recommendations on my Good Viewing page…just in time for weekend viewing, perhaps?  There’s a plethora – some might say an inundation – of things to watch so I’ll tell you why I think this film is worth your attention. How many times have you seen any form of […]

January 14 – February 15, 2022 The Contemporary Print Print Austin Big Medium is hosting The Contemporary Print for Print Austin’s annual juried exhibition. The juror for the show is John Hitchcock of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am thrilled – and relieved – that standing on their shoulders was chosen and made its way […]

It’s print month in Austin, Texas!  Print Austin offers a month of all things printmaking: exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, print demos – including a steamroller print event! – and more. There’s a wide range of  in-person and virtual events. Who knew Austin is a hub for printmaking in Texas?  It makes sense, when you realize there are […]

It’s not often that a book is published about your junior high art school teacher, is it?  Don Proch was no ordinary middle school teacher. He taught me how to draw perspective, which is no small feat in a classroom of enthusiastic 13 year olds.  His teaching career was short-lived; he’s been creating art full […]

To wear – or not to wear – indigenous design is a topic of discussion that keeps popping up in my social circles.  The clothing and jewellery are gorgeous, but is it cultural appropriation when non-indigenous people wear them? Mary Simon is Canada’s newest Governor General.  At her recent inauguration she wore a dress and […]

Any regular (or irregular) reader of this blog knows that art and books are important to The Art Caravan.  We’ve looked at a few significant books  and authors  amidst the scores of posts about art. Artist books seem a match made in heaven, don’t you think?  I mentioned them briefly in this post about the Athenaeum Music & Art […]

In the spirit of summer The Art Caravan proposes a (virtual) trip to the beach. Admittedly it’s not nearly as much fun digitally as it is in person, but advantages include less sand in our shoes, and no risk of sunburn. La Jolla, California is a stunningly beautiful oceanside town north of San Diego.  Unlike many beach […]

Summer 2021-officially!  We may (here’s hoping) safely resuming non-pandemic life.  It’s time to go outside, reconnect with others, and resume some activities.  Keeping that advice in mind, The Art Caravan posts will be brief this summer. I will quickly draw your attention to the Manhattan Graphics Center.  MGC, a professional printmaking studio,  opened in 1986.   It […]

I planned to write a different post this week.  Seeing the online version of the play Taking Shakespeare a couple of days ago changed my mind (or course, if you want to follow the cheesy caravan pun.) I am growing increasingly weary of all things on a screen. Perhaps you are, too?  (Oh, I admit  there are […]

The headline Donor supports Venice Biennale’s Canada Pavillon caught my eye.  I’m fond of Venice  – one big art gallery, really! – and visited the Architecture Biennale in 2016.  (You can read a short post about my Biennale adventures here, and a brief description about the Canadian exhibition here.) What is interesting about the $3 million donation […]

Contemporary artist Ai Weiwei is having another moment right now – or maybe he’s emblematic of our time.  If you’ve been following The Art Caravan for awhile, you know that I think he’s a fantastic artist.  In an October 2014 post , I wrote This is one of the best exhibitions I have ever seen.  Seven years later, […]

The art show Not Going to Buenos Aires is over, but remains available online.  As one of the participating artists, I’ve come to realize the importance of this exhibition.  A visitor commented:  I came to the show with my friend; I don’t know any of the artists.   I didn’t think I’d want to have ‘pandemic art’ […]

Not Going to Buenos Aires opened  (in person visits!) last weekend at the Errant Art Space in Victoria, B.C.  The previous  Art Caravan post explained the genesis of the art show’s theme –  six artists inquire into the complexity of yearning to be anywhere other than the ‘here’ of a pandemic shutdown. As you can imagine, six artists […]

My favourite mask right now is one that announces Not Going to Buenos Aires.  (Let’s pause here and consider that a year ago, you’d be scratching your head, wondering what I really meant by my favourite mask.  These days,  wearing a mask in public is almost second nature – an essential item on the mental phone-keys-sunglasses list as we leave […]

The Art Caravan is celebrating…in a covid kind of way.  A year ago we started posting regularly – every two weeks. (Our initial, and very tentative post was in February 2014, with sporadic postings until 2020.) Re-reading the March 2020 post reminds me how little we knew about life in a pandemic.  Sigh.  Be reassured this […]

A very special abstract artist, Frank Mikuska, died recently.  He is significant to me because I had the privilege and good fortune to work alongside him at Martha Street Studio in Winnipeg.  I was in awe of him;  he was decades older than me, retired from his professional career and respected by established artists at […]

In a recent online writing workshop Molly Caro May  said: When you are making art – any kind of art – you are naturally soothing your nervous system.  Creation is really organizing for our nervous systems.  Even if you’re writing about something painful, just the formation and artistry of it is really grounding. The point is: make […]

Speaking of Inuit art, (previous post) who are your favourite Inuit artists?  Do you have one….or three?   If you’re an Art Caravan follower, you know I have a few favourites, including Kenojouak Ashevak (1927-2013) and Oviloo Tunnillie (1949-2014.)   Ningiukulu Teevee is another contemporary (born in 1963) Inuit artist on my favourites list.  (Isn’t that the beauty of […]

Let’s play a fun game to cheer us up during this covid winter.   Imagine that you, and most of the world,  are now vaccinated.  You are able to travel. (Yes.  Ahhh…..)   Which art museum / gallery will you visit first?  (Take a moment – or ten – to imagine and savour the possibilities.) […]

You are probably familiar with the Gee’s Bend Quilts – the quilts created by women from Gee’s Bend, in rural Alabama, U.S.A..  The colourful fabric works have been favourably – and appropriately – compared to works by Henri Matisse and Paul Klee. This Smithsonian article briefly outlines the history of the quilts, and the people living […]

Louise Bourgeois is probably best known for her spider sculptures.  One of the largest graces/guards/threatens (depending on your personal reaction to arachnids) the entrance to the National Gallery of Canada. From October 2017 to July 2019 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art produced the very engaging exhibition, Spiders. Because of their size, volume and apparent solidity, […]

The Art Caravan has compiled a brief list for this year’s Christmas wish list. Since the best  gifts are books and art (dark chocolate goes without saying,) I chose one book and one work of art. Without too much deliberation – it seemed an easy choice – Guerrilla Girls:  Art of Behaving Badly  is at the […]

The things we learn during a pandemic!  Who would have believed, pre-covid,  that watching dance presentations virtually could be enjoyable?  My few vague memories of professional dance performances are static/full stage view/one camera angle/small screen televised programs of traditional ballet. Thankfully, the filming of dance has developed into a specialized art form.  Dance videos are […]

How do you not fall for a person who said, I always had a suitcase ready….suppose I had to go somewhere?  Or, when speaking about her art (reason number two) she said,  My work is connected to language and to poetry. You know, my work is about writing.  The image follows the word. January, 2020, I saw […]

The Art Caravan enjoys multi-genre artistic projects.  Think of Michael Oondatje’s book, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, or The Memory Palace , multi-sensory installations by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller and Sarah Anne Johnson’s thematic work which uses photography as a springboard to other visual interpretations.  The works are complex in form, and meaning – the best kind […]

Have you been indulging a bit, or a lot, in Print Month? Click here for the E / AB (Online) Fair and here for the IFPDA viewing rooms.  The viewing rooms are wonderful: informative, and visually satisfying.  They really are treasure troves, and lots more fun than regular on-line shopping!  Just think:  Helen Frankenthaler, Carmen Herrera, Judy […]

I know, isn’t every month Print Month?   ( I remember, as a child,  asking my Mum,  Why isn’t there a Kids’ Day, like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day?  Of course she said, Every day is Kids’ Day.) For The Art Caravan and many art afficiandos, original, hand made, fine art prints are irresistible.  Once you get some familiarity with the world of […]

…be easier on yourselves……Treat yourself. says Pauline Boss, who named the psychological condition of ambiguous loss. (See The Art Caravan post about it here.)  She asserts that we are experiencing grief for our losses during this pandemic.  No kidding.  Some days- okay! many days – it feels like the world is spinning out of control.  (I think the […]

Like so many other things in our lives, the Art Caravan’s travelling schedule has been suspended, due to the pandemic.  Instead of bemoaning the specific shows we didn’t see this summer like  L. L. Fitzgerarld at the WAG or Katie Ohe at the Esker  (sigh…) we are going to think about  the work of Pauline Boss, […]

Who, me?  Dissing Monet??  No, not at all.  It’s just that Berthe Morisot doesn’t get the attention she deserves.  She is my favourite Impressionist painter, and, (dare I say?) the best of the lot. The Frick Five’s final question (which is really two questions)  Which artist do you find most overrated?  Which artist do you […]

Have you thought about the questions from the Frick Five videos?  (See the last post for more info.)  Any definitive responses?  No hard and fast selections made here, either.  But isn’t that part of the enjoyment? I’m still thinking about my answer to the first question:  What is the one work of art you would want to […]

  What is the one work of art that you would want to live with every day? Isn’t this a great question to consider?  It’s quite a fun idea to explore.  Just think about it. Take your time.  I find a seemingly unending stream of memories is elicited.   I offer it as a satisfying […]

  …..that is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Helen Frankenthaler   The artist Helen Frankenthaler spoke from experience.  She was one of the first artists to explore the stained painting technique – a process wherein she poured thinned paint onto raw (unprimed) canvas.  Mountains and Sea (1952), considered a breakthrough painting, shows the transparency […]

Pop art, 1960s social activism, screen printing, Los Angeles art scene, Catholic nun….one of these nouns seems incongruous, doesn’t it? Thanks to the book Forgotten Women: The Artists by Zing Tsjeng, I learned of  (Sister Mary) Corita Kent. This short video is an introduction to this intriguing personality (1918 – 1986.) The more I read about her, the more […]

Have you ever seen a work of art that’s almost too difficult to view?  (I am not referring to work that is badly executed, or manipulative, or too clever by half, but an artwork worthy of attention.) I felt that way when I saw The Hanging Tree by Joe Minter at the de Young Museum in […]

It’s a time of great loss.  The death of the American painter, Emma Amos , adds another drop into the ocean of sadness threatening to flood our world. Artnews has prepared a brief slideshow of a few of her works.   Ms Amos worked across several media, from drawing and painting to printmaking, tapestry and installation […]

You know you’ve found something special, when the same artist takes you by surprise on different occasions.  I remember the first time I saw Lee Bontecou’s work at MoMA.  I stood in the middle of the gallery, looking up, gobsmacked.  I said to one of my art friends, Look at that!  Who is it? Without a […]

It’s not only how our lives may feel at the moment, but it’s how the artist Pat Steir describes her work.  Some of her musings about making art are surprisingly relevant to our pandemic times.  The chance in a painting is like a companion, she says. As I said in my last posting, there are about […]

Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?  Looking at visual art, sipping something delicious …..not a bad way to pass the time as we all shelter in place. There are thousands (millions?) of videos, presentations, discussions, interviews, podcasts chats, and forums digitally available to us during the pandemic.  One has to be selective, and release any FOMO feelings. […]

I have accidently fallen in love with another poet.  It happens. The timing is perfect:  It’s April, National Poetry Month.  (Do you ever wonder who makes these kinds of proclamations?  Could we declare a National Fruit Pie Month, or a National Dark Chocolate Month?) Fortunately, in these days of physical distancing, it’s a literary love and […]

Some of the many consequences of the current pandemic are the cancellations of art exhibitions and dance, theatre and music performances.  I had tickets to see Ballet BC perform their new ballet, Romeo + Juliet, on March 14. I am a huge fan of this Shakespearean tragedy.  I enjoyed teaching it to high school students […]

It’s worse than I thought, and I thought it was awful.  (See my brief post from 2016 here.)  According to a report  published on artnet News, ….just 11% of all museum acquisitions over the past decade have been of work by women.  Yes, you have (unfortunately) read that correctly.  (No typo:  eleven.)  To add insult to […]

Isn’t this a beautiful title for an art exhibition?  The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs was a highlight of my visit to The Outsider Art Fair in New York City in January. The OAF consists of many exhibitors showing art from self-taught artists  (think Howard Greenberg Gallery selling original Vivian Maier photographs) as well as special […]

Sometimes the best travel recommendations come from strangers.  When I was recently in New York City, another guest at the BnB lodging encouraged me to see the Agnes Denes show at The Shed. “Not to be missed,” he said. (Now, I’ve wasted time and money on other “not to be missed” recommendations – apparently some reviewers […]

Do you have a favourite piece of artwork that you make a point of visiting, whenever you find yourself in a certain gallery, or in another city?  I have several;  they seem to act as touchstones for me.  Perhaps they give me a sense of familiarity in a foreign setting  as I explore new things. […]

All live theatre is an act of courage, wouldn’t you say? In some ways, it’s risky for everyone: the performers, writers, producers as well as the audience.  As an audience, we expect to be entertained, inspired, and challenged in exchange for our time and money.  The creative team displays the product of months (sometimes years) […]

I was sad to learn that the American poet, Mary Oliver, died in January.  Her poetry was remarkable in its simplicity and truthfulness.  Wild Geese, published in 1986, is one of her most famous poems. You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles […]

The Art Caravan hasn’t travelled to Manitoba this winter, but if it does, I will search out this site specific art installation by Jaime Black, a multi-disciplinary artist. Her snow sculptures on the Red River, at the heart of Winnipeg, remind us of the many murdered and missing indigenous women in Manitoba and Canada.  This […]

These 12 days of Christmas I’ve  been enjoying Sister Wendy on the Art of Christmas.  It was a bit of a shock this morning to read that she died this week, on December 26, 2018, at 88 years of age. Sister Wendy was a Carmelite nun, art critic and popular television host who ably shared […]

Last month I practically ordered you to read Michael Harris’ book, Solitude.  (Click here for the post.)  No! I am not checking up on your progress…but I don’t mind if this is a gentle reminder. This month I will try to persuade you to read his first published book The End of Absence.   Or, perhaps, I’ll […]

I’m hope it’s obvious that The Art Caravan values creativity, but strives to be discerning in its observations and judgments.  So, yes, I may be that person you see in a theatre or concert hall sitting down amidst a sea of people giving a standing ovation at the end of a performance. The other evening I found […]

I just finished reading Solitude by Michael Harris.  I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen–including a stranger sitting beside me in a coffee shop!–that they should read this book. I think it’s that significant. Here are five reasons good reasons to buy, and read, Solitude: It’s such a great book, you’re going to want to refer back […]

I just finished reading Adam Gopnik‘s latest book At the Strangers’ Gate:  Arrivals in New York.  For anyone interested in art, and particularly contemporary art, I encourage you to read it. Let me just say, however, that there may be some bias at work here.  I’m a huge fan of Gopnik’s writing.  I find it easily […]

After walking through the brightly lit rooms of  Entangled:  Two Views on Contemporary Canadian Painting  (previous post) at the Vancouver Art Gallery I wandered into a cozy, dimly lit space displaying Emily Carr paintings in the show   空/Emptiness: Emily Carr and Lui Shou Kwan. The paintings are gorgeous:  the Vancouver Art Gallery has some of the […]

The Art Caravan briefly visited the Vancouver Art Gallery a couple of weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised by the exhibition Entangled: Two Views on Contemporary Canadian Painting. I walked into the various rooms of the show, experiencing the artworks without reading the curatorial statement, or the explanations….somewhat unusual for me. Instead I moved through the […]

I’ve been fortunate to encounter Ruth Asawa’s work several times over the last few years.  I enjoy it–a lot!–but have never written about her.  The visit to the de Young Museum in San Francisco provided the decisive impetus. I knew she was American, but I didn’t realize she was born in California.  She lived and […]

One of the first rooms I entered at the de Young contained only two pieces of art.  It wasn’t a small room, even by museum standards.  The two works were very different, and yet, the room felt complete.  I lingered for a long time, as did a young man with a toddler.   (It’s always […]

You may have already heard about or seen the documentary, Faces, Places (Visages, Villages) as it’s getting some positive press these days.  The Atlantic called it  a one-in-a-million crowd-pleaser that deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible. It’s a quirky, charming film about two artists, Agnès Varda, and JR,  who work together to create some […]

You can add the de Young Museum in San Francisco to the list of my favourite art museums.  (I know, the list is getting longer, and longer.)  Here are some of the reasons why you should visit it… Location:  Golden Gate Park.  Home to other museums, speciality gardens, an historical carousel and much more, Golden […]

SF MoMA also has some of Louise Bourgeois’ spiders showing….and don’t they make a show? My first encounter with a Louise Bourgeois spider was at the National Gallery of Canada. As you can see, (or may have experienced) Maman is an imposing sculpture.  I am not afraid of spiders, but the size of this artwork, in […]

In my last post, I briefly mentioned Walker Evans.  I would guess that most of you are familiar with his work, especially his iconic photos taken in rural America during the depression years of the 1930’s. San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art has a major retrospective of his work until February 4, 2018.  I found […]

So, there I was, enjoying the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, wandering from Walker Evans to Louise Bourgeoise  when I was stopped in my tracks by this work of art….. It was such a compelling piece that a complete stranger and I struck up a conversation.  We were both excited about the image, […]

It’s the 75th anniversary of the wonderful children’s book, Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey. In honour of the anniversary of this classic story set in Boston, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is exhibiting Make Way for Ducklings:  The Art of Robert McCloskey. Robert McCloskey was awarded two Caldecott Medals (honouring distinguished American books for children) and […]

In the last year, Canada has lost the authentic voices of too many of its artists.  Annie Pootoogook, Daphne Odjig, Tim Pitsiulak, and, most recently, Beau Dick, have died. Beau Dick was an artist, activist, hereditary chief, and, by all accounts, a very engaging personality.  His dealer, LaTiesha Fazakas, of Fazakas Gallery said, “Beau made you […]

The largest show (ever!) in Canada of Georgia O’Keefe’s work is opening at the Art Gallery of Ontario. There’s an article today in the Globe and Mail discussing the show.  Click here to read Rosie Prata’s excellent description of this retrospective.  I am intrigued by the AGO’s interpretation of O’Keefe’s large body of work. Curiously enough, […]

As I said in the  last post, I wish The Art Caravan had been able to travel to Ottawa to see  the Alex Janvier show at the National Gallery of Canada.  I’m happy to report, however, that TAC has visited  The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s current exhibition Life with Clay:  Pottery & Sculpture by Jan […]

The Art Caravan did not and will not, unfortunately, see the retrospective show of Alex Janvier’s work at the National Gallery of Canada, which runs until April 17. Alex Janvier, as you may know, was one of the artists of the Indian Group of Seven, or the Professional Native Indian Artists Association, formed in 1973.. Russell Smith’s […]

Don’t you love it when you stumble upon amazing artwork? There I was, nonchalantly drifting into the Alcheringa Gallery in Victoria, B.C., expecting to see their usual offerings of high quality, global aboriginal art.  (One could look at Dennis Nona‘s artwork many, many times….and The Art Caravan does.) Little did I know that I would be […]

January 6 is Epiphany, the last ‘Day of Christmas.’  In many cultures, it is a day of celebration, marking the visitation of the wise men, the magi, to the baby Jesus.  The wise men revealed the divinity of the baby Jesus to the world. The Cambridge English dictionary defines epiphany as a moment when you suddenly […]

We’ve been marking the days of Christmas by looking at some of my favourite  art.  I limited the discussion by stipulating that it must be art I personally experienced in 2016.  (Click here for the first post in this series.) I am taking creative license with the ‘works of art’ category, and devoting this post to the general […]

Today we are leaping from the Renaissance, in Italy, to installation art in southern California as we continue to celebrate the days of Christmas. One of my favourite Robert Irwin pieces is 1°2°3°4°. ( I’ve written about Irwin here and here.) 1°2°3°4° is a semi-permanent installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego.  It’s an excellent example of […]

We are halfway through the Days of Christmas.  Today’s art favourite is in strong contrast to the sculptures from the last posting;  this alterpiece painting by Tiziano Vicellio (Titian) makes me smile. At first glance, it seems like another ‘madonna and child’ painting, one of countless in the churches of Venice.  This composition, however, has distinctive […]

For our next ‘art treats’ ( see previous post) for the days of Christmas, we travel to Venice.  Ahhhh….Venice. Two of my favourite pieces of art are found in the Basilica dei Frari which houses treasure upon treasure.  It is a huge space, filled with beautiful work:  sculpture, paintings, wood carvings, soaring ceilings, stained glass […]

The Art Caravan has decided to mark these days of Christmas by talking about some of our favourite works of art.  This will not be an exhaustive, extensive or scientific survey –no surprise there!–but we will, however, limit our options somewhat by only writing about work that complies with the following criteria: * art we have personally […]

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season. (Click here to read more about this painting, found in the Pinacoteca in the Vatican.)    

There’s art–lots of art–in Ali Smith’s 2014 novel How to be Both.  The novel, itself, is a work of art:  it’s ambiguous, clever, funny, sad, truthful, and challenging. Here are a few quotes from How to be Both to, possibly, entice you to read it:      I think of all the sketches and dessins and paintings on panels […]

It’s been a sad week.  Remembrance Day seems an appropriate end to the last seven days. During both the first and second world wars, the Canadian government sent artists overseas to record their impressions. (If this seems a bit strange to you, you’re not the only one thinking so.)  According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Canada […]

The Guggenheim Museum in New York is featuring an Agnes Martin exhibition.  I was vaguely aware of her name, guessing she was an American  painter, during the 50’s and 60’s…..or so I thought. Well, the more I read about her, the more fascinated I am.  Here are at least seven interesting facts about Agnes Martin to […]

Oh!  It was startling to see Ms Odjig’s photo on the Globe and Mail’s Obituaries page today.  It’s not that she hasn’t lived a long, fruitful life.  It’s just sad to see another great Canadian artist pass on. I first saw her work in a school hallway in the north end of Winnipeg.  It was a […]

Since two of the art works highlighted in my last posting about Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche were by the same artists, I think we should visit their website. Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett can be found at, appropriately, incandescentcloud.com. After you’ve checked out their website/blog, you can  watch this one minute video about CLOUD, produced by Ms Brown. […]

Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche is a big, fun deal!  I’d read and heard about the Nuit Blanche festivals celebrating contemporary art, but had never attended one. The French phrase, nuit blanche, means a ‘sleepless night.’  The concept of Nuit Blanche  –an all-night art party!– originated (appropriately) in France in 1984, and has spread around the world.  Canadian Art magazine […]

Annie Pootoogook was born in Cape Dorset and died recently in Ottawa.  She was a ground-breaking Inuit artist. In 2006, she won the prestigious Sobey Art Award.  Her work was exhibited internationally, such as in Germany at Documenta, and in New York at The National Museum of the American Indian. Click here for an excellent article from the […]

If I hadn’t lived in Winnipeg, I probably wouldn’t know about Esther Warkov.  She’s a living Canadian artist who has received little attention.  It’s unfortunate, because her work is fascinating. The Winnipeg Art Gallery is currently showing Esther Warkov, Paintings: 1960’s-1980’s until October 16, 2016.  I remember the first time I saw Esther Warkov’s artwork.  It was […]

It always surprises me that many people don’t know about the rich cultural scene in Winnipeg.  “Really?” they ask. I wonder why more Canadians aren’t aware of the breadth and depth of the arts and culture in Manitoba?  Maybe it’s because the artists, musicians, writers, dancers and theatre folk in the ‘peg are too busy […]

The Art Caravan is working towards informing its subjects about the discussion in this blog.  After writing a post, I often send an email to the artist to tell them I wrote about their work.  I have been pleasantly surprised that artists like Jennifer Stilwell (June 2) and Anila Agha promptly responded to my emails.  (If […]

….I asked the host/interpreter who was standing near the Canadian entry at the Biennale Architettura in Venice. I could tell he was the host, because he was wearing a ball cap, and standing near a fold-up table displaying printed materials. Seriously. (With true patriot love,  I had chosen the Canadian pavilion as my first stop when […]

Many of us have heard of the Venice Biennale…..probably the most important international exhibition of contemporary art, held every two years.  I think of it like the World’s Fair of art:   many countries have pavilions, and different exhibitions are installed for each new Biennale, but it occurs (largely) in a dedicated site in Venice. […]

Answers to Canada Art Quiz (2016) (10 points for every correct answer; 50 points for every correct bonus answer!) 1.  The Winnipeg Art Gallery is Canada’s older civic gallery.  It was founded in 1912. 2.  The ‘new’ National Gallery of Canada was officially opened on May 21, 1988.  Moshe Safdie designed the building. 3.  There […]

Canada Day Art Quiz (2016) 1.  Which is Canada’s oldest civic art gallery? (Regular readers of The Art Caravan should know this one!) 2. When was the ‘new’ National Gallery of Canada opened?  (Bonus question:  Who was the architect?) 3. In which city is the National Portrait Gallery located? 4. Prudence Heward, Anne Savage, Kathleen […]

The Telegraph calls him “Italy’s Greatest Photographer.”  Who knew?  Certainly not me, before I entered the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome.  I chose  to visit the exhibit because the advertising was appealing (!) and the venue was close by.  It’s amusing to admit that no previous knowledge nor research went into my decision. I was immediately in […]