Forging a Nation: Canada Goes to War
January 22, 2014 – April 7, 2014
Exhibition Details
2014 marks the centennial of the start of the First World War and is also the 100th anniversary of the formation of many of the regiments that were mobilized for this conflict.
Canadians’ individual and collective contributions and sacrifices to this war changed Canadian history and continue to shape notions of Canadian national identity to this day. Despite Canada’s contributions in tandem with allied countries, it was not until after the collective traumas of the First World War that any notions of nationalism were felt at all.
In the vast and diverse country that is Canada, there is little that ties Canadians together beyond collective war efforts, uniting those on the home front, both in support as well as opposition. Artists have been an important part of the Canadian Military and many of Canada’s best-known historical artists were on the front lines depicting the key events of the First World War.
Forging A Nation: Canada Goes to War depicts the remarkable events of this war and the following 100 years of violent conflict as captured by military, civilian, Canadian, and foreign artists. These artists portray the experiences of ordinary Canadians who endured the extraordinary.
Artists in the exhibit include:
| Dick Averns John William BeattycWilliam Bewick Isla Burns Bertrand Carrière John de Chastelain Alex Colville Charles Comfort Maurice Cullen Orville Fisher Kenneth Forbes Colin Gill John Heartfield Gershon Iskowitz | A.Y. Jackson Franz Johnson Gertrude Kearns T.R. MacDonald Jack MacLaren Pegi Nicol MacLeod William MacDonnell Allan Harding Mackay David B. Milne Paul Nash W.A. Ogilvie Charles Oppenheimer R. Mae Pey Albert Richards | Paul Seguna Inglis Sheldon-Williams Tony Scherman Gordon Appelbe Smith Michael Smith SMSteele Katherine Taylor Peter von Tiesenhausen Frederick Varley Robert Venor Scott Waters Robin Watt William Wessel William Barnes Wollen Ted Zuber |