The National Arts Centre At Fifty

As part of the anniversary celebrations, there were a number of display cases out and about in various spots with items from the past history of the NAC. They included props, posters, set maquettes, and more. I will be returning to this Doors Open visit after Canada Day, and will likely be dropping in at the NAC tomorrow, since the venue is celebrating the occasion in a big way.

A Golden Anniversary

The National Arts Centre took part in Doors Open, and it was a special occasion this year. June 2nd marked the fiftieth anniversary of the grand opening of the place. Founded as part of the run up to the centennial year of 1967, the NAC sprang up out of the fact that the city didn't have a performance space at the time. The Pearson government and the founding forces behind the centre, especially Hamilton Southam, brought about this building as a major performance venue. The NAC operates music and theatre programs throughout the year in both official languages, as well as an Indigenous program, and hosts concerts with regularity. For the 150th anniversary of the country, an addition of glass was erected around much of the structure, offsetting the period architecture in a nice way. In this shot, which finds the Chateau Laurier in the background and tulips in the foreground, the glass tower is lit up with the colours that make it quite a sight to see at night.

A statue of the great Canadian jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson was dedicated here in 2010 by Queen Elizabeth. It's my favourite sculpture in the city, and the work of Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy.

Inside, many performances were taking place all day, with a special evening concert planned. This jazz band was playing in part of the addition, with that staircase in the background offering plenty of seating room. During my visit the NAC was quite busy. 

I leave off for today with this shot of another spot, almost ready for a different performance, which I'll be showing after Canada Day. This is the Canal Lobby Stage; like the atrium areas, it is often used for informal performances in addition to the four interior performance halls.

The Chapel

Beginning where I left off yesterday, here is the chancel at St. John The Evangelist.

Turning around gives a view back through the sanctuary.

Moving over to the south side of the chancel presents the Warriors' Chapel, dedicated in 1951 in remembrance to parish members who served in the two World Wars.

This view from the entrance of the Chapel looks back into the sanctuary.

Here we have more of the stained glass. Tomorrow I turn my attention to another location for Doors Open.

Sanctuary

For those of you who knew him and were not yet aware, Lowell has passed away. He ran the Ocala photo blog among others for years. Check out this link.

St. John The Evangelist Anglican Church participated in Doors Open this year. Located at the corner of Elgin and Somerset, the church has roots beginning in the 1850s with the current building more than a century old. The parish has a reputation as a welcoming and progressive church in the downtown core. If you're wondering about the construction out front, Elgin Street is in the midst of a major infrastructure overhaul. The exterior is built of stone and brick, while the interior is wood.

Stepping into the main entrance, one sees this.

The stained glass windows, more of which we'll see tomorrow, are lovely.

Here we have a general view of the sanctuary. There's a chapel off to the right side which I'll show tomorrow.

This memorial plaque caught my eye.

For today I leave off with this view of a lectern and the organ.

Embassy

Picking up where I left off yesterday, here's more of the interior inside the Czech Embassy during Doors Open. Renovations have been done in keeping with the original design, and the details of the place are a pleasure to see.