Saturday, January 11, 2020

Artwork Inside The Grand Hall

Alex Janvier painted the wonderful Morning Star mural on a dome high over the Grand Hall at the Museum of History in 1993.


The Hall is filled with totem poles, the facades of homes of the Pacific coast tribes, and other art. Here we have the plaster cast version of Haida sculptor Bill Reid's work The Spirit of Haida Gwaii.


The Hall might look empty in these shots, but it wasn't. I'm judicious in trying not to include people in my shots.


Outside, standing in what is a water feature the rest of the year, is another art installation. It is titled 'namaxsala (To Travel In A Boat Together, by the First Nations artist Mary Anne Barkhouse, inspired by a story her grandfather told of helping a wolf cross a treacherous area of water along the Pacific coast. The Ottawa River, with the Alexandra Bridge crossing it, looms in the background.


More views within. We'll pick up here tomorrow.

34 comments:

  1. Through you I know that sculpture group!

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  2. This is starting to look pretty familiar to me.

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  3. I remember that great hall and the sculptures. They are still there I see, I was there long ago...

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  4. Beautiful paintings and sculptures !

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  5. The colourful dome is very pretty. Have a great weekend William

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  6. ...the wonderful Morning Star mural sure makes you stop and pay attention!

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  7. Hello, I would love to visit this museum. Beautiful dome and artwork. The totems are wonderful.
    Enjoy your weekend!

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  8. Indigenous art is uniquely appealing. i wish I owned a couple of decent pieces. Even more ironic is that I didn't buy years ago before the prices went through the roof.

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  9. The mural is fabulous William.. looking back this is a fabulously interesting and informative exhibition. Hope you had a good Christmas and all the very best for the new year ✨

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  10. @Cloudia: a pleasure to show it.

    @Jan: I have shown it on occasion.

    @Iris: it really is.

    @Marianne: I love visiting.

    @Karl: thank you.

    @Sami: thanks!

    @Marleen: me too.

    @Tom: it does.

    @Marie: very much so.

    @Eileen: thank you.

    @David: Janvier's style suits me.

    @Grace: thank you.

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  11. The mural is so beautiful, and the plaster cast is very interesting indeed.

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  12. Beautiful work here but that ceiling really wows me.

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  13. I like the Canadian way of saying First Nations. Apparently many Native Americans call themselves Indians...and Indigenous Peoples is seldom used.

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  14. I like aboriginal art. It's good that so much of it it in this gallery.

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  15. Love the sculptures ! really special and very well made. Anyway I love the aoriginal art !

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  16. Morning Star mural Is wonderful!
    I also love the sculptures.

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  17. Beautiful sculptures and a stunning mural.

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  18. Magnificent art work and wonderful variety and neat photography ^_^

    Happy Moments to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  19. The mural is stunning, it captures your attention. I especially like how Mary Anne Barkhouse was inspired by her grandfather's story to create "To Travel in a Boat Together".

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  20. I love Morning Star mural. Beautiful with bright colors!

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  21. It's interesting to see those plaster casts without color or texture.

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  22. I think I remember that ceiling installation, and I certainly remember the Great Hall. I loved that model of Bill Reid's 'Spirit of Haida Gwaii'.

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  23. Impressive building, love the mural in the dome:)

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  24. That is a wonderful mural that Alex Janvier painted.

    All the best Jan

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  25. @DJan: I agree.

    @RedPat: indeed.

    @Jeanie: me too.

    @Barbara: it suits me.

    @Red: I agree.

    @Gattina: thanks!

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  26. @Jennifer: that it is.

    @Ella: I do too.

    @Bill: indeed.

    @Carol: thanks!

    @Alexandria: I like it too.

    @Tamago: that it is.

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  27. @Kay: definitely.

    @Joanne: I agree.

    @Furry Gnome: it stands out.

    @Rosie: I love it too.

    @Wilf: definitely.

    @Jan: very much so.

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