CANADA HOUSE GALLERY TURNS 40 TODAY My parents had a dream. It was 1974 and they owned a little souvenir shop in Banff. Everything had BANFF plastered on the front of it in big letters while it all had “made in Taiwan” in tiny letters on the bottom. My parents, Peter & Marika McCaffrey, knew that people came to Banff from all over the world and that they deserved better. So Mom and Dad started to dream…. They envisioned a gallery that would be a destination in itself. People who came to Banff would have an opportunity to view Canadian perspectives, culture and talent. That was the dream that started Canada House Gallery and our family’s path. Officially, Canada House Gallery opened on May 20, 1974 at 201 Bear Street in Banff, AB. As a kid it was tough to appreciate the dream never mind the sweat, determination and hard work required to achieve the vision. Business talk seemed to dominate every moment we shared as a family. Every day mom and dad would talk about business; they would discuss news from the artists, exhibition ideas, challenges, and the nitty-gritty details. Fast-forward 40 years…… here we are. After living and travelling overseas, earning a BA in Anthropology from UBC in 1989, I returned to the gallery with fresh ideas and drive. In 2000 my husband, Eric, and I bought the gallery and have carried on the dream. With Eric’s background as a banker, he brought a business sensibility and professional vision to the gallery. His support has allowed me to focus on artist development, and to push the gallery forward. In 2002 Canada House Gallery was accepted into ADAC. Peter & Marika (Mom and Dad) are retired and enjoy watching the gallery’s continual evolution. Today Canada House Gallery represents over 50 Canadian painters, 18 Canadian sculptors plus a long list of Inuit artists from Cape Dorset on Baffin Island. On any given day we are surrounded by over 700 original paintings and 200 sculptures by Canadian artists. This is our labour of love. 2014, our 40th Anniversary, will be celebrated with a comprehensive list of exhibitions that showcase artists with whom we have long-standing relationships, as well as introducing talented, established artists to our roster. We are also updating our exterior….. we have gorgeous new doors, and new signage going up this week! Exhibitions for 2014 include: January 18 Snow Days with Sheila Kernan, Robert Roy, K. Neil Swanson and Peter Wyse Feb 8 Grant Leier – Animal Farm March 15 Mike Svob – Chromaticity April 5 Stephen Hutchings – welcome to the gallery April 12 Jennifer Annesely & Dieter Schlatter - Parallels May 3 Bev Rodin – New Work June 7 Steven Nederveen – Liquid Light Aug 9 Demo Day with 6 artists who share their creative processes throughout the day: Joan Baron, Rod Charlesworth, Rachel Mielke (Hillberg & Berk), Sheila Kernan, Terry McCue and Paul Reimer Sept 27 Neil Patterson Oct 18 Les Thomas Oct 25 Richard Cole Book Signing, The Girl Who Writes Nov 22 JOY – our 40th celebration!! All of these exhibitions and all artwork are posted on canadahouse. We update our website multiple times per day…. To make sure it is accurate and fresh! We’re also active on Twitter and Instagram… sharing our talented artists’ works with collectors and friends from around the world on a continual basis. Being open every day, year round (closing only for Christmas Day) requires a large team; some have worked with us for many years allowing for continuity and wonderful relationships to develop. Janette Doering (20 years), Amber Wanless (16 years), Shauna Bush (6 years), Erica Gilmore and Theresa Montague (4 years each), and Joe Joseph Bembridge (3 years). New additions to our team include Hannah Roney and Daniel Booth Certainly the long-term relationships with artists, staff, and collectors make Canada House Gallery truly unique. Regular exhibitions and opportunities to bring artists and collectors together, and a dynamic energetic vibe are also part of the Canada House Gallery experience. We aspire to have a pivotal role in supporting working Canadian artists by sharing their work with collectors. It is essential to us that all visitors, clients and those interested in fine art feel welcomed in our gallery. Our staff are sociable, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic to share their admiration and familiarity of our artists with visitors. We work closely with each client to choose the perfect pieces of art at values consistent with galleries across Canada. Located in Banff, a World UNESCO Heritage Site and Canada’s First National Park, Canada House Gallery welcomes a constant stream of new collectors as well as returning visitors. A mere hour from Calgary, Canada House Gallery offers a unique gallery experience to people escaping city life on a regular basis. We are surrounded by beauty – the majestic Rocky Mountains, stunning creations by talented Canadian artists, and appreciative clients and visitors from around the world. We truly feel fortunate and are happy to pass along our love of art and mountain culture to all. We are proud of what we do, how we do it and we love it. My parents worked so hard, they were so determined and sweated for so many years on their labour of love… it’s our honour and our mandate to continue their dream. We thank all of our friends, clients, artists and staff for being part of CHG!!! THANK YOU.
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 15:33:03 +0000
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