Prints and drawings from Italian masters will be on display at Burnaby Art Gallery this fall.
Saints, Sinners and Souvenirs: Italian Masterworks on Paper is on at the gallery from Friday, Sept. 13 to Sunday, Nov. 17, with an opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m.
The exhibition will draw together works from Vancouver-area public and private collections, dating from the Renaissance up to the late 18th century. It’s the first exhibition of its kind in Metro Vancouver in more than 30 years.
It’s running along with a complementary exhibition of early printed books from the Wosk-McDonald Aldine Collection, from Simon Fraser University Library’s special collections.
“Both of these exhibitions explore Italy’s long creative history and the significance it plays at the roots of the modern world,” said guest curator Hilary Letwin in a press release.
As the release notes, Saints, Sinners and Souvenirs celebrates “the dissemination of ideas and the people who fuel it.”
Throughout most of history, the release notes, books were handwritten before being printed and most works of art started as sketches, representing ideas. But those ideas would amount to little without the work of a publisher to turn the idea into a print or a book.
“Once transformed into portable objects, ideas are passed easily and shared widely by networks of people across vast geographical areas,” the release says.
To further the discussion and to engage in that process of sharing ideas, the exhibition is being presented together with a new hardcover art publication, featuring essays by Letwin along with Julian Brooks, senior curator of drawings at the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Ralph Stanton, former director of special collections at SFU Library.
The exhibition will run along with a number of special events. See sidebar for more details.
Burnaby Art Gallery is at 6344 Deer Lake Ave. It’s open Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation, with a suggested donation of $5.
For information, see www.burnabyartgallery.ca or call 604-297-4422.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Opening reception: Thursday, Sept. 12, 7 to 9 p.m.
Free. All welcome. Everyone is invited to mingle and learn more about the importance of the artworks on display in the exhibition.
In the BAG Family Sundays
Kids and families are welcome to drop in on Sundays between 1 and 4 p.m. to check out the exhibitions and then get into the studio for a family-friendly art project. Programs begin on the hour and half-hour, with the last program at 3:30 p.m. Each month is different. On Sept. 15, the theme is Drawing From History; on Oct. 20, it’s Printing the Present; and on Nov. 17 it’s Collecting Memories.
Printmaking: Saturday, Sept. 28, 1 to 3 p.m.
This free program, part of Culture Days at the gallery, gives people a chance to check out the exhibition and then join experienced printmakers in the studio for a hands-on printmaking activity.
Curator’s talk: Sunday, Sept. 29, 2 p.m.
This free program, also part of Culture Days, will feature guest curator Hilary Letwin leading an in-depth tour of the exhibition.
Baroque and classical music concert: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2 to 4 p.m.
The Modern Strings, a classical quartet, will play music of the Italian Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods, followed by a reception in the gallery’s Fireside Room. The concert costs $5. Call 604-297-4422 to register.
Study Day: Monday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Guest curator Hilary Letwin, Julian Brooks of the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Ralph Stanton, former director of special collections at Simon Fraser University Library, will offer presentations, discussions and examinations of Italian art and culture featured in the exhibition, as well as a dialogue about the impacts an influences Italy had on the modern West.
