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Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Agnes Etherington Art Centre Winter.jpg
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Established 1957 (1957)
Location 36 University Avenue, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Type Art museum

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre is an exciting art museum located in Kingston, Ontario. You can find it right on the campus of Queen's University. This gallery has won many awards for its amazing art shows. These awards come from groups like the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Association of Art Galleries.

History of the Art Centre

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre started from a club called the Kingston Art and Music Club. This club was founded way back in 1926. The museum exists thanks to a very important person named Agnes McCausland Richardson Etherington (1880–1954). She was a big leader in the art and music club.

Agnes Etherington's family was very wealthy. Her grandfather started a large grain business called James Richardson & Sons in 1857. Agnes had a brother named George Richardson. He sadly died fighting in World War I in 1916. George left money for Agnes to use to help the arts at Queen's University. She used this money to create the George Taylor Richardson Memorial Fund. This fund still helps support arts programs at the university today.

Agnes Etherington later gave her beautiful house to Queen's University. It was a fancy old mansion built in the Neo-Georgian style. She wanted it to be used as an art gallery for both the university and the community. The Agnes Etherington Art Centre first opened its doors to the public in 1957. The building has been made bigger several times. It was expanded in 1962, 1975, 1978, and 2000. Now, it covers a large area of 1,720 square metres.

What You'll Find Inside

Besides the historic Etherington House, the art centre has nine different galleries where art is displayed. It also has a special studio where artists can work. There's an atrium, which is a large open space, and a publications lounge. You can also visit the David McTavish Art Study Room to learn more about art.

Fun Events and Programs

Throughout the fall and winter, the gallery hosts many interesting events. These include talks, discussions, guided tours, and movie screenings. Each summer, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre offers something really cool for kids. They have an art-focused summer day camp. There's also a special art course just for teens.

Amazing Art Collections

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre holds more than 17,000 pieces of art! These artworks range from the 14th century all the way to today. This makes it one of the biggest art galleries in Ontario. The collections include paintings, sculptures, and drawings by famous Canadian artists. You can also see old European paintings, African art, historical clothing, quilts, silver, and other decorative art.

Canadian Art History

The Canadian Historical collection shows the history of Canadian fine art. It also includes art from Inuit and Indigenous artists. This collection has beautiful early watercolour paintings of landscapes. It also features important 20th-century paintings. You can also see items related to local history. These include the Queen's University Collection of Canadian Dress, the Heritage Quilt Collection, and the Silver Collection.

Some artists whose works are in this collection include:

Modern Art Today

The Contemporary Art Collection focuses on visual art from today. It often highlights new artists and works that show modern life and Canadian society. This collection includes art from across Canada.

Some artists in the Contemporary collection are:

Old European Masterpieces

The European Art Collection has many paintings, prints, and drawings. Many of these are very old and special. A big part of this collection is called The Bader Collection. It has over 200 paintings given by Alfred Bader and Isabel Bader.

Artists in the European collection include:

African Art

The Justin and Elisabeth Lang Collection of African Art has over 500 objects. It is one of the most complete and important collections of African art in Canada. Most of the works are from people in West and Central Africa.

Selected works

  • Granida and Daifilo, by Jacob Backer

    Jacob Adriaensz Backer, Granida and Daifilo, c. 1640

  • Man wearing a high beret with jewels and pearls, by Ferdinand Bol

    Ferdinand Bol, A Man in a Fancy Robe and a Tall Cap Strung with Pearls, c. 1643

  • Michael Sweerts - self portrait with a skull c.1660

    Michiel Sweerts, Self portrait with a skull, c. 1660

  • Rembrandt Lighting Study of an Old Man in Profile

    Rembrandt, Head of a Man in a Turban, c. 1661

  • Jacob van Ruisdael - Winter Landscape - Bader collection

    Jacob van Ruisdael, Winter Landscape with a Wooden House, c. 1667–1673

See Also

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