Arctic Experience McNaught Gallery facts for kids
The Arctic Experience McNaught Gallery is a special art museum located in Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada. It focuses on two main types of art: incredible Inuit art and beautiful Canadian landscape paintings.
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The Gallery's Story
The gallery's story begins with a couple from Hamilton named Marvin and Lorraine Cohen. In the 1970s, they moved far north to Baffin Island for Marvin's teaching job. There, they lived for five years with the Inuit people. They fell in love with the community and their unique art.
When the Cohens returned to Hamilton in the 1980s, they wanted to share the art they had discovered. In 1983, they opened their first gallery. It was a place to show and value the amazing sculptures made by Inuit artists.
A New Partnership
In 1993, the gallery moved to its current home on James Street South. At the same time, the Cohens partnered with Melissa McNaught, an expert in Canadian art. McNaught added a collection of paintings and prints by other Canadian artists to the gallery. This is why the gallery is now called the Arctic Experience McNaught Gallery.
Special Art Collections
Over the years, the gallery has been involved with some very interesting art discoveries.
In 2015, the gallery helped look at a large art collection. It included sketches that were thought to be lost works by J. E. H. MacDonald, a famous Canadian artist. The story was that he had buried them in his backyard many years ago!
In 2016, the gallery received a very special collection of 132 pieces of Inuit art. This art was made in the 1950s and 1960s by patients at the Hamilton Mountain Sanitorium. A sanitorium was a type of hospital for people with a serious lung illness called tuberculosis. Making art was a way for patients to pass the time and express themselves.
Art You Can See Today
Inuit Sculptures
The Cohens still travel to places like Cape Dorset in the Arctic. They bring back new sculptures from talented Inuit artists for everyone to see. Some of the artists whose work has been shown include Pauta Saila, Kelly Qimirpik, Pudlalik Shaa, and Tukiki Manomie.
Canadian Paintings
The gallery also shows paintings by Canadian artists who love to paint nature and landscapes. Many artists from the Hamilton area are featured, such as Brian Darcy and Heather Pate. You can also find historical prints from famous Canadian artists from the past.
