The Miami Creative Movement Comes Alive

Paola Gracey, Spectra II, mixed media, 72 x 72 in.

Carlos Betancourt, Landscape Re-Imagined, mixed media on vinyl, 62 x 52 in.

Mira Lehr

Eco-conscious artist Mia Lehr has spent the last 50 years using art to document the wonders and ever-changing state of the natural world.

Mira Lehr, The Arrival I and II, ignited fuses, burned and dyed Japanese paper, acrylic and ink on canvas, 48 x 54 in.

Mira Lehr, Early Spring, burned and dyed Japanese paper, ignited fuses, ink on canvas, 60 x 54 in.

Gustavo Oviedo, Nebula Dreams, acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 36 x 48 in.

David Marsh

Marsh is consistently developing his own visual language through a rigorous process of inquiry. He is resolutely committed to abstraction, affirming its relevance as a living practice.

David Marsh, X, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in.

Jacqueline Gopie

Challenging negative media stereotypes of people of colour by depicting idyllic scenes, Gopie’s intent is to rewire the viewer’s learned negative response to racial differences by showcasing alternative positive narratives.

Jacqueline Gopie, Freedom to Be, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 60 in.

John Bailly, Francisco and Diego, oil on canvas, 36 x 60 in.

Karen Rifas, 0807, acrylic on Arches watercolour paper, 45 x 45 in.

Robert Thiele

Robert Thiele embeds found objects from the environment into paintings that he calls wall constructions.

Robert Thiele, Second Circle (CCLXXX), wood laminated canvas, mixed media, 28 x 28 in.

Pablo Contrisciani

Contrisciani uses art to explore the universe and its unity in the infinite diversity of elements.

Pablo Contrisciani, Unadulterated Magic, mixed media on canvas, 35 x 56 in.

Asser Saint-Val

After moving to the US from Haiti, Saint-Val began to examine many facets of his uniqueness, spirituality and the realm of thought form. Imbued with a desire to understand the profound nature of his identity, Saint-Val began researching neuromelanin, the pineal gland and consciousness. He expresses his findings in his paintings.

Asser Saint-Val, ISPAKOTV NGY EWHR, I have allowed you to perform your task!, mixed media on Masonite, 48 x 48 in.

Regina Jestrow, Americana Quilt 72, assorted fabrics, hand-dyed fabric, batting, thread, 60 x 95 in.

Kathleen Staples

Working with paint, wet on wet, in an expressive “go with the flow” technique, Staples uses natural forces to create rough, expressive surfaces that are an exaggerated, fantastic evocation of natural terrain, in a parallel of landscape’s own power.

Kathleen Staples, Evening Harmony, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 48 in.

Robert McKnight

McKnight’s mission as an artist “is to create works that are individual in style and content reflecting my heart and soul, stretching the poetic and artistic license in both material and content.”

Robert McKnight, Blues 1, Blues 2, Blues 3, framed and mounted Triptych, 60 x 95 in.

Edouard Duval-Carrié

An educator at heart, Duval-Carrié is a contemporary artist and curator who challenges the viewer to make meaning of dense iconography derived from Caribbean history, politics and religion. His mixed media works and installations present migrations and transformations, often human and spiritual.

Edouard Duval-Carrié, Tropical Convention, Pink, undefined.

The publication’s more than two hundred vibrant photos and essays record the heart and soul of Miami’s creative community, from major museums and performance venues to popular grassroots events. It documents a decade of artistic growth in Miami, the creative community and the impact of transformational financial investments (both public and private) on the arts.

Since 1971, National Bank has been acquiring artwork to expose nationwide in its offices, branches and subsidiaries. With over 7,000 original works, National Bank has the largest corporate art collection in Canada. Here’s an inside look, with curator Jo-Ann Kane.

Describe National Bank’s collection in a few words.

Our collection represents the history of Canadian art, from 1895 to now. It includes paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs and digital works. Without naming any names, I can say that our collection includes works from both up-and-coming and well-known artists.

What is the goal behind the collection?

First off, we want to create both a stimulating workplace for our employees and a welcoming environment for our clients. More importantly, we want to encourage local artists. Acquiring artwork is a direct way to support Quebec and Canada’s visual arts community.

What criteria do you apply to your acquisition decisions?

The artist must be recognized by his or her peers, have at least ten years of experience and have shown work in well-known galleries.

What is the acquisition process?

I propose selected works to the acquisition committee. This committee meets three or four times a year and is responsible for making final decisions.

Outside of National Bank offices and branches, where can we see works from the collection?

We do a lot of outreach with our artwork. You’ll find it displayed with descriptive texts in public places where National Bank clients can see it. We also post Instagram stories about the collection to make certain works more accessible and we regularly lend pieces from our collection to museums across Canada. It is always a pleasure to lend works out so that they reach as many people as possible.

Several works from the National Bank private collection will be shown at the Papier Contemporary Art Fair in Montréal.

Text: Diane Stehle
Photos: Patrick Bernatchez, À la recherche du jour d’après, 2012 © Christian Perreault Photographe – Ed Pien, Dream Land, 1999-2010 © Christian Perreault Photographe

To read

The scent of spring

Three women cross North America in pursuit of lilacs in bloom. Their desire to live in an everlasting spring keeps them on the road, leaving one town as soon as the flowers begin to fade and arriving in the next right before they open. Every night, they tell stories, slowly revealing their secrets, their pasts and their humanity. An enchanting novel from the author of Songs for the Cold Heart.

La route du lilas by Éric Dupont – Éd. Marchand de feuilles

A moral story

Magalie is a 40-year-old kitchen designer. She lives with Mathieu, the father of their daughter. He is having an affair. So is she. A family connection leads her to Guillaume, a police officer and single father. Months of revelations and intrigue ensue, and their lives are turned upside down. Nadine Bismuth’s sardonic tone, graceful humour and elegant prose invite us to consider our existence in an era where kitchen decor has taken on an importance once reserved for the salvation of our souls.

Un lien familial by Nadine Bismuth – Éd. Boréal

Virtual reality

The narrator grows up in front of the television in the 70s, captivated by stars like Olivia Newton-John. She loses herself in the images, taking refuge from a harsh family reality involving an alcoholic father and an unhappy mother. Eventually, she wants nothing more than to be an image. She cuts ties with her family and earns enough money to devote herself to her quest for the image of perfection, embodied by an avatar called Anouk. When she finds out her mother has terminal cancer, she must rebuild her relationship with her parents. A futuristic fable about the power of images.

De synthèse by Karoline Georges – Éd. Alto

Becoming who you are

Rose-Aimée Automne T. Morin lost her father when she was 16. Before dying of cancer, he made it his mission to give her the tools she’d need to become a self-assured, self-centred, cultured and pot-stirring feminist—a woman with better things to do than apologize. At 30, the author found herself looking back on how a personality and values were imposed upon her during this period of crisis. This personal essay is a reflection on the construction of her “self” and the legacy of her childhood.

Ton absence m’appartient by Rose-Aimée Automne T. Morin – Éd. Stanké

Coffee Table Books

Re(discover) women artists

From Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi, to modern artists Sonia Delaunay and Frida Kahlo, and contemporary greats like Yoko Ono, Orlan and Sophie Calle, this book takes a passionate look at 50 women artists. Delving into art history archetypes and codes, Laure Adler and Camille Viéville use artworks to analyze women’s movement towards independence and recognition in the art world—a space that has been dominated by men for far too long.

Les femmes artistes sont dangereuses by Laure Adler and Camille Viéville – Éd. Flammarion

Soup’s on!

Josée di Stasio’s latest cook book is entirely dedicated to soup and all things soup. There’s something to fill your home with enticing aromas in every season. True to what we’ve come to expect from di Stasio, the recipes are colourful, healthy, comforting, festive, delicious, waste-conscious—everything but boring! This must-have for foodies includes gorgeous photography by Dominique T. Skoltz.

À la soupe! by Josée di Stasio – Éd. Flammarion Québec

An ode to north-coast beauty

With breathtaking images and poems from 13 local writers, this book is a testament to the deep sense of attachment held for the Manicouagan-Uapishka Biosphere Reserve. Fall under the spell of this little-known and completely unique land.

L’Œil du Québec Réserve de Biosphère Manicouagan-Uapishka – Éd. Sylvain Harvey

Text: Diane Stehle