I will definitely make sure I get to see this show at the McMichael. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity to see some rarer and under appreciated work. I'm relatively new to Toronto and this appears to be a great introduction to some local history. This curator however is extremely off putting. She's terribly glib and her snide little bon mots about what she seems to be clearly fighting against are unwelcome. To my ear she has contempt for the ideas that the McMichael fought to enshrine and perhaps even for the G7 themselves. Just let the phrase "Mighty Whitey" in reference to the founder sink in for a while. There is substantive mission creep setting in here and it motivates me to go see the place before ideologues like this wreak further havoc.
Fighting against what, I wonder. The battle has been won. At this point, they carry on the ‘fight’ by resurrecting ghosts of the past and claiming they are as real today as they once were. She thinks she is an activist up against the ‘man’? She is the man. Illuminating history is all to the good. Perpetuating false narratives is not, and is especially dangerous when race comes into it.
I will be among the least of Paul's fans on his art-museum coverage, I'm not much for it.
BUT - "Uninvited" was at the Vancouver Museum last summer, and we caught it with some Spanish/French relatives who live minutes from the Prado, have been to the Louvre more than they could count - and *they* were impressed, much less myself. There are indeed a lot of people not famous, who deserve to be.
Thanks for a wonderful interview with a great Canadian. I have been to the McMichael many times. It was great before, it’s even better now. There is much to be skeptical about when observing excessive enthusiasm for Reconciliation based marketing programs and virtue signaling but that is not what Ms. Milroy is describing. She, and her colleagues, are forming respectful collaborations to show historic and contemporary visions of Canada through the artist’s eye. Her obvious intelligence and enthusiasm was on full display in your excellent conversation. I hope it is the first of many.
Art, and artists, exist west of the Laurentian bubble, for example, Allan Sapp, a Sask Aboriginal painter. Now passed, he sold his paintings as a young person, for pennies. Try buying one now. The gallery is in N. Battleford, Sask.
I will definitely make sure I get to see this show at the McMichael. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity to see some rarer and under appreciated work. I'm relatively new to Toronto and this appears to be a great introduction to some local history. This curator however is extremely off putting. She's terribly glib and her snide little bon mots about what she seems to be clearly fighting against are unwelcome. To my ear she has contempt for the ideas that the McMichael fought to enshrine and perhaps even for the G7 themselves. Just let the phrase "Mighty Whitey" in reference to the founder sink in for a while. There is substantive mission creep setting in here and it motivates me to go see the place before ideologues like this wreak further havoc.
Fighting against what, I wonder. The battle has been won. At this point, they carry on the ‘fight’ by resurrecting ghosts of the past and claiming they are as real today as they once were. She thinks she is an activist up against the ‘man’? She is the man. Illuminating history is all to the good. Perpetuating false narratives is not, and is especially dangerous when race comes into it.
I will be among the least of Paul's fans on his art-museum coverage, I'm not much for it.
BUT - "Uninvited" was at the Vancouver Museum last summer, and we caught it with some Spanish/French relatives who live minutes from the Prado, have been to the Louvre more than they could count - and *they* were impressed, much less myself. There are indeed a lot of people not famous, who deserve to be.
Thanks for a wonderful interview with a great Canadian. I have been to the McMichael many times. It was great before, it’s even better now. There is much to be skeptical about when observing excessive enthusiasm for Reconciliation based marketing programs and virtue signaling but that is not what Ms. Milroy is describing. She, and her colleagues, are forming respectful collaborations to show historic and contemporary visions of Canada through the artist’s eye. Her obvious intelligence and enthusiasm was on full display in your excellent conversation. I hope it is the first of many.
So glad to be able to read your work on Substack. It’s always interesting and a blessed change from the current political stuff.
What a wonderful and refreshing attitude Ms.Milroy brings to the art scene. Fascinating interview, keep up the fgood work Paul.
This was great. And now I know what I’m doing next time I make it to Ottawa.
Great interview. Would love to see this show. And it’s great to see how the McMichael is manifesting it’s renewed mission.
Thank you for this. I promptly went to the McMichael site to listen to her 2021 virtual curatorial talk about Uninvited. Fascinating stuff.
Art, and artists, exist west of the Laurentian bubble, for example, Allan Sapp, a Sask Aboriginal painter. Now passed, he sold his paintings as a young person, for pennies. Try buying one now. The gallery is in N. Battleford, Sask.
The exhibition is extraordinary and shamefully so beyond expectation. The catalogue is excellent.
Thanks to the mighty Milroy and to you too.
Thank you very much Paul Wells.