Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art

“Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art” tells the story of one family’s visionary engagement with Canadian and Indigenous art, braiding together works by early European newcomers like Cornelius Krieghoff; titans of Canadian 20th century art, the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson, Christopher Pratt, Alex Colville, David Milne and Emily Carr; a rich display of works by the Quebec Impressionists, as well as Automatiste painters Jean Paul Riopelle and Paul-Émile Borduas; and works by trail-blazing artists of today, including contemporary Indigenous artists Kent Monkman, Brenda Draney, Brian Jungen and Annie Pootoogook, as well as leading international artist Peter Doig. A recurring theme in the exhibition is the north Atlantic, its role in history and its impact on artists’ imaginations.

Generations is timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Sobey Art Award, which has had a groundbreaking impact on the visibility and vitality of contemporary artmaking across Canada. This nationally touring exhibition will celebrate that milestone, demonstrating the range and depth of the Sobey family’s engagement with Canadian art, and their prescient and visionary leadership in the cultural sector—a gift to Canada like no other. 

Generations is curated by McMichael Chief Curator Sarah Milroy, and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, edited by Milroy, and featuring contributions from McMichael Executive Director Ian A.C. Dejardin, artist Kent Monkman, and art historians John Geoghegan, Jocelyn Anderson, and Michèle Grandbois. 

To learn more, please watch:
Generations Virtual Curatorial Talk with Ian Dejardin and Sarah Milroy
February 23, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS9WC-w_WJY
 

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Banner Image: Kent Monkman (b. 1965).  Study for “mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People): Resurgence of the People,” (Final Variation), 2019. Acrylic on canvas. 107.3 x 213.4 cm. Collection of the Sobey Art Foundation. © Kent Monkman.