Herman Voaden and the Influence of Canadian Painters November 7

[awagner]

HERMAN VOADEN AND THE INFLUENCE OF CANADIAN PAINTERS

The Art Gallery of Ontario Friends of the Canadian Collection who joined the tour of Hart House on September 25 will recall that it ended in the subterranean theatre, where Paul Templin told us of its role in the development of the Canadian stage, and of the collaborative efforts of visual artists, directors and playwrights in the 1920s and 1930s.

Two of these collaborators were Herman Voaden, an avant-garde Toronto playwright and director, and Lowrie Warrener, one of the most talented and original of the young followers of Lawren Harris and the Group of Seven.  For our next event, Friends are invited to meet at Central Commerce Collegiate in Toronto, where Voaden taught from 1928 until retirement in 1964, and where he staged over two dozen multi-media "symphonic expressionist" theatre productions through which he "expressed a highly subjective, mystical world view and life philosophy", to quote his biographer Anton Wagner.

Like Lawren Harris, Voaden thought that a distinctive Canadian culture was emerging, and believed that artists would play a leading role in its development.  He therefore helped Central Commerce to assemble a collection of contemporary Canadian artworks that grew to include six out of the seven members of the Group of Seven and artists as diverse as Emily Carr, Jack Bush, John Alfsen and William Winter.  The collection includes some real surprises, such as Lawren Harris's large ca. 1923 canvas of Rossport, Lake Superior.  These are still used by the school for teaching purposes.  Central Commerce Collegiate has one of the highest art course enrolments in the city, and plans for a gallery to permanently display the collection.

Our event begins at 5:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 7.  Central Commerce Collegiate is located half a block south of Harbord Street, on the west side of Shaw Street, which runs one way southbound.  Park on the street or in the lot on Roxton Road on the west side of the school. Roxton runs one way northbound.  We will meet just inside the southern entrance to the school facing Shaw.  Peter Wood, head of the school's art department, will tell us about the school's studio programme, then lead us to classrooms and areas of the school where art is displayed.  Following his introduction and tour, we will assemble in the school's magnificent old auditorium, where highlights of the collection will be displayed.  Anton Wagner will give an illustrated talk on Voaden's theatre work (in front of the stage where Herman produced his plays) and the influence of Canadian painters, particularly Lawren Harris, J.E.H. Macdonald, Arthur Lismer and Lowrie Warrener, on his multi-media symphonic expressionist productions.

This event is free of charge and is open to all members of the local community. For more information about the Voaden slide presentation, contact Anton Wagner awagner at yorku.ca

I look forward to seeing you on November 7.

Best wishes,
Christopher Varley
Co-chair, Friends of the Canadian Collection
Art Gallery of Ontario



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