Art at Work/L'Art au Travail (English/French)

Victoria Henry  Maple Leaf

Art at Work/L'Art au Travail (English/French)

The Art Bank of the Canada Council for the Arts is one of Canada's greatest treasures, holding more than 18,000 paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures by over 2,500 contemporary artists. Because the Art Bank rents its works to government and corporate offices, pieces are enjoyed every day in public spaces, but the collection itself is never seen. Now, to mark its 35th anniversary, the Art Bank "exhibits" its collection in Art at Work. In English and French, Art at Work/L'art au Travail celebrates the Art Bank as a uniquely Canadian vision, a major collection, a financial success story, and an inspiration to governments across Canada and abroad. Introduced by Adrienne Clarkson, the essays by Victoria Henry, David Silcox, Peggy Gale, Pierre Landry, and Jeff Thomas tell about the Art Bank's scope, range, and purpose. Sumptuous photographs make Art at Work a work of art in its own right.
Non-Fiction  /  Art & Architecture
Published:  February 01, 2007
144 pages

Available format(s)

Format Paperback  9780864924292  $50

"The sumptuous photographs make this a work of art in its own right." — Antiques & Collectibles Showcase

"Art at Work is a seminal work of impressive dimensions and a welcome addition to Canadian Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists." — Bookwatch

Victoria Henry is the Director of the Canada Council Art Bank. She owned and operated the Ufundi Gallery, Ottawa, from 1975 until 1992. In 1993, she joined the Canadian Museum of Civilization to establish the Commercial Enterprises Division, and the Canada Council for the Arts appointed her Director of the Art Bank in 1999.

Peggy Gale, a Toronto critic and independent curator, received the 2006 Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. She publishes regularly in journals and museum publications internationally and in Canada.

Pierre Landry, an art historian, consultant, and freelance researcher and writer, teaches art history and museology in the department of Visual Arts, University of Ottawa. His electronic works include "Canada in WWII," created for the Web site of the Juno Beach Centre.

Victoria Henry is the Director of the Canada Council Art Bank. She owned and operated the Ufundi Gallery, Ottawa, from 1975 until 1992. In 1993, she joined the Canadian Museum of Civilization to establish the Commercial Enterprises Division, and the Canada Council for the Arts appointed her Director of the Art Bank in 1999.

David P. Silcox, C.M, F.R.S.A., joined the Canada Council in 1965 as its first arts officer and has had a distinguished and varied career as a writer, educator, scholar, cultural administrator and arts advocate. He is currently the Managing Director of Sotheby’s Canada.

Jeffrey M. Thomas, RCA is a noted photographic artist and curator and a member of the Onondaga tribe of Six Nations, Ontario. Among his curatorial works is Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools, National Archives of Canada, 2003.

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, C.C., has been a fervent supporter of the arts throughout her career. During her tenure as Governor General of Canada, from 1999 to 2005, she chose and displayed many Art Bank works.