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Exhibitions |
The heart of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation’s public activity is its exhibitions programme. Temporary exhibitions this year continued to highlight many aspects of Canada’s history and heritage. In addition, several new permanent galleries and exhibits were completed as part of the Corporation’s long-term commitment to representing the broadest possible cross-section of the Canadian experience.
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
Special Exhibitions Hall
Ritual Messengers: African Treasures of the
Tervuren Museum, Belgium (Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium),
October 18, 1996 to May 19, 1997
Lost Visions, Forgotten Dreams: Life and Art of an Ancient Arctic People (CMC),
November 15, 1996 to
November 2, 1997
Ann Harbuz: Inside Community, Outside Convention (Dunlop Art Gallery), June 6 to
September 1, 1997
The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis (Art Gallery of Nova Scotia), June 6 to
September 1, 1997
Designed for Delight: Alternative Aspects of Twentieth-Century Decorative Arts
(Musée des arts décoratifs de Montréal), October 10, 1997 to February 15, 1998
Masterpieces of 20th-Century Chinese Painting (organized by the Canadian Foundation
for the Preservation of Chinese Cultural and Historical Treasures and the China
International Exhibition Agency, in partnership with the Royal Ontario Museum and the
Canadian Museum of Civilization. The collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art was made
available by permission of the Provisional Urban Council of Hong Kong), December 20, 1997
to February 22, 1998
The Painted Furniture of French Canada, 1700–1840 (CMC), May 30, 1997 to March 15, 1998
Arts and Traditions Hall
Open Storage Display: Boats (CMC), July 19,
1993 to August 29, 1999
The Doukhobors: "Spirit Wrestlers" (CMC), January 19, 1996 to September 7,
1998
Strings, Springs and Finger Things: A New Puppet Collection at the Museum (CMC), May
31, 1996 to
September 7, 1998
Marius Barbeau Salon
A Canadian Tradition (The Aga Khan
Foundation), October 24, 1997 to October 18, 1998
Paper Prayers (in cooperation with the Ottawa AIDS Committee), December 1, 1997 to
January 4, 1998
On the Cutting Edge: The Arthur Pascal Collection
of Woodworking Hand Tools (CMC), December 6, 1991, indefinitely
Souvenirs of Canada (CMC), July 1, 1994 to September 6, 1998
Hold On to Your Hats! The History and Meaning of Headwear in Canada (CMC),
September 29, 1995 to
September 1, 1997
This Splendid Gift: The 1897 Canadian Historical Dinner Service (CMC), February 26,
1997 to February 22, 1998
The Hearse (CMC), April 29, 1997 to February 23, 1998
Champlain, 1603-1635 (CMC), June 27, 1997 to May 24, 1998
Hearths of Iron (CMC), June 27, 1997 to April 25, 1999
The Queen’s Beasts (CMC), June 30 to September 10, 1997
West Coast Communities Artifacts (CMC), July 1, 1997 to February 24, 1998
Dressing-Up Canada: Late Victorian Fancy Dress Balls (CMC), October 24, 1997 to
October 25, 1998
Interpretation Kiosk (CMC), February 24, 1998 to January 11, 1999
Eastern Christian Icons (CMC), September 2,
1997 to September 30, 1999
William E. Taylor Research Gallery
The 3rd Dimension: A New Way of Seeing in Cyberspace (produced in partnership with the National Research Council Canada and Hymarc Ltd.), May 30, 1997 to May 24, 1998
First Peoples Hall
Wave Eaters: Native Watercraft in Canada
(CMC), June 14, 1996 to November 16, 1997
Between Two Worlds: Sculpture by David Ruben Piqtoukun (Winnipeg Art Gallery),
April 18, 1997 to March 1, 1998
Wathahine: Photographs of Aboriginal Women by Nancy Ackerman (McCord Museum), April
25, 1997 to
April 19, 1998
Storytelling: The Art of Knowledge (in cooperation with the Algonquin College of
Applied Arts and Technology),
April 25, 1997 to April 19, 1998
Showcase exhibits (CMC), April 25, 1997 to September 25, 2001
Hudson Bay Canoe (in cooperation with the Hudson's Bay Company), June 16, 1997 to
October 26, 1997
Threads of the Land: Clothing Traditions from Three Indigenous Cultures (CMC), February 3, 1995 to September 14, 1997
Other Exhibitions
Decoys from the Museum’s Collection
(CMC), April 30, 1996 to March 24, 1999
Eastern European Costume (CMC), January 21 to July 14, 1997
Art Glass (CMC), April 21, 1997 to May 31, 1998
Rise with the Sun: Women in Africa (Ray Dirks, Curator), May 2 to September 1, 1997
Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific (CMC), May 16 to September 20, 1997
Hats Off to the Canadian Museums Association, 1947–1997 (CMC), June 9, 1997 to
January 11, 1998
Canadian UNESCO World Heritage Sites (in cooperation with Parks Canada), September
26, 1997 to January 3, 1999
Hudson Bay Canoe (in cooperation with the Hudson's Bay Company), November 19, 1997
to September 5, 1999
The Bachman Collection (CMC), January 20 to September 7, 1998
 The Hudson’s Bay Company
Voyageur Canoe Display was unveiled at the CMC on November 19, 1997 at a Hudson’s
Bay Company reception held in the David M. Stewart Salon. The display depicts HBC Governor
Sir George Simpson and his wife, Frances, as they would have appeared travelling by
Montreal canoe on one of their many trips throughout Rupert’s Land. The centrepiece
of the display is a 11.1-metre (36-foot) replica Montreal canoe build by Golden Lake
Algonquin Chief Matt Bernard and his kin in 1957, made possible at the time with the
financial generosity and assistance of Mr. D.A. Gillies. Holding a HBC flag
presented to the CMC at the reception: Dr. George F. MacDonald, President and CEO of the
CMCC, Mr. Bill Fields, President and CEO of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and Mr. David
Mitchell, Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. |
The Inuit and Diamond Jenness
March 30 to May 30, 1997, Des Brisay National Exhibition Centre, Bridgewater, Nova
Scotia
May 30 to June 29, 1997, Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science, Sydney, Nova Scotia
July 16 to September 14, 1997, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Places of Power
March 24 to April 16, 1997, UNESCO, Paris, France
March 24 to June 21, 1998, Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum, Prince George, British
Columbia
Transformation
May 8 to August 4, 1997, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
September 14 to November 30, 1997, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba
February 6 to March 29, 1998, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia
*Les paradis du monde*: Quebec Folk Art
April 27 to September 7, 1997, Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec
October 23, 1997 to March 29, 1998, McCord Museum, Montreal, Quebec
Lost Visions, Forgotten Dreams: Life and Art of
an Ancient Arctic People
February 28 to May 17, 1998, Danish National Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Beyond the Golden Mountain: Chinese Cultural
Traditions in Canada
April 1 to April 6, 1997, Tainan, Taiwan
April 9 to April 16, 1997, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
April 23 to May 8, 1997, Hualien, Taiwan
May 13 to May 27, 1997, Hsinchu, Taiwan
May 31 to June 12, 1997, Taichung, Taiwan
CANADIAN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
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Adventure World is an outdoor interactive exhibition space enlarging on the themes of the Canadian Children’s Museum. This past year, two new features of Adventure World were unveiled. The first was a large Dragon Canopy, inaugurated in June 1997. Created in partnership with the Beijing Municipality of the People’s Republic of China, the canopy stands 18 metres high and weighs 19 tonnes. In September 1997, the Korean pavilion was opened, built with a generous donation from the Korea Foundation in Seoul. The pavilion will serve as a permanent home for seasonal programmes and performances in Adventure World. A tuk-tuk was also donated to the Canadian Children’s Museum by the Kingdom of Thailand, in a special ceremony held in the CMC’s Grand Hall. All of these generous gifts testify to the many special relationships Canada enjoys with nations of the Pacific Rim — relationships celebrated during this Canada’s Year of Asia-Pacific. |
The Canadian Children’s Museum offers a lively programme of educational exhibits, programmes and activities. This year, the Canadian Children’s Museum has also continued work towards completion of its outdoor park, Adventure World, enlarging on the themes and concepts of the indoor Great Adventure.
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
CrayolaŽ Dream-MakersTM
(CCM), March 8 to April 27, 1997
Three Countries in a Suitcase (Musée de la civilisation, Quebec City, Quebec),
June 6 to September 28, 1997
The Race against Waste (CCM in cooperation with the Philippine Development
Assistance Program), June 13 to September 8, 1997
World Circus (CCM - YMEC), October 24, 1997 to April 5, 1998
Paper Prayers (CCM in cooperation with the Paper Prayers Committee), December 1,
1997 to January 4, 1998
Winter Fun Poster Challenge (CCM in cooperation with the National Capital
Commission), January 30 to March 1, 1998
Siqiniq: Under the Same Sun
February 25 to June 23, 1997, The Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, Colorado
July 5 to October 15, 1997, The Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, Texas
Night Journeys: An Adventure into the World of
Sleep and Dreams
January 13 to May 13, 1997, The Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, Texas
May 15 to August 15, 1997, The Children’s Museum of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
September 15 to December 15, 1997, Rainbow Children’s Museum, Cleveland, Ohio
January 15 to April 15, 1998, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis,
Indiana
The Magic School Bus inside the Earth
March 4 to July 27, 1997, Minnesota Children’s Museum, St. Paul, Minnesota
The Great Adventure
April 5 to July 25, 1997, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis,
Indiana.
August 5 to November 25, 1997, Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago, Illinois
December 5, 1997 to March 25, 1998, The Children’s Museum of Memphis, Memphis,
Tennessee
Geo-zoooom!
August 5, 1997 to January 25, 1998, Minnesota Children’s Museum, St. Paul,
Minnesota
February 5 to May 25, 1998, Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago, Illinois
Adventure into Books: Gumby’s World
December 5, 1997 to April 25, 1998, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito, California
CANADIAN POSTAL MUSEUM
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On June 12, 1997, the Canadian Postal Museum
(CPM) opened its new permanent exhibition space within the CMC complex. The gala opening
was attended by approximately 2,000 people, including representatives from museums across
Canada. The new space houses permanent exhibitions, galleries for special exhibitions,
interactive multimedia centres and a communications studio, and tells the story of postal
communications throughout history, with an emphasis on Canada. Since its opening, the CPM
has welcomed approximately 300,000 visitors, who have enjoyed discovering the many aspects
of Canada’s rich postal heritage. This right-hand-drive jeep was particularly useful
in the distribution of mail in rural areas. |
The Canadian Postal Museum is supported in a number of its activities by Canada Post, and enjoys the generous support of Pitney Bowes, which sponsors the CPM’s Pitney Bowes Art Gallery, as well as the support of the Canada-France museological accord (Heritage Canada).
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
France-Canada: Three Centuries of Letters and
Correspondence (CPM), November 20, 1996 to April 4, 1997
Winged Messenger (CPM), June 12, 1997 to September 30, 1998
Collages: Mixed Media Works by Edna Myers (CPM), June 12, 1997 to April 26,
1998
The Value of Error in Philately (CPM), June 12 to October 13, 1997
The Fast Track: Sorting the Mail the Mechanized Way (CPM), June 12, 1997 to
October 7, 1998
Mail without Boundaries (CPM), June 12, 1997 to November 1999
The Art of Writing in New France (CPM), June 12, 1997 to April 28, 1998
Wish You Were Here ... the Centenary of the Canadian Picture Postcard (CPM),
November 13, 1997 to November 2, 1998
TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS
History in a Box
April 11 to July 20, 1997, Markham District Historical Society, Markham, Ontario.
November 21, 1997 to February 1, 1998, Moncton Museum, Moncton, New Brunswick.
Yours sincerely, Lucy Montgomery
June 1 to July 15, 1997, Post Office at Green Gables, Cavendish, Prince Edward
Island.
MUSEUM OF NEW FRANCE
The Museum of New France continued to develop the Virtual Museum of New FranceTM (VMNF), accessible only via the Internet at www.vmnf.civilization.ca. A wide range of programmes aimed at various audiences were created throughout the year and were greeted enthusiastically by cybernauts surfing the Web in search of historical data. Whether a visitor’s interest lies in history, the discovery of our ancestors’ way of life or planning a trip, the Virtual Museum of New FranceTM has become an invaluable source of research, education, information and entertainment, according to Cap-aux-Diamants magazine.
The site’s popularity has grown significantly over the year, with a regular 10 percent rise in hits per month, totalling 195,971 visits in March 1998 alone. If the trend continues, the VMNF will receive 4 million visitors in 1998–1999. Indeed, the VMNF site has been chosen by Internet Guide as one of the top 100 Quebec sites for 1997.
The Virtual Museum of New FranceTM owes its success to partnerships. In order to respond adequately to the needs of a vast audience with multiple interests, the VMNF counts on a network of partners in the public and private sectors for several of its activities. During the past fiscal year, the Mission de la Recherche et de la Technologie du Ministère de la Culture de la France as well as the Centre culturel canadien in Paris continued to be two major partners in the Museum’s initiatives.
New Programming at the Virtual Museum of New FranceTM
Youth adventures: cartopuzzles — an
ancient map transformed into a puzzle
Population: portraits — Voyageurs and Hired Men; The Habitant in New France
Exhibitions: Painted Furniture; An overview of cartography
French Resources (created by the Ministry of Culture, France): The Musée de l’Homme
et la Nouvelle-France; Un jésuite au Canada au XVIIe siècle
