22 October 2010

Woo-Wooooooo

This image and others are featured as The Reach brings us back to a simpler time when trains were the kings of travel.

Abbotsford British Columbia - For many Canadians, the sound of a train whistle evokes memories, dreams of distant places, and even national pride. After all, what would Canada be without the Canadian Pacific Railway and its country-wide legacy?
 
This week, The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford celebrates the power and romance of this defining mode of transportation, with "Vistas:  Artists on the Canadian Pacific Railway". The exhibit also shows just how deeply rooted rail is in this country's ancestry.
 
Organized and circulated by the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, and guest-curated by well-known Canadian art historian and curator Roger Boulet, Vistas opened last night and will be on display until January. Boulet will also be speaking at 1 p.m. at The Reach on Saturday.
 
The exhibition has significant historical relevance to the region as it tells the story of how the development of Abbotsford was stimulated with the building of the CP line from Mission to Sumas, Washington, in 1891.
 
Intersecting the only road through the valley, Old Yale Road, the area surrounding the railway station at that crossing became the site for the village of Abbotsford, today's historic downtown.
 
The exhibit features 95 artworks and photographs from the permanent collection of the Glenbow Museum and other public and private collections in Canada and the United States, expressing the CPR's vision of a sprawling new Canada.
 
Many works have not been seen for decades.
 
Artists include Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, Albert Bierstadt, William Brymner, Forshaw Day, John Colin Forbes, John Arthur Fraser, Robert Gagen, John Hammond, Thomas Mower Martin, Lucius O'Brien, Edward Roper, Cleveland Rockwell, Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, and photographer William McFarlane Notman.
 
The works themselves are part of Canada's history, as many of the artists were founding members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, established in 1880.
 
As builder and later president of the CPR, Van Horne combined his interest in art with his promotional savvy to encourage several prominent artists and photographers to capture the beauty of the "new west."
 
Van Horne created the CPR artists' pass program with benefits such as free rail passage, temporary railcar studios, accommodation at mountain lodges, and the promotion of the artists' work at international exhibits.
 
"Vistas:  Artists on the Canadian Pacific Railway" is presented at The Reach by PNR RailWorks with the support of Henry, George, and Erwin Braun.
 
It is also made possible in part through a contribution from the Museums Assistance Program, Department of Canadian Heritage.
 
"PNR RailWorks is proud to be part of bringing the Glenbow Museum's Vistas to the region," said Herb Schmidt, the Pacific Region manager for PNR RailWorks.
 
"This is an extraordinary collection and a unique opportunity for our community to pay homage to the artists who captured the hardships, engineering feats, and magnificent scenery encountered by the railroad builders so many years ago."
 
One lucky visitor to Vistas will get a chance to experience the majestic Rockies by rail. VIA Rail is donating a $4,100 return trip for two from Vancouver to Jasper.
 
Entry forms are at The Reach during the exhibition, which runs until 9 Jan 2011. The winning entry will be drawn the next day.
 
- The Reach is at 32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford. See theReach.ca or call 604-864-8087.
 
- Also open at The Reach until January:  "Our Communities:  Our Stories in The Great Hall" features selected railroad paintings by Max Jacquiard, Coquitlam, from private collections.
 
The Grotto has Vintage Toys by Miles Van Ypren, with photographic compositions and vintage toys.
 
And "Showtime:  40 Years on Stage" in the south gallery celebrates 40 years of performances by the Fraser Valley Stage society with posters, photographs, and stage props. Access to all the exhibits is free.
 
Christina Toth.