Painting Promises: a new lecture series gets behind the canvas

If you have longed to learn more about Canadian painters and their works, now you’ll have the opportunity to do so at York’s Keele campus.


Oct. 9 marks the launch date of Painting Promises, a new weekly guest speaker series in the Department of Visual Arts. Leading Canadian artists, critics and curators will give illustrated talks on their work and share their personal vision of painting today.


Right: From Liminal, Ed Pien’s 2002 interactive exhibit created with Gilles Morissette


Painting Promises lectures will take place on Thursdays, from 12:30 to 2pm, in the Fine Arts Faculty Lounge, Room 214, Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts.


Left : Excerpt from John Brown’s series, Grimm (1999-2001) 


The series will set contemporary painting practice within its historical context while looking towards its future, including how painting is influenced and enriched by other visual media such as cinema, video and Web design. Audience members will be invited to exchange ideas with the speaker in an informal discussion after each presentation.



While aimed particularly at students, the talks are open to the wider York University community and the general public; everyone is welcome and admission is free.


Right: An Angela Leach original


The Painting Promises line-up includes Toronto-based painters John Brown on Oct. 9; Ed Pien on Oct. 16; and Angela Leach on Oct. 23.


The series is coordinated by York Professor Michel Daigneault of the Visual Arts Department in the Faculty of Fine Arts.