Canadian War Museum presents thought-provoking contemporary military art from the Canadian Forces Artists Program

MEDIA RELEASE

Ottawa, Ontario, November 2, 2023 — Official war art programs have contributed to an invaluable record of Canadian military service for more than 100 years. The Canadian Forces Artists Program – Group 9 exhibition, presented at the Canadian War Museum, features the works of four civilian artists chosen to deploy with the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018 and 2019.

The resulting works, based on the artists’ reflections on war and conflict, are revealed and documented through their creative lenses and expressed through diverse mediums. As with all Canadian Forces Artists Program (CFAP) participants, the artists in this multidisciplinary group maintain complete artistic independence over the works they produced, both during and after their deployments. The War Museum, in consultation with the artists, presents nine photographs, two videos, one sketchbook, and an installation of nine cedar posts in this exhibition.

“The works in the exhibition provide a glimpse into Canada’s current international military commitments,” said James Whitham, Director General of the War Museum. “The display of works created by the ninth group of CFAP artists at the Museum provides a civilian perspective of serving with the Canadian military both at home and abroad, highlighting the significance and role of Canada’s military operations.”

This exhibition features themes that are particularly resonant and timely given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

• Olivia Rozema and Jessica Lynn Wiebe created works based on their deployments with the Canadian military in Ukraine featuring Operation UNIFIER, an ongoing Canadian mission in support of the Armed Forces in Ukraine.
• Alana Bartol depicted the Canadian forces stationed in Latvia at Camp Adazi as part of Operation REASSURANCE.
• Jean-Pierre Aubé depicted Canada’s air defence surveillance and past Bomarc missile sites in and around the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) North Bay, Ontario.

The thought-provoking works of the four civilian artists are based on their creative reflections on war and conflict, and provide a civilian perspective of serving with the Canadian military both at home and abroad.

They contribute to our understanding of the significance and role of Canada’s military operations in contemporary times.

Canadian Forces Artists Program – Group 9 was created by the Canadian War Museum, in partnership with the Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence. The exhibition will be presented at the War Museum from November 3, 2023 to March 17, 2024. This is the third time that the War Museum has hosted a CFAP exhibition.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national and international dimensions. Work of the Canadian War Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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Media contacts
Avra Gibbs Lamey
Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer
Telephone: 613-791-0910
avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca

Yasmine Mingay
Director, Public Affairs
Telephone: 613-614-1195
yasmine.mingay@warmuseum.ca