Trent's Art Collection

TRENT’S ART COLLECTION

Painting the story of who we are and sculpting a deeper appreciation for the human experience

The transformative power of art has been recognized and cherished at Trent since its founding in 1963. Dr. Marion Fry (Hon ’89), the first principal of Catharine Parr Traill College, recollects how, back in those early days, students would visit the Art Gallery of Ontario with former Trent professor, Stewart Bagnani (who was instrumental in establishing the University’s art collection), and would bring back works of art on loan to adorn the Traill College walls.

Since then, the Trent University Art Collection has grown to over 700 works from renowned local, national, and international artists.

What makes this collection truly remarkable isn’t the number of carefully curated works, but the fact that it is a living collection, thoughtfully integrated into dayto-day life at Trent.

Both of Trent’s campuses, Peterborough and Durham GTA, serve as canvasses for artworks in an array of media—from 8,000-pound sculptures to delicate glasswork, paintings, photographs, and more. Fine and decorative artworks are displayed in the colleges, lecture halls, outdoor spaces, and offices to cultivate an enriched learning environment that fosters critical thinking, conversation, and creativity.

Works are considered for the collection based on quality and significance and must meet at least one of the following three criteria: it must contribute to the academic mission of Trent or reflect its history, development, environment, or cultural life; it must be of significance to the city or region of Peterborough or Ontario (it is therefore no surprise that the collection is particularly strong in Canadian and Indigenous content); or it must be of national significance. You will even spot some works by world-renowned artists like Salvador Dali, whose Don Quixote hangs in Otonabee College!

Margaret Laurence Almuth Lütkenhaus

The Parting of the Waters Cecil Richards

House Of Sticks Peter Powning

Portal, David James

“Universities are a place for opening minds, developing one’s critical thinking and intelligence about various things; and sculptures, or art in general, is intelligence having fun.” –David James

Portal David James

Garden Remembrance Ron Baird

Corphéum XIII, Claude Millette

Art that people can live with

“Looking at art is very much a teaching and learning experience,” says Dr. Suzanne Bailey, chair of the Trent Art Collection Presidential Advisory Committee. “It provokes conversation. It makes people think.”

Internationally renowned artist and founder of Trent’s Public Sculpture Initiative (PSI), alumnus David James ’68, echoes this sentiment. “There’s a contemplative pleasure in taking in art. […] It provides people with the opportunity to have their curiosity stimulated, nourish the mind, provoke their thinking, and also to give them a break from the fog of contemporary existence—whatever they’re going through, whether it be at the University or in the personal lives.”

Mr. James, who with his wife Lili de Grandpré donated two sculptures to the collection and kickstarted the PSI fund for the acquisition and installation of works, believes that art embodies Trent’s tagline, “Challenge the way you think.”

“Universities are a place for opening minds, developing one’s critical thinking and intelligence about various things; and sculptures, or art in general, is intelligence having fun. […] If you have a variety of art that crosses boundaries, it reminds the University of its mission to stimulate thinking and thought and reflection.”

Art for all: The Public Sculpture Initiative

“Art is a way to share, communicate and build connections between people,” says artist and sculptor Claude Millette, whose donated sculpture, Corphéum XIII, complements the campus landscape from its location in the Otonabee gardens. “It becomes more meaningful when they get to interact with it, feel it, and reflect on it. This is why I value public art displays that become a part of people’s daily experiences and environment.”

This concept of accessible art also inspired Trent’s Public Sculpture Initiative, a donor-funded initiative, with sculptures either donated or sponsored by donors. The goal is to have a collection of high-quality, nationally and internationally significant sculptures that integrate seamlessly with the campus landscape and architecture to enrich the campus experience and inspire discovery and exploration.

“We want to celebrate the creators and their sculptures and bring these works to the community,” notes Mr. James. “The community then has an

This Column Ends, Shayne Dark

opportunity to appreciate the work, an opportunity to be challenged, to have their thinking stimulated, to become knowledgeable. I hope that those who are around these sculptures will see them as being part of their day-today life and existence. And when they move on in life, I hope they feel their absence and have a desire for art in their own lives.”

The PSI positions Trent as a centre for outstanding sculptures of national and international importance and a regional destination for the arts. This leading-edge initiative is attracting artists who want to contribute to it as well as patrons with world-class collections.

The PSI now boasts nine sculptures, with the latest acquisitions being Dead Reckoning by David Robinson, perfectly located outside of the Athletic Centre on the west bank of the Otonabee River, and Bata Library’s newest addition, Porte d’Or by André Fournelle, recipient of the Paul-Émile- Borduas prize (2021)—Québec’s highest honour for artists.

Community collage

Both Peterborough and Oshawa have vibrant arts and culture communities, with a wide variety of galleries, theatres, and public art initiatives. Many artists and philanthropists, with ties to both of these communities and Trent, have donated works to the University’s collection.

Shayne Dark, whose sculpture This Column Ends was the first work unveiled as part of the PSI, has fond memories of visiting family in Peterborough and was keen to see a permanent piece of his art in his family’s hometown. His brilliant blue sculpture, which highlights the contrast between industrial materials and the Symons Campus’s natural landscape, is certified as being of Outstanding Significance and National Importance by Heritage Canada. Several of the PSI sculptures carry this distinction.

“Research indicates that the arts contribute substantially to a city’s long-term growth and viability,” says Mr. Shayne. “As for public art, I’m a firm believer that it can transcend age,

gender, and language, and ultimately contribute to the community’s health and livability. I believe it’s important to create dynamic public art that will resonate and engage the viewers as they make their way through their daily activities. By integrating art into a public space, we can reinforce a unique sense of place for the surrounding community.”

With its strong ties to Peterborough in particular, the arts at Trent have been etched into the local art scene since its founding. In 1971 the

University opened the Mackenzie Gallery, the only art gallery in Peterborough at the time. During its epoch, the Mackenzie Gallery gained a reputation as one of the best small galleries in Canada. As the University and its collection grew, its campuses became the canvas for this expansive collection, giving the Trent community, alumni, and the broader community the opportunity to enjoy this intrinsic part of our collective culture.

The Mackenzie Gallery on Symons Campus was the early home of the Trent University art collection. At its peak, the gallery exhibited as many as eight shows a year by Canadian artists in Mackenzie House.

To learn more about individual works in the art collection, visit trentu.ca/ library/archives/artcollection/index, or visit trentu.ca/publicsculpture for more about the PSI.

Celebrating alumni art aesthetic

The Trent Art Collection includes works by several alumni and others with direct links to Trent, such as Jean Nind, wife of former Trent president Thomas Nind, and legendary Canadian astronaut and former Trent chancellor, Dr. Roberta Bondar ’13. Alumni with works included in the collection are:

Sean Arthur ’79 Roberta Bondar Hon ’13 Robert Commanda ’98 Michael S. Cullen ’82 John Donoghue ’82 David French ’80 Maggie Glossop ’67 Lyn Hague ’77 Spencer J. Harrison ’97 David James ’68 Roy Kakegamic ’81 David Lasenby ’64 Steven Leak ’76 Greg Lyndon ’80 Darlene Paddy-Cannon ’99 Norma Pattuelli ’84 Fred Saggashi ’75 Graeme Taylor ’80 Louis Taylor ’69 Rodney D. Taylor ’83 Marion Wilke-Whittington ’78 Alice Williams ’69 (Trent Evening Quilters)

Wenjack Sunset Roy Kakegamic

Commissioned by the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies

Illuminating Indigenous art

“We have some significant works of Canadian and Indigenous art on campus, which really is one of the strengths of the Trent Art Collection,” says Dr. Suzanne Bailey, chair of the Trent Art Collection Presidential Advisory Committee. With Trent’s longstanding relationship with local Michi Saagiig communities and reputation as the first Canadian university to establish a department dedicated to Indigenous studies, it should be no surprise that the art collection is home to significant works by Indigenous artists such as Carl Beam, Arthur Shilling, Robert Davidson, and Norval Morrisseau.

The Anishinaabe and other Indigenous artworks of Trent embody the University’s commitment to reconciliation and incorporating Indigenous knowledge, history, and culture into every aspect of campus life.

“Art challenges the narrative around Indigenous people—that we are a problem, that we don’t have much knowledge, and that we are broken and beaten and don’t have much to contribute,” says Professor

David Newhouse, director of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent, who has spent the last 30 years advocating for Indigenous art.

“Art represents creativity and innovation and has become a metaphor for our experiences and for the spirit of Indigenous people—we have not been erased and demolished and we have not been extinguished.”

To showcase the University’s impressive array of Indigenous artworks, alumnus and former director of Artspace Peterborough, Jonathan Lockyer ’04, curated the 2015 selfguided walking tour exhibit “On the Shores of Odoonabii-ziibi: Anishinaabe Art from the Trent Art Collection.” The exhibit highlighted more than 20 artworks representing 50 years of contemporary Anishinaabe artistic traditions.

Most recently, the University acquired a collection of 48 works by renowned Anishinaabe artist, Carl Beam. This generous donation of mixed media works both significantly grows the Trent Art Collection and enriches it with the

thought-provoking themes underlying much of Beam’s work.

Not only was Carl the first Indigenous artist to have his work purchased by the National Gallery of Canada he also had strong ties with Peterborough and lived in the city for a number of years.

His work often revolved around current events or culture and how they intersected with Indigenous life. In 1999, he described his work as “little puzzles, interesting little games. I play a game with humanity and with creativity. I ask viewers to play the participatory game of dreaming of ourselves as each other. In this, we find out that we’re all basically human.”

You’re invited to explore “On the Shores of Odoonabii- Ziibi: Anishinaabe: Art from the Trent University Art Collection,” a self-guided tour curated by Jonathan Lockyer ’04, former director of Artspace Peterborough. Community members are encouraged to take this opportunity to learn about these valuable pieces, the artists, and how they came to be part of the Trent University collection.