The Art Lover's Guide to Collecting Fine Art in Canada

Canada is not only known for its spectacular landscapes, hockey games and abundant wildlife, but is also a haven of art communities and cultural destinations. Cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal offer many artistic treasures and adventures for any collector. Many talented artists have made Canada their home, blessing us with inspired works of art that reflect the lifestyle and scenery of the Great White North.Aerial view of the Toronto city skyline taken from the East End, including the steeple of St James Cathedral. © Destination Toronto.

Beginning in Toronto, Ontario, one of the most multicultural cities in the world, visitors will find many diverse neighborhoods and art destinations like the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto. Located close to the Junction Triangle neighborhood, a hub for artists and galleries, the museum has engaging virtual exhibitions and collections that promote forward thinking artists.

Traveling a bit east you will reach Montréal, Québec, the largest city in Canada, which doesn’t disappoint when it comes to art happenings and activities. With its mainly French speaking population, there are many cultural boroughs and neighborhoods such as Mile End, home to a variety of different artists, and Plateau Mont-Royal. Montréal visitors will also find art institutions like the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on the Golden Square Mile stretch of Sherbrooke Street.

Far to the west, we reach the ever-popular city of Vancouver in the province of British Columbia. It’s noted that the success of the arts in Vancouver can be traced back to artist-run spaces starting in the 1970s, producing institutions like Western Front and the Commercial Sphere that are giving support to back to artists. Places to visit include the Contemporary Art Gallery and the Vancouver Art Gallery, which hosts many innovative exhibitions, with “special attention to the accomplishments of First Nations artists and the art of the Asia Pacific region.”

The arts are highly respected and nurtured in all of Canada, making it quite the dream location for any artist or creative minded individual looking for a bit of culture and imaginative escape. In Stony Plain, Alberta, you will find the abstract wonders of LJL Galleries, and in Downtown Brampton, Ontario, artist John Cutruzzola runs Gallery 35. The artist features his astonishing sculpture pieces. In Vancouver, artist Mairi Budreau creates impressive nature scenes in her distinctive, Canadian style.

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Gallery 35
35 Queen Street West, Brampton, Ontario L6Y 1L9, (416) 606-2681
johncutruzzola@gmail.com
www.theartsofjohncutruzzola.com

Artist John Cutruzzola recently established Gallery 35 with a purpose of donating 35 percent to a chosen charity for the development of Indigenous students in art programs. The artist chose 35 percent because it honors the gallery name and the philanthropy behind everything he does.Gallery 35, Greed and The Beauty, bronze four-sided sculpture, 57 x 18" diameter, by John Cutruzzola.

The gallery is located in Brampton, Ontario, a fast-growing city of 700,000 people that previously lacked any private art gallery. Cutruzzola hopes that by establishing Gallery 35, it will set a trend for others. An exhibition of his work will be the first show.

Recently Cutruzzola has been sculpting on wood models with the finished artwork cast in bronze. He has always thought that three-dimensional art has a stronger effect on viewers. These days the issues of abuse, corruption and social injustice are very much discussed. Gallery 35, Days of Freedom, oil on canvas, 52 x 30", by John Cutruzzola.

Gallery 35, Sunny Flower, oil on canvas, 36 x 28", by John Cutruzzola.

The primary figure of a recent multi-sided sculptural piece, Greed and The Beauty, is the wolf grabbing both figures on each side. One side is called Divine and Strength; the other Innocent and Fragile. One of the wolf’s paws turns into a serpent biting his other paw. Despite the wrongs of the world, the rose on the opposite side of the wolf intends to remind us of all the positives and the beauty of it.

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Mairi Budreau
budreauartnaturally@gmail.com
www.budreau.ca

Artist Mairi Budreau brings her vision before your eyes to awaken you into the wondrous world of nature, her secrets, lessons and wisdom. Each artwork exudes energy in every stroke, gathered from the place portrayed.Mairi Budreau, Between a Rock and Hard Place, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24"

“When I’m alone in nature the deer come up close,” Budreau explains. “Birds light on branches nearby and talk to me while I paint. In these wild places I listen, watch and open my senses for long periods of time before ever putting the brush to canvas. Nature is my highly respected teacher. She helps sort out the confusion that occasionally besets me as an artist. Like the birds,
I trust there will be enough to last through to another year. I must trust that my vision serves the well-being of the world and that the world will support my vision.”Mairi Budreau, Forest Trail, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 20"

Budreau references a quote by Edgar A. Payne: “For pictures are loopholes of escape for the soul, leading it to other scenes and spheres, where the fancy of the moment may revel, refreshed and delighted. Pictures are consolers of loneliness, and relief for a jaded mind, and windows to the imprisoned thought.”

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LJL Galleries
Stony Plain, AB, (780) 963-9292
sales@ljlgalleries.com
www.ljlgalleries.com

The newly opened LJL Galleries is the main location for international award-winning artist Lisa J Levasseur. She is the creator of PaletteArt, an artform using recycled paint to create new compositions. The gallery also represents acclaimed Canadian artists Doris McCarthy and Roy Leadbetter, as well as internationally recognized artists Frank Chinea Inguanzo and Jacob Berghoff. In addition, they have exclusive representation of the blue-chip collection of former Palm Springs gallery owner Elena Jacob, that includes works by Picasso, Degas and Dalí to name a few. LJL Galleries, Clownfish, PaletteArtTM recycled paint 100 percent acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20", by Lisa J Levasseur.

LJL Galleries, Endless Nights, PaletteArtTM recycled paint 100 percent acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20", by Lisa J Levasseur.

LJL Galleries anticipates exhibiting at international art fairs when travel becomes easier again after COVID restrictions are lifted. “Our main goal at this time is to promote art through our online platforms and generate sales to guarantee support for international artists making a difference and providing 20 percent contribution to support charities,” Levasseur explains. “We have been concentrating on the re-opening of our first physical art gallery, located in Canada, with a focus on promoting Canadian artists.”LJL Galleries, Dying to Live III, PaletteArtTM recycled paint 100 percent acrylic on canvas, 48 x 24", by Lisa J Levasseur.

The gallery is currently gearing up for their Rocky Mountain Art Tour, where participants can visit artists’ studios and Canadian artworks will be on display throughout a selection of 10 hotels in Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Another goal for LJL is to “eliminate barriers when it comes to the ability for art enthusiasts to access art internationally and without limitations,” Levasseur says. “On top of all that, the core mission is to be able to make a valuable contribution to helping artists, charities and communities.” —