Emily Stonehouse economic development marketing and destination officer stands with a mural of Andre Lapine’s Forest Interior outside of the Dominion Hotel on Bobcaygeon Road in Minden on Aug. 1. The mural is one of six points of interest on The Lapine Lap self-guided walking tour which leads participants to six locations throughout downtown Minden leading to the Agnes Jamieson Gallery where more than 100 Lapine works are held. /SUE TIFFIN Staff The Lapine Lap paints the way to gallery
By Sue Tiffin
Art
lovers visiting the Agnes Jamieson Gallery at the Minden Hills Cultural
Centre to take in the permanent Andre Lapine collection housed there
will now be guided by Lapine’s work along the way.
lovers visiting the Agnes Jamieson Gallery at the Minden Hills Cultural
Centre to take in the permanent Andre Lapine collection housed there
will now be guided by Lapine’s work along the way.
Six
of Lapine’s pieces are adorning buildings throughout the downtown area
of the village, telling the story of the man born in what is now known
as Latvia, who brought his life and art to Minden.
of Lapine’s pieces are adorning buildings throughout the downtown area
of the village, telling the story of the man born in what is now known
as Latvia, who brought his life and art to Minden.
The
Lapine Lap is a self-guided walking tour that brings participants to
murals by the artist, which are featured at Riverview Furniture, Up
River Trading Co., Shaw Studios, the Dominion Hotel, the former Beaver
Theatre and Molly’s Bistro Bakery.
Lapine Lap is a self-guided walking tour that brings participants to
murals by the artist, which are featured at Riverview Furniture, Up
River Trading Co., Shaw Studios, the Dominion Hotel, the former Beaver
Theatre and Molly’s Bistro Bakery.
The
tour, funded by main street revitalization initiative money from the
province, takes about 30 minutes to complete and ends at the Agnes
Jamieson Gallery, which holds more than 100 paintings by Lapine.
tour, funded by main street revitalization initiative money from the
province, takes about 30 minutes to complete and ends at the Agnes
Jamieson Gallery, which holds more than 100 paintings by Lapine.
“You
may be wondering, how did an internationally renowned artist begin
painting fields in Minden? Our story is just getting started…” begins
the tour.
may be wondering, how did an internationally renowned artist begin
painting fields in Minden? Our story is just getting started…” begins
the tour.
Lapine
was born into a part of Russia in 1866, studied at the Imperial Academy
of Petrograd before spending years in France and Holland, spent time at
the prestigious St. Lucius Society and immigrated to Canada in 1905 –
first to Manitoba, and then Toronto in 1907, where he worked at
Brigden’s Ltd.
was born into a part of Russia in 1866, studied at the Imperial Academy
of Petrograd before spending years in France and Holland, spent time at
the prestigious St. Lucius Society and immigrated to Canada in 1905 –
first to Manitoba, and then Toronto in 1907, where he worked at
Brigden’s Ltd.
“Brigden’s
was one of the largest commercial art studios in Toronto, creating
illustrations for Simpson’s and Eaton’s catalogues. Lapine became very
well-known for his hyper-realistic illustrations of lace and fur. His
popularity quickly grew in the arts community,” reads the tour.
was one of the largest commercial art studios in Toronto, creating
illustrations for Simpson’s and Eaton’s catalogues. Lapine became very
well-known for his hyper-realistic illustrations of lace and fur. His
popularity quickly grew in the arts community,” reads the tour.
Lapine’s
work was regularly featured in the Toronto Star and he was a member of
the Ontario Society of Artists and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
His art was purchased by the National Gallery of Canada and Art Gallery
of Ontario, and he was a contemporary of members of the Group of Seven.
After being struck by a car, Lapine as a patient met Dr. Agnes Jamieson
at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto and began a friendship that would
continue when they both moved to Minden, Jamieson practising out of the
current location of Shaw Studios, and Lapine working through recovery on
Billy Hamilton’s farm on South Lake.
work was regularly featured in the Toronto Star and he was a member of
the Ontario Society of Artists and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
His art was purchased by the National Gallery of Canada and Art Gallery
of Ontario, and he was a contemporary of members of the Group of Seven.
After being struck by a car, Lapine as a patient met Dr. Agnes Jamieson
at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto and began a friendship that would
continue when they both moved to Minden, Jamieson practising out of the
current location of Shaw Studios, and Lapine working through recovery on
Billy Hamilton’s farm on South Lake.
“[Lapine]
came to Canada just as the Group of Seven were transplanting
Impressionism to the Canadian scene,” reads the tour, quoting Malloney’s
Art Gallery in Toronto. “He saw Impressionism rise and wane in Europe
and then rise and wane in Canada. He had close, personal contacts with
the great masters of both movements, knew what they were doing and why
they were doing it. There is probably no painter in the world today who
has had the unique opportunity to live in the very midst of two such
vital and important artistic revolutions.”
came to Canada just as the Group of Seven were transplanting
Impressionism to the Canadian scene,” reads the tour, quoting Malloney’s
Art Gallery in Toronto. “He saw Impressionism rise and wane in Europe
and then rise and wane in Canada. He had close, personal contacts with
the great masters of both movements, knew what they were doing and why
they were doing it. There is probably no painter in the world today who
has had the unique opportunity to live in the very midst of two such
vital and important artistic revolutions.”
Jamieson
and Lapine left a lasting impression on the town, and Emily Stonehouse
said it was soon after she joined Minden Hills township in the role of
economic development, marketing and destination officer and supervisor
at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre that she was struck by the Lapine
collection with the same “mesmerizing element” she felt when she took in
the works of the Group of Seven growing up.
and Lapine left a lasting impression on the town, and Emily Stonehouse
said it was soon after she joined Minden Hills township in the role of
economic development, marketing and destination officer and supervisor
at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre that she was struck by the Lapine
collection with the same “mesmerizing element” she felt when she took in
the works of the Group of Seven growing up.
“In
a weird way, I was like, this is marketable,” she said. “This is kind
of a twist on something that we have, and this is also something I can
market to our community as something that is original and exclusive to
our space … I want something that’s rooted in our own heritage, that
still adds that pop of colour. Something that’s a little bit different.”
With
collaboration through Tammy Rea, Laurie Carmount, and Kathy Sweeney,
the inaugural murals of the project are being hung this week.
a weird way, I was like, this is marketable,” she said. “This is kind
of a twist on something that we have, and this is also something I can
market to our community as something that is original and exclusive to
our space … I want something that’s rooted in our own heritage, that
still adds that pop of colour. Something that’s a little bit different.”
With
collaboration through Tammy Rea, Laurie Carmount, and Kathy Sweeney,
the inaugural murals of the project are being hung this week.
Rea
brought to Stonehouse’s attention the app, PocketSights, that enables a
user to access the tour through a smartphone in a completely accessible
way, available to those with hearing or visual impairments, visually or
audibly guiding the participant through town. The app offers walking
tours in unique places around the world, including the Haliburton
Sculpture Forest, dysART 150 Trail and Haliburton County Studio Tour,
locally.
brought to Stonehouse’s attention the app, PocketSights, that enables a
user to access the tour through a smartphone in a completely accessible
way, available to those with hearing or visual impairments, visually or
audibly guiding the participant through town. The app offers walking
tours in unique places around the world, including the Haliburton
Sculpture Forest, dysART 150 Trail and Haliburton County Studio Tour,
locally.
Carmount,
curator of Agnes Jamieson Gallery, helped to source and recommend
Lapine pieces for murals that suit the space they’re in. “She was on
board because she loves Lapine,” said Stonehouse. “So she was excited to
talk about [the works in the collection] and their full potential, and
be able to expose them in the way that they deserve to be recognized.”
curator of Agnes Jamieson Gallery, helped to source and recommend
Lapine pieces for murals that suit the space they’re in. “She was on
board because she loves Lapine,” said Stonehouse. “So she was excited to
talk about [the works in the collection] and their full potential, and
be able to expose them in the way that they deserve to be recognized.”
Sweeney,
from County Sign & Display who constructed the murals, was ready to
work on the project from the get-go, and did so in a timely manner,
according to Stonehouse. “[County Sign & Display] made sure it was
really high-res photos, you can see on all of them, there’s detail right
into the brushstroke,” she said.
from County Sign & Display who constructed the murals, was ready to
work on the project from the get-go, and did so in a timely manner,
according to Stonehouse. “[County Sign & Display] made sure it was
really high-res photos, you can see on all of them, there’s detail right
into the brushstroke,” she said.
And
though the project is beginning with six Lapine pieces that are evenly
spaced throughout the downtown core, it can expand into more, pulling
from the diverse collection that includes sketches as well as the more
colourful work.
though the project is beginning with six Lapine pieces that are evenly
spaced throughout the downtown core, it can expand into more, pulling
from the diverse collection that includes sketches as well as the more
colourful work.
“I
needed it to be eye-catching, needed your eye to float there
naturally,” said Stonehouse. “As people kind of familiarize themselves
with what these are and who he is, because I think it’s important to
tell his story, we can kind of expand upon that a little bit and start
to see a little bit how in-depth he was.”
needed it to be eye-catching, needed your eye to float there
naturally,” said Stonehouse. “As people kind of familiarize themselves
with what these are and who he is, because I think it’s important to
tell his story, we can kind of expand upon that a little bit and start
to see a little bit how in-depth he was.”
The
paintings featured correlate to Lapine, but also to the community. For
example, Mill Scene, which is hung at the former Beaver Theatre, shows
an image of Minden past as well as present. “The one over on Beaver
Theatre, that’s on the log run, the tree line is almost the exact same
tree line as it is behind the Beaver Theatre, when you look at it,” said
Stonehouse. “It’s like this multi-dimensional kind of thing, because
that’s where they would have done the logging.”
paintings featured correlate to Lapine, but also to the community. For
example, Mill Scene, which is hung at the former Beaver Theatre, shows
an image of Minden past as well as present. “The one over on Beaver
Theatre, that’s on the log run, the tree line is almost the exact same
tree line as it is behind the Beaver Theatre, when you look at it,” said
Stonehouse. “It’s like this multi-dimensional kind of thing, because
that’s where they would have done the logging.”
The combination of art and history makes for a tour that can be interesting to visitors as well as local residents.
“It
was really just an attempt to add a pop of colour but also to bring our
history to life and do something that the whole community could connect
with,” said Stonehouse. “It’s something that locals or visitors can do.
It’s a tourist attraction but it’s highlighting local heritage.”
was really just an attempt to add a pop of colour but also to bring our
history to life and do something that the whole community could connect
with,” said Stonehouse. “It’s something that locals or visitors can do.
It’s a tourist attraction but it’s highlighting local heritage.”
One
part of the tour notes that residents of Minden Hills today still
remember Lapine walking the streets with paintbox in hand. “I think he’s
a really interesting person, he really contributed to the fibre of this
community and I just think that it’s important to tell his story
because it kind of connects a lot of us in more ways than we know,” said
Stonehouse.
At the end of the tour, visitors find themselves next
door to the Agnes Jamieson Gallery, located at 176 Bobcaygeon Road,
where the Lapine collection can be viewed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Tuesday to Saturday, and on the same street as the Minden cemetery where
Lapine, who died in 1952, is buried alongside his wife.
part of the tour notes that residents of Minden Hills today still
remember Lapine walking the streets with paintbox in hand. “I think he’s
a really interesting person, he really contributed to the fibre of this
community and I just think that it’s important to tell his story
because it kind of connects a lot of us in more ways than we know,” said
Stonehouse.
At the end of the tour, visitors find themselves next
door to the Agnes Jamieson Gallery, located at 176 Bobcaygeon Road,
where the Lapine collection can be viewed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Tuesday to Saturday, and on the same street as the Minden cemetery where
Lapine, who died in 1952, is buried alongside his wife.
“The
whole tour does lead up to the cultural centre, so no matter what, if
people want to go in, that’s your final stop and suddenly you have his
whole collection at your fingertips,” said Stonehouse. Even as she
stands downtown on Minden’s main street on a weekday morning, people
approach Stonehouse to ask about the paintings.
whole tour does lead up to the cultural centre, so no matter what, if
people want to go in, that’s your final stop and suddenly you have his
whole collection at your fingertips,” said Stonehouse. Even as she
stands downtown on Minden’s main street on a weekday morning, people
approach Stonehouse to ask about the paintings.
“I
feel really proud because in this role, it’s such a new role, that
seeing these little tangible differences, it feels good, and feels good
the community is supportive and happy to work alongside,” said
Stonehouse. “And I think they look good.”
feel really proud because in this role, it’s such a new role, that
seeing these little tangible differences, it feels good, and feels good
the community is supportive and happy to work alongside,” said
Stonehouse. “And I think they look good.”
For more information about The Lapine Lap self-guided walking tour, visit https://pocketsights.com/
tours/tour/Minden-The-Lapine-
Lap-3319 .
For more information about the Agnes Jamieson Gallery, visit https://mindenhills.ca/agnes-
jamieson-art-gallery/ .
with files from Chad Ingram and Emily Stonehouse
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