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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1976, PAGE 9 Director is "Canadia*naionlist art hisoin By BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer One of the miost active personalities in the arts in Canada, and a staun ch defender of Canadian Culture, is. Whitby resident J oa n Murray. Mirs. Murray, Director of Oshawa's Robert McLaughlin Gallery since I1974, describes herseif as "a Canadian nation- alist art historian". "My concern is very deep with putting Canadian art on the Canadian mnap", she says, and in the past eighit years she lias devoted lier tinie to ila king Canadians more aware of their heritage through arranging art exhibitions, preparing catalogues and teaching Canadian art couirses at Scarborough Cullege, Glendon College and York University, amiong other educational institutions. As director of the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, she is concerned about developing a reional identity throughi the arts, so that the Durhamn Region "may survive in the face of Toronto". Since becoming director, she has developed a number of exhibitions by regional artists, helps them to secure grants, and provides them with general assistance. The outstanding artists in the Durham Region, accord- ing ta Mrs. Murray are Robin McKenzie, a concept artist from Pickering; Ron Baird, an scuiptor from Uxbridge; Winston McNamee, a videa- tape artist from Whitby, and Paul and Beverly Williams, craft artists from Whitby. Whitby has a special *maigfor Mrs. Murray, because "it has a very special quality. It is such a pretty town with nice people. It really has the quality of a small town yet it's cluite sophisticated". Mrs. Murray was intro- duced tu Whitby when she was research curator of the Ontario Art Gallery in I1969 and invited to lectuire un Canadian art for Whitby Arts lnc. She liked the tuwn and decided to live hiere when she took the position uf Directur of the \IcLatighlin Gallery. Since that tinie she has taken a particular intere 4 in the uld bouses uf' Whlitby, and last suininer organized a house tour with architec- tural historian Anthony Adanmson. Mrs. Murray says she lias (lie biggest range of' interest in art in Canada,* which includes Victorian Caniadian art, Tomi Thonison, Painters Eleven and contemporary Canadian art as her special fields. One of lier favorites is Tomn Thomison whorn she describes as "the greatest painter in ail of Canada". In 1971 she prepared a catalogue on the art of Tomi Thomnson, and for the past five years has been working to bring together a complete catalogue of ail of Tliomson's works, including soume 40 cainvasses and 500 ske tches. lIer catalogues have dealt with various historical figures in Canadian art, such as I elen McNicholl, 1879-1915, Wil- faim Blair Bruce, 1 859-1906, lmipressionismi in Canada, 1895-1935, and the l00-year histor-y of thle Ontario Society of Artists. Shie lias also written numierous articles on Cana- diait art in such publications as the Canadian Antiques Collector, and the Canadian Forumn. From 1970 to 1974 she was art editor of The Canadian Forum, responsible for illustrations, articles and reviews of the Canadian art scene. In addition tu her exten- sive duties as director of the .ibert McLaughlin Gallery, Mrs. Murray belongs to a host of art organizations as a representative of art galleries in Ontario and Canada. She was a consultant tu the Ontario Arts Council frum 1972 to 1975, co-ordinator of the Royal Canadian Academny Spectrurn Exhibi- tion, 1974-75, and a juror for numerous art exhibi t iuns. As a miember of the advisury huard of Art- ma ga zi ne, puhlished nl Turon to, shie assist s in raisinig fuinds; as a ninber of' the board uf gove rîors uf' the Can ad ian Cun terence of' the Arts she representcd art galîcries in niegut iat luils with the federal guvernmenit, and as a ineniber uf the Canadian Art M nseumr Di rec- tors Organization, she repre- sents art galleries. Âs a mnember of the executive council of the Ontario Associationi of Art Galleries, Mrs. Murray works wi th the financial structure of art galleries ihi the province, and represents art galleries on the Cnda Museurns Association. Mrs. Murray is also a member of the board of directors of thue Ontario Ileritage Fouindation, a branch of the provincial government which seeks to preserve Ontario's heritage in the formi of buildings, art and environme ntal areas. She represents art galleries and the visuial ar ts and assesses the significance of of gif*ts iin the field of' art. Nirs. Murray lias eveni hacl influence over the design of Canada's postage stamps as a mlember uf ftic Postage Stamp Design Advisory Conimittee. In this capacity she suggested the uise of sculp- tures of ithletes by Canadian artist Dr. R. Tait MacKenzie on Ilhe $1 and S2 Olympic series stamps. "They were very popular stamips and I was told tlîcy were tlhe most popular Canadian stamnps since I1926, she said. Mrs. Murray also suggested that a Peterborough artist be giveni a commnission to design aý starnp and he rec-lved that commission. lier favorite Canadian stamp is a reproductîi of Group of Seven artîst J.E.I1. McDonald's Mist Fantasy, issucd ini 1973. Mrs. Murray is a inember of the adviý. ry council of the \Vomen's Cultural Centre which is being formied ini Toronto as a drop-in centre Mrs. Joan Murray, Director of tîie Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa exarrnînes Dr. R. Tait MacKenzie's sculpture of a sprinter which she suggested as a design for one of Canada's Olympic commemoration stamps. The sculpture, made during the early 1900s is presently on exhibition at the McLaughlin Gallery as part of a collection of Canadian sporting art. for womien's art. "It wilI gi ve cohierence t o \vat developed out of Internation- al Wonien's Year, she said. "Running a gallery is a fuIl-timie job", she says. "Tb.e commnittees are not mny main body of interest; they are just a tool to the end. I arn very coniitted to Canadian art and seeing it is accepted and receîved with interest i ii thiis c ou n try.- Canadian art is absolutely interesting. Too long it lias been at thie bottoni of the barrel". Mrs. Murray sees the great hîstorical Canadian artists as being 1Em'-ily Carr, Tom If you need us, we 're here. From leit to right: Gary, Joanne, Lorrie, Dave, Bob, Irene, Cathy and Marie have Sandy, Rose, Louise, Anita, Allen, Carol, thie welcomne mat out Free Press Photo Thomson, Lawren Harris, Cornelius Kreighoff and Alex Colville. Her favorite contemiporary artists are Grahami Coughtry, Bill Ron- ald, Harold Town and Dennis Burton. "The contemporary art sceîue in Canada is as active if not more active than any other country in the world-- perhaps superior", she says. "Canadians are becoming more interested in their roots because of changing social structure", she adds, pointing out t:îat her teaching of the history of Canadian art is sornething very important to ber and ta Canadians. Mrs. Murray has travelled extensively throughout Canada, studying painting and meeting with museum directors curators and conser- vators. Her enthusiasm and dedi- cation ta her work can easily be seen, ru)t only through ber activities but through her personality, ;vhich seemns ta light up when she talks of somne artist or project whiclî is of interest ta her. Through her efforts, residents of the Durham Region and surrounding area are receiving a new insight into Canada's art and culture. for you to help you with any of your banking needs. We're at 107 Dundas St. E., one of three TD branches in Whitby, and we're open from 10 until 3, Monday through Thursday, and from 10 until 6 0o1 Friday. So drop by and sayhello, won't you. The bank where people make the difference. Joan Murray MçMANUS STRONACH WHITBY 'MALL 576-4431, 1