WAG-Qaumajuq Announces Sale to Build Endowment Fund for Contemporary Art

Acquisition funds raised will support more diverse representation in the permanent collection

Winnipeg, Manitoba, April 20, 2023: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq announced today details of a new endowment fund for art acquisitions to support more diverse representation in the permanent collection, beginning with contemporary Indigenous art. To help build the endowment, WAG-Qaumajuq has identified artworks from the collection where there is considerable depth and representation of the artist and field, or where the artwork is no longer aligned with the strategic direction of the Gallery’s collections policy.

To establish initial funds for the endowment, WAG-Qaumajuq has deaccessioned four colour screen prints of Queen Elizabeth II from Andy Warhol’s Reigning Queens series. These artworks being offered at auction were selected by the WAG-Qaumajuq curatorial team and the directorate, in collaboration with the Works of Art Committee and WAG-Qaumajuq Board of Directors, following an extensive evaluation of the Gallery’s permanent collection. Funds raised for the endowment will support the Gallery’s interest in continuing to build a more diverse and equitable collection, particularly in the areas of contemporary Indigenous and Canadian art. The works will be sold by Cowley Abbott Auctioneers this June through public auction. Cowley Abbott will donate their selling commission to the WAG-Qaumajuq endowment fund as part of the sale. 

WAG-Qaumajuq, one of the oldest civic art museums in Canada, holds notable collections of European and Canadian art spanning over five centuries, with strong representation in 15^th and 16^th-century Northern European painting, 19^th and 20^th-century British art, German Expressionism, and Canadian art in all media and periods. In addition to the collections of painting, sculpture, and works on paper, WAG-Qaumajuq has extensive holdings in British, Canadian, and French decorative arts. The Gallery also holds the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world, now housed in Qaumajuq, the new Inuit art centre.

Quick Facts:

• WAG-Qaumajuq announces the deaccessioning of four artworks to raise funds for an endowment to support more diverse representation in the permanent collection, beginning with contemporary Indigenous art. 
• These artworks were selected by the WAG-Qaumajuq curatorial team and the directorate, in collaboration with the Works of Art Committee, and supported by the WAG-Qaumajuq Board of Directors, following an extensive evaluation of the Gallery’s permanent collection.
• The works will be sold by Cowley Abbott Auctioneers this summer through public auction.
• WAG-Qaumajuq holds notable collections of European and Canadian art spanning over five centuries, with strong representation in 15^th and 16^th-century Northern European painting, 19^th and 20^th-century British art, German Expressionism, and Canadian art in all media and periods.
• WAG-Qaumajuq has extensive holdings in British, Canadian, and French decorative arts. The Gallery also holds the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world, now housed in Qaumajuq, the new Inuit art centre.
• Andy Warhol’s Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, from Reigning Queens (1985) will be featured as part of the two-session Cowley Abbott Spring Live Auction on Thursday, June 8^th at Toronto’s Globe & Mail Centre, subject to a pre-sale auction estimate of $700,000-900,000 CAD.
• Warhol’s Queen Elizabeth II prints are highly coveted and particularly rare to find offered as a complete set. This set of four silkscreens was assembled by a collector through two separate purchases before being donated to WAG-Qaumajuq.  
• Previewing of the auction will take place in Montreal (April 27th to 29th) and Toronto (May 8th to June 8th) in the weeks leading up to the auction.
• For more information on the sale, please visit cowleyabbott.ca. and follow this link to view the auction listing for the Warhol silkscreens.

Quotes:

“With the opening of Qaumajuq, the Gallery has been more focused than ever on building an organization that is welcoming to everyone and more representative of our entire community. The important work of reconciliation and equity throughout the organization, includes the ongoing development and strengthening of the permanent collection. The initiative to establish a new endowed fund for the acquisition of contemporary Indigenous and Canadian art will allow us to reach more people and communities through the presentation and engagement with art and artmaking.  As we make meaningful strides in creating a more equitable and representative collection, we hope to inspire and inform audiences in real and tangible ways.”

— Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, WAG-Qaumajuq

“The WAG-Qaumajuq Board of Trustees is supportive of the Gallery’s commitment to continue building and refining the permanent collection so that it reaches and connects with more people and audiences. To support the vision for the Gallery, we need to continue to allocate the necessary resources; and this endowment will ensure that the future of the WAG-Qaumajuq permanent collection will better reflect the community that it serves.”

— Lewis Rosenberg, Works of Art Committee Chair

 “We are privileged to have the opportunity to offer this rare set of Warhol Queen Elizabeth prints to benefit this important endowment fund and are delighted to donate our selling commission as further support of the initiative. We very much look forward to sharing these works with clients internationally towards the live auction in June.”

— Rob Cowley, President, Cowley Abbott

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Hanna Waswa
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
[email protected]

Follow WAG-Qaumajuq on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram #atwag

Andrea McLoughlin
Director
Centric PR for Cowley Abbott
[email protected]
416.407.4321

Follow Cowley Abbott on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq connects to the WAG on all levels, celebrating the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The new WAG-Qaumajuq cultural campus is now one of the largest art museums in Canada. To learn more visit wag.ca.

About Cowley Abbott: Since its inception in 2013, Cowley Abbott’s live and online auctions have included headline-grabbing works that have regularly smashed auction records. Cowley Abbott has rapidly grown to be a leader in today’s competitive Canadian auction industry, with two galleries in downtown Toronto and representatives across Canada. Cowley Abbott’s effective set of services marry the traditional methods of promoting artwork with technology and innovative means to connect collectors with artwork of rarity and quality.

On the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death, we wish to commemorate the legacy of the Spanish artist, known as the founder of modern art, by presenting one of the highlights of our upcoming Spring Live Auction.

Pablo Picasso began creating ceramic works in the late 1940s. At the time, he was spending his summers in the Côte d’Azur, and in 1946 he visited Vallauris for the annual pottery exhibition. The small coastal town was known for its ceramics, and Picasso was particularly impressed by the quality of the works from the Atelier Madoura.

He was introduced to the owners, Suzanne and Georges Ramié, who welcomed him into his workshop and provided him with all the tools so he could experiment in ceramics himself. In exchange for this service, the Ramiés would produce and sell Picasso’s work. This collaboration would span twenty-five years.

The artist enjoyed working with clay, which he felt was a relaxing change from painting. Picasso began with plates and bowls, then experimented with pitchers and vases, all with creative and playful subject matter such as animals and Greek mythological figures.

In Visage de femme, dating to 1953, the artist has incised a woman’s face with wavy hair in an oval platter. The clean, fluid lines of the facial features recall Picasso’s line drawings as well as his remarkable ability to create a big impact with a very simple design. The elongated rectangle down the woman’s nose adds an element of Cubism to the otherwise curvilinear portrait.

Picasso’s experience at the Atelier Madoura was also a success on a personal level, as he met Jacqueline Roque in 1953, who would become his second wife in 1961.

Visage de femme will make its auction debut with Cowley Abbott during the Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian and International Art on June 8th at the Globe and Mail Centre.

Pablo Picasso
“Visage de femme” (A.R. 220), 1953
glazed and partially incised earthenware with coloured engobe platter
15.25 x 11.5 x 1 ins
Estimate: $40,000 – $60,000

In recognition of International Women’s Month, Cowley Abbott is holding a special auction dedicated to prestigious female artists. Celebrating Women Artists is open for bidding from March 7th to 21st and includes artworks by Maud Lewis, Molly Lamb Bobak, Nora Collyer, Doris McCarthy and many, many more!

Take a look at the catalogue here: https://cowleyabbott.ca/items and make sure to visit Cowley Abbott at 326 Dundas St. West to view these artworks in-person!

Cheers to the fabulous women of Cowley Abbott! Happy International Women’s month!

For ten years, Cowley Abbott has been a market leader in the sale of Canadian and International art through auction and private sale. Following our record-breaking auctions of 2022, we are seeking consignments for inclusion in our upcoming sales, including the Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian Art on June 8th at Toronto’s Globe & Mail. 

We invite interested clients to contact our experienced team of specialists for a complimentary valuation. 

February Online Auctions are open!

Don’t miss out on the February Online Auctions currently open for bidding at Cowley Abbott! These three curated online auctions include Canada & Abroad, Works & Prints on Paper and Three Dimensions. Bidding concludes on Tuesday, February 28th. Visit https://cowleyabbott.ca/items to view the complete catalogue and visit our gallery at 326 Dundas St. West to view the artworks in-person!

Cowley Abbott is thrilled to be entrusted with this selection of striking works by William Ronald, a celebrated Canadian artist. This is a very unique auction that we are holding this month. This is the first ever online auction featuring only the work of William Ronald. The rarity of the artworks in this collection is important, as well as the direct provenance from the estate of William Ronald. We hope you will take this opportunity to view this fantastic selection of artworks by the artist and learn more about Ronald’s career, technique and story.

We extend our gratitude to the collectors, bidders and buyers who ensured that 2022 was our most successful year to date. As we enter our tenth year, we very much look forward to sharing further excitement with you, including the next instalment of rare artworks from a prestigious private collection of Canadian art, to be offered in our Spring Live Auction on June 8th at Toronto’s Globe & Mail Centre. 

Exciting Upcoming Auction Season

We are starting the year with a bang, presenting five exclusive online auction sessions. This includes a curated selection of artworks by William Ronald, which we are honoured to handle on behalf of The Estate of William Ronald. 

Our other exciting sessions include a variety of artworks, from historical to contemporary, from works on paper to oils, and from diminutively sized works to monumental ones. 

The following auctions all take place this month. Bidding is open from Tuesday, January 17th to Tuesday, January 31st:

• Post-War & Contemporary Art 
• Canadian Winter 
• The Estate of William Ronald
• Still Life & Figural Art Auction
• Books & Reference

To book a preview appointment at the gallery, to request a condition report, or to speak to one of our specialists, contact our office at 416-479-9703 or email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

2023 AUCTION SCHEDULE

SPEAK WITH AN ART SPECIALIST ABOUT YOUR ARTWORK

RARE CANADIAN MASTERPIECES SOLD AT COWLEY ABBOTT

Cowley Abbott’s Two-Session
Live Auction of Important Canadian Art Shatters 11 Auction Records

Thank you to all of the collectors, bidders and art lovers that ensured our live auction last evening was a resounding success. Marking the first of three landmark live auctions dedicated to this prestigious private collection of Canadian art, a bidding frenzy helped to break 11 artist records with most artworks in the sale exceeding – and often doubling, tripling or more – presale estimates. Cowley Abbott’s two session live auction event, which also included their Live Auction of Important Canadian Art in the afternoon, achieved a combined $19.6 million. 

The highlight of the evening was an Emily Carr masterwork, The Totem of the Bear and the Moon, 1912, selling for $3.12 million, coming close to challenging the current artist record of $3.39 million. Sold for the first time at auction, this rare canvas has been included in important exhibitions for more than a century.

Also offered for public sale for the first time, Tom Thomson’s Petawawa Gorges (1916) doubled the low-end estimate, selling for $2.22 million to excited audience applause. The painting was part of the artist’s family’s collection for over fifty years before being acquired by the collection owners in 1972. Other versions of this composition are in major public collections across Canada.

A second work by the iconic painter, a rare sketch for a known canvas, Evening, Pine Island, also exceeded expectations, selling for $1.68 million.

The auction set a new artist record for Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson with the large oil canvas Tadenac, Novemberachieving $936,000, exceeding the previous record of $760,500.

Internationally celebrated artist James Wilson Morrice’s rare canvas Neige, Canada (Snow Canada) (circa 1905) doubled the presale estimate selling for $1.26 million in its auction debut. The accompanying sketch for the painting, Study for “Neige, Canada” sold for six times the estimate at $408,000.

The oldest painting in the collection, a rare canvas by Paul Kane, Ojibwa Camp in the Spider Islands (c. 1845), sold for $1.08 million.

Frances Anne Hopkins achieved a new artist record of $552,000 with her 1867 canvas Voyageurs Encampment (Camp Scene on the Ottawa), tripling the previous record.

David Milne’s Young Cedars (1919), painted during one of the most esteemed periods of his career, sold for $792,000, more than doubling its presale estimate.

Debuting at auction, Lawren Harris’ study for a canvas in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario, North Shore, Lake Superior, doubled expectations, selling for $1.03 million  

Adrien Hébert, The Eaton’s Window, Montreal (1937) sold for $408,000, nine times the previous artist record of $45,600.

Jock Macdonald’s Drying Herring Roe sold for $408,000, nearly five times the previous record of $88,750.

Records were also set for L.L. FitzGerald, Ozias Leduc, Antoine Sebastien Plamondon, Henry Sandham, Charlotte Schreiber, P.C. Sheppard and Mary Wrinch.  To view the full auction results, please visit: https://cowleyabbott.ca/items/1193

The Cowley Abbott team could not be more excited to present these artworks for sale this evening @globeandmailcentre. It has been a privilege to handle these works of art and share them with collectors, clients and art lovers.

Join us tonight in-person at Toronto’s Globe & Mail Centre or livestream the two auction sessions from home.

🔴 Live Auction of Important Canadian Art (Session 1) at 4:00 pm EST

🔴 Live Auction of An Important Private Collection of Canadian Art (Session 2) at 7:00 pm EST

Of the many regions of Canada painted by the artists associated with the Group of Seven, Algonquin Park remains most intimately associated with Tom Thomson. In this study, and in four others, Thomson has depicted the cliffs rising from the water, framing the narrow gorge. He must have painted them seated in his canoe in the middle of the river.

Join Lydia as she discusses this important painting by Tom Thomson, included in Cowley Abbott’s Live Auction of An Important Private Collection of Canadian Art on Thursday, December 1st at 7:00 pm.

Further details about the artwork can be found here: https://cowleyabbott.ca/artwork/AW41776