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In 2016, the UNB Art Centre will celebrate its 75th anniversary by reflecting on the contributions of the many individuals and circumstances that have made the Art Centre such an important part of the cultural, artistic and educational communities at UNB and across Fredericton and area.

A series of events and exhibitions are planned to help commemorate the occasion, including films, lectures, and live theatre.

To launch the festivities, from Jan. 22 to March 11, the UNB Art Centre will exhibit The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same, a retrospective look at the year 1941 and the world in which the Centre first opened.

Any retrospective of the UNB Art Centre would be incomplete without reference to its founders, Lucy Jarvis and Pegi Nicol MacLeod. From March 18 to May 3, Pieces of the Past: The Rug Designs of Pegi Nicol MacLeod and the Puppet Theatre of Lucy Jarvis will feature the lesser-known works of these two women.

This exhibit coincides with the launch of Roslyn Rosenfeld’s book on Lucy Jarvis, Even Stones Have Life, published by Gooselane Editions and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. A book launch will be held on March 18 at 5 pm.

As a special treat, on April 8, local actress Maria Bourgeois has created a theatrical performance that will call forth the spirit of Lucy Jarvis – literally! Part play and part séance, the performance To Live Dangerously will call on Lucy Jarvis to return to the Art Centre once more.

The exhibition will also feature a reading from Rosenfeld’s book at noon on April 13, and a screening of the film about Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Something Dancing About Her, will be held at noon on April 20. These activities will reflect the impact Jarvis and MacLeod continue to have on the activities at the UNB Art Centre.

Throughout the spring and fall, the UNB Art Centre’s 75th anniversary exhibitions will examine the historical legacy of the Centre by featuring pivotal artists in the Centre’s history through a look at the UNB Permanent Collection. Special exhibits will feature the early artists attracted to the Centre through Pegi Nicol MacLeod and Lucy Jarvis such as Fritz Brandtner, Alfred Pinsky, Hazel MacLeod, Catherine Hale, Brigit Toole Grant, John Maxwell, John Corey, George Strunz.

Also appearing in the spring and fall will be an exhibit highlighting the work of the artists-in-residence, featuring Fredericton’s beloved artist Bruno Bobak, Goodridge Roberts, and Donald Reichert. A further exhibit will focus on the work of Marjory Donaldson and her efforts in building and maintaining the UNB Permanent Collection.

In October, the UNB Art Centre will take a step outside the art world to explore its literary connections. An exhibit featuring The Fiddlehead, Atlantic Canada’s International Literary Journal, will celebrate its launch at the Observatory Art Centre, its covers and its writers.

To conclude the year’s festivities, the UNB Art Centre will explore the impact of World War I on UNB, specifically related to the Centre’s current home, Memorial Hall. The special touring exhibition Souterrains Expressions features over 230 3D printed renderings of carvings and images left by Canadian soldiers in underground caves near Vimy Ridge. In partnership with UNB’s Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society, the exhibition will be accompanied by public lectures, tours, and opportunities for schools and community groups to interact with this historic memorabilia.

Please join us throughout 2016 as we celebrate the creative spirit of the UNB Art Centre and its place within the university and the local community over the past 75 years. More details about exhibitions, performances, and events will be announced throughout the year.

The UNB Art Centre is located at Memorial Hall, 9 Bailey Drive, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton. The galleries are open 9 am - 4 pm weekdays and for special events. Admission is free to members of the public. Everyone is welcome!

Media contact: Hannah Classen