This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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“One of the most valuable morale boosters of the War…” — Art for War and Peace is a fascinating exhibition of historical Sampson-Matthews silkscreen prints derived from the largest publicly sponsored art project in Canadian history. In the 1920s, the National Gallery of Canada commissioned the most well known artists of the time, such as the Group of Seven and Emily Carr, to produce a series of paintings depicting the Canadian landscape. Prints of these paintings were hung in the barracks of troops overseas during WWII to boost morale and serve as a reminder of home. The popularity of the program spread well into peacetime, taking over banks, libraries, schools and hospitals across the nation. Artist A.Y. Jackson once said, “The silk screens made during the war were by far the best publicity Canadian art ever received.”
In conjunction with the exhibition, is the book launch of “Art for War and Peace: How a Great Public Art Project Helped Canada Discover Itself,” an illustrated history of the Sampson-Matthews prints written by Scott Steedman and Ian Sigvaldason, with contributors including Douglas Coupland.
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