The play tells the story of a fictional wartime painter, Nick, as he grapples with his role and impact as an artist in battle and beyond.
When award-winning Saskatchewan playwright Yvette Nolan saw an exhibition of Canadian wartime art on display in Ottawa, she was amazed that artists had been sent overseas and into danger to document the war as they experienced it.
“I just kept turning over the idea of these artists plodding around Europe with paints and brushes, risking their lives to capture some kind of truth to tell the folks back home,” Nolan recalls.
Many of those paintings had been packed up and stored away until the early 2000s, when the construction of the Canadian War Museum was underway. Unique perspectives of wartime experience, having long gone unseen, were finally back in the public eye.
So Nolan began to write about it: A play about art about war.
More than two decades — and one pandemic — later, Nolan’s work on The Art of War has finally come to fruition. The show opens in Saskatoon on Thursday night at the Remai Arts Centre BackStage Stage, and runs through the Remembrance Day weekend.
The play tells the story of a fictional wartime painter, Nick, as he grapples with his role and impact as an artist in battle and beyond.
“It would be almost impossible to explain to people back home what the soldiers were experiencing,” said actor Joshua Beaudry, who plays Nick’s friend Newman. “A photograph could give you an idea, but the visual artists were able to filter war through their own particular lens — their frame of mind, the way they saw it — and could communicate the horrors of war and bring that home to the people here.
Nolan had intended to premiere The Art of War in 2021; a year after COVID-19 had spread around the world, there was a moment wheN cases were beginning to drop, and she and her fellow artist were hungry to jump into rehearsals and get back into the theatre.
They almost made it to opening night before cases spiked again, and the theatre had to go dark.
“There was a real grief about the fact that we weren’t going to be able to do it,” Nolan recalled. “We got all the way to opening, and we had to pull the plug. It was hard to cancel it.”
But since that almost-premiere, Nolan saID global events have made the play even more acutely relevant.
“When we did this play two years ago, the world was in a global pandemic, but we weren’t in war in the same way,” said Nolan. “Right now, we are profoundly in war — between Gaza, the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine, the world is in war. And we are all connected, and it affects us all. So here we are as artists, making art in wartime, and wondering what our responsibility is.”Nolan notes that the Canadian Forces Artists Program, which evolved from the war art programs of The First and Second World Wars, is still active today and recently issued a recruitment call for artists to deploy with the Canadian military in 2024 and 2025.
“What is the role of the artist in society, if this is something that we do?” she said. “If we are sent into conflict, what is our role?
“I think artists are always grappling with making sense out of circumstances, making order out of chaos. I think art is a way of trying to figure things out, for a community or communities. It certainly feels like, in this play and at this time, we are trying to make sense of what is valuable to us as human beings and what our truths are as humans.”
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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
Sudbury’s annual art and music festival is marking a significant milestone this year, celebrating its long-standing impact on the local cultural scene. The festival, which has grown from a small community event to a major celebration of creativity, brings together artists, musicians, and visitors from across the region for a weekend of vibrant performances and exhibitions.
The event features a diverse range of activities, from live music performances to art installations, workshops, and interactive exhibits that highlight both emerging and established talent. This year’s milestone celebration will also honor the festival’s history by showcasing some of the artists and performers who have contributed to its success over the years.
Organizers are excited to see how the festival has evolved, becoming a cornerstone of Sudbury’s cultural landscape. “This festival is a celebration of creativity, community, and the incredible talent we have here in Sudbury,” said one of the event’s coordinators. “It’s amazing to see how it has grown and the impact it continues to have on the arts community.”
With this year’s milestone celebration, the festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a full lineup of exciting events, workshops, and performances that will inspire and engage attendees of all ages.
The festival’s milestone is not just a reflection of its past success but a celebration of the continued vibrancy of Sudbury’s arts scene.
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