Fall 2006 - The Alpine Club of Canada

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Exhibit pairs artists and mountaineers to create alpine impressions BY LYNN MARTEL Even before there were mountaineers, there were mountain artists. Th en in 2004, as a group of art loving Alpine Club of Canada members contemplated diff erent ways to help celebrate the Club’s Centennial in 2006, they focussed on one of the key tenets of the Club – “Th e promotion of art and literature as applied to mountain regions.” What would happen, they proposed, if an artist were to team up with a mountaineer? Now after two years of organizing, planning and coordinating, Canmore artists Susan Gottselig and Donna Jo Massie, and their good friend Heather Mortimer from Calgary – all long time ACC members – are excited to see their project come to fruition. To create Th e Artist and the Mountaineer: An Alpine Club Centennial Project, the three women paired up 13 mountain artists with 13 respected ACC members. Each duo then travelled into the mountains together to a location of the mountaineer’s choosing where the artist would attempt to capture the essence of that mountaineer in a place that was signifi cant and special to them. Th e resulting pieces of art will be displayed at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff from October 13 thru January 2007, in conjunction 8 Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � FALL 2006 with an exhibit featuring historical ACC photographs to help celebrate the Club’s 100th anniversary. Th e project required a considerable amount of planning and coordination, which amounted to something akin to triangulation – attempting to balance each of the artists’ styles and mediums, the mountaineers’ artistic preferences and choice of location, and the potential relationship between the artist and the mountaineer. “We didn’t want to defi ne what they wanted to do,” Gottselig said. “But we’d look at things like this place has a lot of rocks, let’s pair him up with a stone sculptor.” “And knowing this mountaineer might appreciate an abstract,” added Massie. Logistics were another concern, with the organizers asking the artists such questions as, “How far are you willing to walk?” “Nobody had to strap on crampons – that was a fear of some of the artists,” Mortimer laughed. Th e outings took place throughout the 2005 summer. Alpinist and mountain guide Barry Blanchard chose the base of Mount Yamnuska, veteran mountain guide and former rescue specialist Kiwi Gallagher chose for Massie to paint Painting – Ridge of Melting Faces, Golden BC, the location chosen by ACC General Mountaineering Camp organizer Brad Harrison PAINTING BY LEONA AMANN Mount Robson, while mountaineer and fi lmmaker Pat Morrow picked a spot in the Yukon. Fortunately, when the mountaineers – who were selected as a cross section of ACC members from diff erent generations who have contributed signifi cantly to the Club through climbing exploits or various organizational eff orts – chose their locations, Artist Brent Laycock with mountain guide Barry Blanchard PHOTO BY CRAIG RICHARDS there was only one overlap. Th e triangulation process Mortimer said, ended up taking on a bit of a life of its own. “It’s not just the selection of the artists and the selection of the mountaineer, but also making sure the chemistry between them is amenable,” Mortimer said. “As a consequence of that chemistry, the art refl ects that connection.” Th e artists were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including their proximity to the Canadian Rockies and their subjects, availability, and style and medium – ranging from pen and ink sketches to sculptures, and from realistic to abstract. Th e one thing that tied the artists and the mountaineer together was an underlying love of the mountains, she added. “Th ere are a lot of insights people have gained from one another,” Mortimer said. “Some of the pairs even blossomed into friendships, and they went back out into the mountains together on other occasions just for a hike.” On their initial outing – some of which involved creek crossings and hikes to ridge tops or mountain passes, but no technical climbing – the artists made sketches and took photographs and notes to guide them back in their studios. Canmore videographer Joseph Potts then fi lmed the artists working in their studios to create a looped videotape which will run as part of the exhibit. As well, exhibit curator Craig Richards photographed each of the artist/ mountaineer pairs, creating images that will appear in the exhibit catalogue. “I think the concept is fantastic, from the experience of being with one person who thought it was a special place, to
Canada’s McColl wins Youth World Championships In August, Vancouver’s Sean McColl won both the Lead and Speed events at the Youth World Championships in Imst, Austria. A constant threat on the 2006 World Cup circuit, McColl, 19, has consistently placed top 10. As well, in her fi rst international competition, Katie Mah pulled her way to a solid third place in the Youth B division. Twenty-four members of the Competition dÉscalade Canada (CEC) Youth National Team competed in Austria, producing Canada’s best ever overall results at a World Championships. After a series of sanctioned events across Canada, the CEC Open National Bouldering Team for 2006/07 was announced in May. With hometowns from North Vancouver to Halifax to Saskatoon to Gatineau, Quebec, the 10 females and 10 males represent a true cross-section of the country. To learn more, go to: www.competitionclimbingcanada.com Continued from page 16. create something special artistically out of the relationship that was created between the artist and the subject in that place,” Richards said. “It follows along the lines of what they (the ACC) did at the early camps, when the climbers would go out and experience the mountains through their climbs, while the artists were also brought out into the mountains to create from what they experienced.” Historically, the project creators said, the ACC fostered the artist/mountaineer relationship, particularly at the annual camps where mountaineers, artists and scientists would gather, often generating diff erent interpretations of the mountain landscapes, complete with an art tent at the camps. Today the Club’s activities tend to be more segmented, they said. “Th rough this exhibit we hope to bring together the culture, the mountaineers we’re here to honour and the art,” Massie said. Th e Artist and the Mountaineer runs October 13 thru January 2007 at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff . Reprinted with permission from the Rocky Mountain Outlook. ��Reactor�� The Karl Nagy Memorial Award was established in 2001 to assist aspiring amateur leaders and guides develop their leadership skills. Until his death in 2000, Karl set an outstanding example as a mentor in the mountains and was well known for his leadership, safety and success. Th is award provides an opportunity for ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides) candidates and Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) aspiring amateur leaders to participate at the ACC General Mountaineering Camp. Amateur ACC leaders and ACMG candidates are given priority in alternating years; 2007 is set for an ACMG candidate. All applicants must be current ACC members. In years designated for ACMG candidates, applicants must also have passed their ACMG assistant rock guide, assistant alpine guide and/or assistant ski guide exams. Deadline for applications is January 31, 2007. For more information, visit: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/activities/leadership.html#nagy Alpine Club of Canada � Gazette � FALL 2006 9
Page 1 and 2: Vol. 21, No. 3 � Fall 2006 Centen
Page 3 and 4: The Alpine Club of Canada Publicati
Page 5 and 6: Progress!! BY DAVID TOOLE The Alpin
Page 7: Th ere is no doubt about the warmin
Page 11 and 12: Financial Grants Through the genero
Page 13 and 14: 8 9 12 7 10 11 Centennial Events Oc
Page 15 and 16: ACC hosts Canada’s fi rst mountai
Page 17 and 18: about stability, which leads to rou
Page 19 and 20: desired climbing objectives. Our ca
Page 21 and 22: Solar powered lights installed at F
Page 23 and 24: CLASSIFIED ADS ACC CUSTOM PORTERING

Fall 2006 - The Alpine Club of Canada

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