Hamilton Art History in Original Documents
Our City has a rich history of visual art expression, education, and writing. ARTS on myHamilton presents an ongoing project presenting original documentation from the past, suitable for research or general interest. The project kicks off with the Young Contemporaries, a group of artists who caught fire during their studies at McMaster University and powered their way through a series of exhibitions. Tragedy and time have not diminished their work.
Future documentation projects will focus on Wayne Allan, the Tiger Group, and Stuart MacCuaig, among others.
You may wish to start your exploration of Hamilton’s art history by reading A Short History of Art in Hamilton.
The Young Contemporaries, later known as the Contemporaries, were a group of Hamilton artists most active in the late 1980s through to 1995 and beyond. Individual members and combinations of members continue to exhibit to the present day.
The McMaster University art program was the incubator that nurtured the emergence of this dynamic group of individuals who were driven not only to make art, but to show it. The group was comprised of Ferdinando Bilanzola (1956-2001), Judi Burgess, Paul Cvetich, John Kinsella, Janice Kovar, Paul Ropel-Morski, and Lisa Wohrle.
Judi Burgess Collection
Most of the materials for this project were loaned by Judi Burgess to the Hamilton Public Library in August of 2010 for scanning or copying. Our thanks to Ms. Burgess for the loan and her assistance with the project.
This documentation project is made up of a number of components:
- A thematic online display reproducing invitations, flyers, brochures, and clippings used with permission from The Hamilton Spectator, www.thespec.com Copyright The Hamilton Spectator. All rights reserved.
- Online copies of each artist’s curriculum vitae circa 1995.
- A selection from Bryce Kanbara’s essay accompanying the exhibition Heart Attack & Vine.
- An online informative list of materials that could not be electronically reproduced.
- Collected copies of a range of documents held in both the Local History and Archives department, and the Arts department of the Central Library.
The Documentation
Thematic Online Display
