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Audain Art Museum to Exhibit Rare Drawings from the National Gallery of Canada's Vault

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#art #painting #museum #gallery
Published
06/03/2025 by

This summer, the Audain Art Museum (AAM) is proud to present Gathered Leaves: Discoveries from the Drawings Vault, a landmark travelling exhibition offering a rare glimpse into the hidden art treasures of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). On view from June 14 through October 13, 2025, the exhibition features over 130 works on paper and canvas by 84 artists, revealing centuries of artistic innovation and storytelling to AAM visitors.

Featuring graphite sketches alongside delicate ink, pastel, and watercolour renderings, Gathered Leaves offers a wide range of techniques and styles by internationally celebrated artists. The exhibition highlights renowned figures such as Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Marc Chagall, and Wassily Kandinsky, as well as powerful contributions by historically underrepresented women artists, including Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun and Elisabetta Sirani.

"This exhibition is a unique opportunity for audiences to connect with the immediacy and intimacy of drawings by many of Europe's most celebrated artists—many of which have been hidden from public view for decades," says Dr. Curtis Collins, Director & Chief Curator of the Audain Art Museum. "We are proud to collaborate with the National Gallery of Canada in presenting these extraordinary pieces to Whistler residents, as well as visitors from across Canada and around the world."

"A collection more than a century in the making. Many exciting discoveries await visitors to the exhibition. Gathered Leaves is the Canadian debut of international historical drawings recently acquired by the National Gallery of Canada, alongside lesser known but significant works straight from the vault. This exhibition and its accompanying award-winning catalogue celebrate the centennial anniversary of our Department of Prints and Drawings, established in 1921 – the first curatorial division created at the NGC," says Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO, National Gallery of Canada. "In light of our national mandate to make art accessible to all Canadians, we're delighted that visitors to the Audain Art Museum will also have the rare opportunity to view remarkable drawings that for conservation reasons are usually kept in the dark."

The NGC collection has grown to include an extraordinary range of national and international works spanning the 15th to 20th centuries, including master drawings from Italy, France, Germany and Spain dating to the 1600s. From preparatory studies to vivid pastel compositions, Gathered Leaves offers a compelling look at the diverse roles drawing has played across time, geography, and artistic movements.

Gathered Leaves celebrates the national institution's century-long commitment to collecting and preserving works on paper. The exhibition also includes the NGC's recent acquisitions, expanding the narrative and offering fresh perspectives on art history. Accompanying the exhibition is a beautifully illustrated publication, Discoveries from the Drawings Vault. Authored by Sonia Del Re with Kirsten Appleyard, with contributions by Erika Dolphin, the catalogue commemorates the 100th anniversary of the NGC's Department of Prints and Drawings and highlights new research and curatorial insights into this significant collection.

Gathered Leaves: Discoveries from the Drawings Vault is organized by the National Gallery of Canada. This exhibition is supported by Government Partner, The Resort Municipality of Whistler, and Hotel Partner, Fairmont Chateau Whistler. The accompanying catalogue is made possible with support from Getty though its Paper Project Initiative.

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