"Wall of Art", McLennan Library, McGill University

Had a fun visit to see a hidden treasure on the 4th floor of McGill's McLennan Library.

To quote from the display panel:

"Most museums have 2-3 % of their collection on view at any given time, holding the rest in storage. McGill's Visual Arts Collection is an exception, displaying the majority of its holdings in over 90 buildings and outdoor spaces on several campuses. Our new Visible Storage space presents a selection of those works that are nevertheless in storage, offering visitors increased access to the Collection.

"Visible Storage has become a popular practice in institutions worldwide. These spaces reproduce the environmental and control conditions of storage facilities in open-access areas, allowing the display of works that are particularly sensitive, or that would simply not otherwise be seen on a regular basis. Works are on view 'salon style', stacked to maximize space, as they would be in storage.

"Made possible by the McGill Library Innovation Fund, this Visible Storage gallery will be in progressive installation over the summer, during which it will remain open to visitors. The works on view will together represent a cross-section of our holdings in Canadian, Indigenous, and international art, both historical and contemporary." 

Edwin Holgate, Woman Before a Window, 1960

Works from 24 artists were on view during my visit, including paintings by well-known Canadians Moe Reinblatt, Betty Goodwin, Sylvia Safdie, Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté, Yves Gaucher and Rita Letendre.

Lilias Torrance-Newton, Portrait of H. Rocke Robertson, 1971

Norval Morrisseau, Shaman Surrounded by Ancestral Spirit Totem, 1997

John Little, Bonsecours Church

If you have a chance to visit, be sure to stop in to see the exhibit of antique "pop-up" books in the rare books section of the library and, in the lobby, the display of antique medical books on the topic of Conception.