First Retrospective of Winnipeg Artist Tim Gardner Opens at WAG-Qaumajuq

Tim Gardner: The Full Story is the largest exhibition of the artists’ work and opens October 7

Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 3, 2023: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is pleased to announce the opening of Tim Gardner: The Full Story on October 7, 2023.

Tim Gardner is known for his watercolour, oil, and pastel artworks that capture the North American middle-class perspective in striking detail. This retrospective exhibition will span Gardner’s nearly 30-year career and will feature 138 artworks from private and public collections across Canada, with many of the works being shown for the first time. A maestro of the urban and natural landscape, Gardner documents seemingly ordinary scenes of everyday life and shares intimate snapshots of his world, generating a vulnerability between the subject and the viewer.

Little has changed with Gardner’s artistic process since his first sold out show in New York in 2000. Through his work, Gardner recreates the photos he takes or collects, adding subtle changes to each image for his own composition. This documentation through the mediums of watercolour, pastels, and oil gives Gardner a unique platform in the contemporary art world, blending traditional mediums with our modern obsession of documenting our experiences. A masterful painter and drawer, Gardner’s artworks must be seen in person to be fully experienced.

This exhibition is presented by Michael Nesbitt and made possible by the generous support of The Appleton Initiative at the WAG supported by the Appleton Charitable Foundation, and the following Collectors Circle members: Hazel and Stephen Borys, Bryan Klein Law Corporation, Daniel Bubis and Jennifer Blumenthal, and Margaret Hucal. Visitors will get a chance to experience Gardner’s unique perspective this fall, as Tim Gardner: The Full Story opens to the public on October 7.

Join us on Friday, October 6 at 7pm, with doors at 6:30pm, for an opening celebration featuring remarks from artist Tim Gardner and curator Dr. Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO. Enjoy the cash bar and explore the exhibition, admission is FREE!

Quick Facts: 

• Tim Gardner is an American-born Canadian artist working in watercolour, oil, and pastel.
• Gardner received his BFA from the University of Manitoba in 1996 and an MFA from Columbia University in 1999. This is his first retrospective and largest solo exhibition to date.
• Gardner’s practice is focused on capturing the North American middle-class world and the everyday happenings around notions of life, family, and friendship.
• Gardner has exhibited nationally and internationally, with exhibitions in New York, London, Vancouver, San Francisco, and Shanghai.
• Join us on Friday, October 6 at 7pm for an opening celebration featuring remarks from artist Tim Gardner and curator Dr. Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO. Enjoy the cash bar and explore the exhibition, admission is FREE!
• Tim Gardner: The Full Story is curated by Dr. Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO and is on view October 7, 2023-April 7, 2024.
• A fully illustrated exhibition catalogue will be released later this year.

Quotes:  

“Tim Gardner: The Full Story looks at an artist who has mastered the art of painting and drawing. This exhibition would not be possible without the generous support of Michael Nesbitt and all the other partners. Working with Tim on his first retrospective exhibition and exploring his career has been a wonderful experience for me. He’s an alumnus of the University of Manitoba, so it’s fitting to showcase his work in the city where it all began. I hope Winnipeggers enjoy seeing these immaculate pictures of everyday scenes with everyday people being commemorated. It reminds us all that there is beauty in the ordinary.”

— Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO

“Three decades ago, I was a student at the University of Manitoba School of Art. After graduating, I set out on a journey to become an artist that led me to many interesting places with wonderful people and memorable experiences. This exhibition provides an opportunity to look back at many of the artworks that were made along the way. Thank you to Dr. Stephen Borys for inviting me back to Winnipeg to share this body of work and for his expertise and hard work in organizing this exhibition. Thank you also to the many collectors in Winnipeg who have supported me and to 303 Gallery and Monte Clark Gallery for making this entire journey possible.”

— Tim Gardner, Artist

Support

WAG-Qaumajuq thanks Michael Nesbitt for presenting this exhibition.
This exhibition is supported by The Appleton Initiative at the WAG supported by the Appleton Charitable Foundation and by the following Collectors Circle members: Hazel and Stephen Borys, Bryan Klein Law Corporation, Daniel Bubis and Jennifer Blumenthal, and Margaret Hucal.

Associated Links

Tim Gardner: The Full Story
Public Opening Celebration

To set up interviews with the artist and/or curator, please contact Katryna Barske, WAG-Qaumajuq Public Relations Officer.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:  

Katryna Barske
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
kbarske@wag.ca

About Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq
WAG-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq connects to the WAG on all levels, celebrating the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The new WAG-Qaumajuq cultural campus is now one of the largest art museums in Canada. To learn more visit wag.ca. 

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