DOMINION MODERN
Dominion Modern was established as an archive of 20th Century Canadian architecture and design. Our goal is to collect, catalogue, preserve and disseminate; but also to present, inform, engage and delight.
DOMINION MODERN proposes to be a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding and widening thought and debate on the art of 20th century Canadian architecture and design, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today.
We believe Toronto is the right place for a permanent gallery/archive of the 20th century Canadian architecture and industrial design. We propose DOMINION MODERN as a place not only to exhibit, but also to maintain and preserve these records and to make then available to the public.
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT: This is a vital aspect of the museum's work. We aim to speak to all the actors in the modern movement of our country. Dominion Modern launched the oral history project that records the stories of Canadian architects and designers. So far we have taped over seventy oral histories from all over the country. The tapes will be transcribed and available to the public. They serve as a resource for future exhibitions and publications. More than that, these life stories bring forth the people behind the landmark buildings and designs &endash; how they conceived, discussed, engineered and created them. These people demonstrate over and over the tremendous creative energy that built Canada over the last century. It is a privilege and a duty to preserve their words and work for future generations.
OUR CURRENT EXHIBITION:
MEAN CITY
FROM ARCHITECTURE TO DESIGN, HOW TORONTO WENT BOOM!
Dominion Modern Museum of Modern Architecture & Design
Exhibition running 5 March to 29 May 2005
59 College Street (west of Bay), Toronto
Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 12 - 6 pm
Exhibition catalogue: 112 p. col., b&w ill. $20.
The two World Wars had a tremendous impact in transforming Canada into a confident and robust industrial nation. With that came a building boom and an artistic explosion that gave young entrepreneurs, designers, artists and architects opportunities to dream big, bold and modern.
MEAN CITY celebrates this great boom in architecture and industrial design (1945-1975), with emphasis on the work of John B. Parkin Associates: works that include the Sun Life Building, Yonge Subway and Terminal One at the Toronto International Airport.
Also, MEAN CITY takes a closer look at the CNE's distinctive cluster of modern buildings. Beginning in 1947 with the new Grandstand Stadium and culminating in the Better Living Centre in 1962, young architects like Richard Fisher, George Robb and Peter Dickinson were given the opportunity to execute '50s fantastic and futuristic buildings.
The Don Mills housing project is featured in MEAN CITY. Urban planner Macklin Hancock was hired right out of Harvard by E.P. Taylor to develop the rolling hills of North Toronto. Talented architects like Douglas H. Lee, John C. Parkin, Henry Fliess, James A. Murray, Harry B. Kohl and Peter Dickinson created housing, factories, schools, churches, libraries and parks for the unique community.
MEAN CITY also pays tribute to the industrial design of the post-war years. The exhibition highlights the accomplishments of A.V. Roe Canada. They built Orenda engines, the Avro Arrow, and the Avro Jetliner; the latter, designed by James C. Floyd, was the first commercial jetliner in North America.
MEAN CITY is the most ambitious exhibition presented by Dominion Modern. It is accompanied by a full-colour exhibition catalogue. MEAN CITY coincides with the current show at CCA in Montreal, "The 60s: Montreal Thinks Big" (20 Oct. '04 - 11 Sept. '05) and the Museum of Civilisation show in Ottawa, "Cool 60s Design" (25 Feb - 27 Nov. '05.)
DOMINION MODERN Museum of Modern Architecture & Design
PLEASE DONATE
Our first two exhibitions, PETER DICKINSON ARCHITECT, and HUGH ROBERTSON ARCHITECT were funded entirely by donations, mostly from architecture firms and associations, but also from individuals. And every penny of the money donated went to restoring and presenting the material for public exhibition. Dominion Modern, Museum of Modern Architecture and Design is a non-profit charitable organisation. We will issue a tax receipt for your donation.
If you would like to help, please make a donation. Contact us at urbanism@interlog.com, to help.
Archive:
HUGH ROBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHER
An Exhibition
October 30 to December 21, 2003
Dominion Modern is proud to present a retrospective of the work of Hugh Robertson. Synonymous with architectural photography, Robertson was at the helm of Panda Photography, the premiere house for architectural photography, where he perfected the art he began in the1930's. For the next sixty years Robertson would go on to record a country bursting at the seams with energy and exuberance. Robertson refined himself as an artist with a sharp eye whose work was defined with a bold, dramatic, and simple elegance. His oeuvre includes architecture, commercial, industrial and war photography. As one of the chief documentarians of the 20th Century Robertson belongs to a unique league of gentlemen photograhers that were true pioneers.
DOMINION MODERN
Museum of Modern Architecture & Design 59 College Street West, at Bay Street, Toronto
Public Hours: 12-6 PM, Wednesday-Sunday or by Appointment:
Hugh Robertson Photographer organised by DOMINION MODERN.
Organisers: John Martins-Manteiga and Elissa Pane.
This exhibition sponsored by Zeidler Partnership Architects, Toronto Society of Architects and Private Donors
DOMINION MODERN a division of Art and Industry/20th Century Limited
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DOMINION MODERN Museum of Modern Architecture & Design
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SUMMER UPDATE 2003
Thank you for supporting Dominion Modern's inaugural exhibition, (9 April - 25 May, 2003) PETER DICKINSON ARCHITECT. The first weekend, about 50 people attended. The last weekend, 1,000 people came through the gallery. They were all interested in Canadian architecture, drawn by the Doors Open Weekend. Some visitors had never heard of Peter Dickinson, but even those who knew his name had no idea of the scope of his work until this show.
DICKINSON BOOK UPDATE: Peter Dickinson Architect, the book, is a 600-page volume that will include his complete works. We received great feedback and interest during the Exhibition about the book. We have yet to find a suitable publisher. What we need in this country is a Taschen-like publishing dynamo. The search continues.
http://home.interlog.com/~urbanism/dickinson.html
FALL 2003
In fall 2003 Dominion Modern opens an exhibition on HUGH ROBERTSON. The exhibition will be a celebration of the photographer's massive inventory of work from 1938 to 1992, while at the helm of Canada's best known and most respected architectural photography house, Panda Photography.
http://home.interlog.com/~urbanism/robertson.html
Robertson's architectural inventory includes works from all the major architectural firms; John B. Parkin, Page + Steele, Bregman & Hamman, Marani & Morris, Gordon S. Adamson, NORR, Moffat & Kinoshita, and Craig Zeidler & Strong to name a few. The exhibition will concentrate mostly on his architectural work, but will also include fashion, merchandising, portrait, industrial, advertising, and war photography.
DOMINION MODERN PERMANENT HOME: We're still looking for a permanent venue: do you know of a space? We are looking for at least1,000 square feet at street-level in a downtown mid-century building. If you have any ideas let us know.
SPRING 2004
A major show is planned for next spring: TORONTO MODERN, featuring landmark projects like Toronto International Airport, City Hall, Toronto Dominion Centre, O'Keefe Centre, Toronto Subway System, Ontario Place, and Don Mills. This comprehensive exhibit is timed to coincide with the 2004 Doors Open Toronto weekend.
Many of you who visited the PETER DICKINSON ARCHITECT exhibition asked who we were, who funded us, and how we did it. Perhaps some people also wondered why we did it. Dominion Modern was established as an archive of the 20th century Canadian architecture and design. Our goal is to collect, catalogue, disseminate, and preserve; but also to present, inform, engage and delight. We believe there is no mystery to appreciating modernism, the clearest and simplest architectural language ever devised.
Our First Exhibition:
PETER DICKINSON ARCHITECT
A Retrospective April 10 to May 25, 2003
We would like to thank everyone for making our first exhibition, Peter Dickinson Architect a great success!
DOMINION MODERN proposes to be a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding and widening thought and debate on the art of 20th century Canadian architecture and design, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today.
Architecture and design is perceived by the general public as an elite pursuit rather then part of everyday life. Modern architecture and design is the clearest, most accessible and democratic of all the arts. DOMINION MODERN proposes to bring it out of the dark and onto the light.
We believe Toronto is the right place for a permanent gallery/archive of the 20th century Canadian architecture and industrial design. We propose DOMINION MODERN as a place not only to exhibit, but also to maintain and preserve these records and to make then available to the public.
A new idea, a new museum require support to flourish. Please consider becoming a Friend of DOMINION MODERN. Sign up for our mailing list, make a donation, give us your ideas, encourage others to participate.
Please check site for updates on future of DOMINION MODERN
Peter Dickinson Architect organised by The Peter Dickinson Project and DOMINION MODERN. Exhibition sponsored by Page + Steele Architects, WZMH, Toronto Society of Architects, E.R.A. Architects, Woman's College Health Research, and through the generosity of Private Donors
DOMINION MODERN a
division of Art and Industry/20th Century
Limited
URBANISM
Urbanism is dedicated to Canadian Modern Architecture & Design, and to the Preservation of Architecture across the Dominion of Canada. Urbanism was launched in mid-1998 in a campaign to save Toronto's CNE Grandstand Stadium from demolition. Urbanism is a resourse for the public to utilise and act if they so choose. These will include demolition alerts, new construction, databases on Modern Architecture, General Canadian Architecture, Architects, Industry, and Canadian Industrial Design.
Copyright 1998-2004, Art and Industry/20th Century Limited