A local businessman has brought hundreds of pieces of Aboriginal artwork out of storage and onto the walls of Port Arthur Collegiate Institute.
Private collector George Ward and his wife, Kelly Ward, donated more than 600 paintings to Lakehead University. The paintings now hang on the walls of the LU’s law school. Ward started collecting the art in the 70s and over the years accumulated a collection from about 25 different artists.
He said he and his wife came to the decision that donating the art was the right thing to do.
Ward dedicated the collection to his friend Chief Roy Michano who he called the one of the most “successful politicians” after he repeatedly won numerous elections among the First Nation people.
“Keep in mind there’s 600 paintings with some of them as big as two doors and eventually we were running into a storage problem,” Ward said. “This seemed like a good opportunity to celebrate the chief’s achievements and find the proper home and a fitting home for the art that we love.”
LU president Brian Stevenson said having some of the Aboriginal art located at the law school fitted well.
Other pieces of the collection will be stored at Lakehead University and be will be displayed on a rotation with the other artworks.
He said they planned to spread the collection around and feature it prominently at the future Aboriginal building.
“It’s really a collection that celebrates our Aboriginal heritage in this city and in the region,” Stevenson said.
“It’s going to help by focusing on attention on the messages behind the Aboriginal art, which are spiritual and historical.”
