Missed Painted Land? See it on TV!

When local art historian Michael Burtch set out with partners Joanie and Gary McGuffin to locate key Group of Seven painting sites, it was supposed to be a fun retirement project.

Three years later with more than 400 paintings identified, Burtch told SooToday he's busier now than he was prior to retirement.

"When I started this project, I had no idea where it would go and how much it would resonate with people," he said. "That was a real eye-opener."

The trio's quest has been made into a documentary feature as director Phyllis Ellis and film crew followed Burtch and the McGuffins through Algoma and along Superior's north shore, literally and figuratively walking in the footsteps of the Group of Seven.

"Now, without going out in the field and swatting black flies, we can identify painting locations by just looking at the painting," Burtch said.

Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven enjoyed two screenings earlier this month as part of the 43rd annual Algoma Fall Festival.

Ellis told us in a recent phone interview that although she knew of and respected the work of the Group of Seven, she never really appreciated their impact on Canadian culture until taking part in the project.

"They were maverick young artists fighting for the right to articulate Canada in the way they thought and felt it. They were trailblazers," she said.

"Art is an explicable part of culture and we have to fight for our place as artists in Canada, respect all of the disciplines, and revere our collective selves as creative people," Ellis continued. "They fought for it so long ago, and now it's our responsibility to keep the fire burning."

She finds that while most Canadians are fascinated by and romanticize art and artists from other nations, we often overlook our own.

"That's way they don't have value. That's way they're not household names other than because we're taught about it in Grade 3," she said. "But their contribution really shouldn't be marginalized in any way. We can discount and discard the beauty of our own land as much as we want, but there is nothing more spectacular than standing at the top of Agawa Canyon. I would challenge anyone in the world to find a more beautiful point of view."

Extremely engaging and beautifully shot, Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven will broadcast on TVO tonight (October 15) at 9 p.m., as well as Saturday, October 17 at 9 p.m., and Sunday, October 18 at 11 p.m.

To learn more about the film, please click here.

(PHOTO: Panel discussion following a screening of 'Painted Land' at the Machine Shop as part of the Algoma Fall Festival on Friday, October 2, 2015. Pictured are Nancy Lang, Peter Raymont, Phyllis Ellis, Chuck Taylor, Gabbie Nadeau, Joanie and Gary McGuffin, Michael Burtch, Dan Nystedt, and John Welsman. Donna Hopper/SooToday)

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