Gallery to celebrate Kurelek’s life and work
Niagara Falls Art Gallery will mark the 40th anniversary of William Kurelek’s death with a new exhibition on the troubled Canadian artist.
William Kurelek: A Life’s Work will gather about 85 pieces, many never seen before, from the gallery’s vaults and archives for a show opening Oct. 26.
Attending the opening will be Kurelek’s four children — Stephen, Cathy, Barbara and Tommy — and his youngest sister, Nancy.
The work will include drawings and sketches the gallery has owned for decades, along with new acquisitions.
Executive director Debra Attenborough says there simply hasn’t been enough space in the Oakwood Drive gallery to display them.
“We still have probably another 200 works in drawers and unframed work,” she says. “Stuff we don’t have room for. That’s in addition to the 1,500 pieces of Niagara Falls work that we have.”
Born on a prairie in Whitford, Alta., in 1927, Kurelek defied his strict father’s wishes to pursue art. While studying in England, he suffered a nervous breakdown and spent time at a psychiatric hospital in London. His inner pain and darkness would manifest itself in work such as The Maze, a haunting portrait of mental illness rock band Van Halen would use years later as the cover of its 1981 album Fair Warning.
Religion became a constant in his work, leading to his most famous project, the 160-piece The Passion of Christ series. It is found in its entirety at Niagara Falls Art Gallery, but its massive scale makes it difficult to exhibit all of it.
Before dying of cancer in 1977, Kurelek had developed a relationship with Niagara Falls Art Gallery owners Ola and Mykola Kolankiwsky. His family and late wife donated several pieces.
Both the Kolankiwskys were deceased by 1990, and new gallery owner Brian Smylski took over with a plan to revitalize the gallery. He succeeded by starting art programs and classes for kids, and creating new awareness of the importance of Kurelek’s work.
Since Smylski’s death in 2011, Attenborough has carried on the work, and Kurelek’s family has donated hundreds of new pieces, including the artist’s famed bomb shelter studio.
The new Kurelek show will include a digital component where visitors can view the entire The Passion of Christ series.
Working in obscurity for most of his life, Kurelek’s art has found a new appreciation in recent years. As custodian to his work, the gallery plays an important role in that, says Attenborough.
“We put the pressure on ourselves,” she says. “We always have internal pressures to make sure that we’re paying homage to his work.”
Part of the new show will include work by Niagara Falls artist Kevin Sloggett, who was heavily inspired by Kurelek.
The opening night reception runs 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibition continues until March 30.