Guelph Museums launches In Flanders Fields at 100 programming
One hundred years ago, Guelph-born doctor, soldier, and poet John McCrae wrote a poem that touched the world, and inspired an enduring symbol of remembrance. In commemoration of the centenary of In Flanders Fields, Guelph Museums announces an ambitious slate of programs for 2015:
• Remembering In Flanders Fields is a juried art show featuring works of art inspired by McCrae’s poem and created by Guelph and Wellington County artists. The exhibition is open now through August 9 at Guelph Civic Museum.
• Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Times – Italian Canadian Experiences During WWII, an exhibition from the Columbus Centre, explores the experiences of Italian-Canadians after Italy entered the war on Germany’s side. This exhibition, which puts a human face to this little-known part of Canadian history, will be on display at Guelph Civic Museum from April 24 to August 9.
• McCrae House will reopen in May with new permanent exhibitions about John McCrae’s life in Guelph and his medical, military and artistic pursuits.
• Daily Tea and Tours start June 23 and continue to the end of August at McCrae House. Afternoon tea, including scones, berries and teas blended especially for McCrae House, will be served from 2 to 4 pm each day in the backyard. The price for Tea and a Tour is $15 per person plus taxes. Reservations can be made online at www.guelphmuseums.wpengine.com, starting May 1.
• A Night in Flanders, an original one-act play by local playwright Donald Macrae, will open in the McCrae House backyard July 2, and will run Wednesdays to Saturdays at 7 pm until August 8. Tickets are $20 per person plus taxes and can be purchased online at www.guelphmuseums.wpengine.com starting May 1.
• Fighting In Flanders – Gas. Mud. Memory. This exhibition from the Canadian War Museum will be on display at the Civic Museum from August 21 to November 15.
• Fourth Friday featuring Ian Bell. The tradition of free concerts at the Guelph Civic Museum on the fourth Friday of each month continues with songs and stories by historian Ian Bell at 7 pm.
• Merrymaking at the Museum: 1915, a cocktail party event featuring live music and live and silent auctions to support Guelph Museums, is set for Saturday, September 26. Tickets will be available starting July 2 at www.guelphmuseums.wpengine.com.
• John McCrae’s Guelph Tour takes place Sunday, September 27, at several locations in Guelph. Participants can walk, bike or drive from site to site for an animated tour of important landmarks in John McCrae’s life. Tickets are $20 per person plus taxes and can be purchased online at www.guelphmuseums.wpengine.com starting July 2.
• Guelph Museums is partnering with Frederick Travel Waterloo to offer In the Footsteps of John McCrae: Tour of France and Belgium. Participants will travel to Europe from October 2 to 10 with Guelph Museums’ curator and renowned John McCrae expert, Bev Dietrich. They will visit important First World War landmarks, and see the places where John McCrae served as a soldier and doctor, and where he was inspired to write In Flanders Fields. The cost is $3495 per person twin/double or $3980 per single room. To register, contact Ingrid Nardella at Frederick Travel, [email protected], 519-745-1860, or 1-800-578-8958.
• Remembrance Day is November 11, and will be marked at McCrae House and McCrae Memorial Gardens, by services coordinated by the Royal Canadian Legion and John McCrae Public School.
In Flanders Fields at 100: Time to Remember is supported by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Robin Morden
Community Relations Coordinator
Guelph Museums
519-836-1221
