Thursday, February 21, 2002
If the Americans buy this painting, it will be the next step in the erosion of our sovereignty! The Canadian art community is all a-twitter about the prospect that a painting by Canadian artist Paul Kane, Scene in the Northwest, might be bought at auction by an American.
At least one U.S. gallery is refraining from bidding due to Canada's rarely used Cultural Property Act, "which can delay export of objects deemed of outstanding significance for six months while Canadian institutions are given a chance to raise money for their purchase."
Still, in anticipation of steep U.S. competition, a number of Canadian museums are planning to pool their resources to jointly outbid any non-Canadian interests. Ken Lister of the Royal Ontario Museum argues that the Kane painting "'definitely should remain in Canada. It shouldn't go into private hands in the States or even here for that matter.'"
Incidentally, Scene in the Northwest has been hanging in England in a private home since 1855.
At least one U.S. gallery is refraining from bidding due to Canada's rarely used Cultural Property Act, "which can delay export of objects deemed of outstanding significance for six months while Canadian institutions are given a chance to raise money for their purchase."
Still, in anticipation of steep U.S. competition, a number of Canadian museums are planning to pool their resources to jointly outbid any non-Canadian interests. Ken Lister of the Royal Ontario Museum argues that the Kane painting "'definitely should remain in Canada. It shouldn't go into private hands in the States or even here for that matter.'"
Incidentally, Scene in the Northwest has been hanging in England in a private home since 1855.
