The family of now-deceased Sault artist Gordon MacKenzie is dedicated to keeping the memory of the man alive and his work forever appreciated.
His daughter Sandra MacKenzie-Oliver of the Sault, along with her brothers Barry and Mike of Sudbury, have organized a Gordon MacKenzie Memorial Art Show to be held at The Machine Shop later this month.
Approximately 75 of MacKenzie’s paintings will be on display on The Machine Shop’s mezzanine.
MacKenzie - a prolific watercolour painter of landscapes, art teacher and author - died May 5, 2024.
He was 85.
“We want to reintroduce my father back into the art world,” Sandra told SooToday.
“He was a very humble artist and I don't think he recognized that. Over the years he influenced so many people, so many children and adults, with his vision and through being an art educator.”
MacKenzie was born in New Liskeard and taught art in other northern Ontario communities before moving to Sault Ste. Marie.
He was an art teacher for the former Sault Ste. Marie Board of Education (now the Algoma District School Board).
He became Lead Consultant to the Board and developed art programs for all different grade levels.
He retired in 1996.
“I think he deserves recognition within Canada as one of our top artists. I would like him to have a lot more exposure in art galleries across Canada and eventually maybe into the States. He taught in both countries. He also taught in Italy and France. He reached people all over the world through the art instruction books he wrote. People were constantly emailing him for artistic advice,” Sandra said.
Three of MacKenzie’s art instruction books will be on sale at the memorial art show.
They include:
- The Watercolourist's Essential Notebook
- The Watercolourist's Essential Notebook - Landscapes
- The Watercolourist's Essential Notebook - Keep Painting!
MacKenzie sold tens of thousands of copies of his books.
Sandra said her father was an engaging art educator who inspired and encouraged others.
“We have had so many people telling us about how he inspired them in their own art, in their own expression, in their own art forms,” Sandra said.
MacKenzie’s art classes were never dull.
“I have definitely heard people say it was one of the highlights when dad would come to the classroom and teach an art class,” Sandra said.
“He would create a sculpture out of pieces of a typewriter or build a kite. His classes were completely open to whatever creative format. He did everything from copper enamelling to sculpture, to pottery to painting. It was just endless.”
“Nature is like a big classroom,” MacKenzie told SooToday in a 2012 interview, discussing his watercolour landscape paintings.
“Nature is the reference point, it’s the source. You go to nature and you see, you find, you take from it, you get inspired from that, and then you interpret that in your own way. Nature is the ultimate teacher.
"The architect learns from nature about structural design, the geologist learns about the forms and shapes, the forester sees the vegetation. Everybody takes something different from it.”
Apart from his paintings and art classes, MacKenzie reached many through his books.
“I got an email from a woman in Singapore about my first book,” he told SooToday in 2018.
“She wrote ‘we bought this book for our father and it has made him happy, which has made all of us very happy.’ That makes me feel pretty good. I touched somebody on the other side of the world.
"When you’re writing a book late at night, working for hours and hours, you just never know who it’s going to touch and affect.”
Mackenzie’s children have inherited their father’s artistic talent.
Sandra is an acrylic landscape painter.
Her brother Barry is a carver while brother Mike is a wildlife and landscape photographer.
The three are looking forward to the Gordon MacKenzie Memorial Art Show at The Machine Shop.
“We want our father to have more recognition. I guess my ultimate dream would be for him to have his work in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa,” Sandra said.
The show will be held from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 29 and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 30.
Admission is free.