Ontario—Since 2008, explorers Gary and Joanie McGuffin, along with art historian Michael Burtch, have been locating and documenting hundreds of the wild northern Ontario landscapes famously painted by the Group of Seven. These landscape painters, who initiated the first major Canadian art movement, made many sketching trips to Algoma and the North Shore a century ago. Through the photographs and research of the McGuffins and Burtch, these iconic paintings, are revealed as real places that still exist today.
Solemn Land Productions teamed up with the award-winning film production company, White Pine Pictures, to transform this research into an adventure documentary called “Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven.” Award-winning director Phyllis Ellis provides us with an investigative arts film that is part mystery, part history and part adventure.
“The film captures the euphoria of finding the places that inspired the artists a hundred years ago,” said Gary McGuffin.
The film will be featured during Sault Ste. Marie’s Algoma Fall Festival Oct. 2-3. Visit www.whitepinepictures.com.
