Witness: Histories of Conflict in the paintings of William MacDonnell

Installation view of UCalgary Founders' Gallery at The Military Museums: WITNESS: Histories of Conflict in the War Art of Bill MacDonnell - Photo: Josie Chu

University of Calgary Founders' Gallery

3 Oct 2024 - 17 Feb 2025

Witness: Histories of Conflict in the paintings of William MacDonnell This solo exhibition features an array of paintings by one of Canada’s most senior war artists, Bill MacDonnell. During his storied career MacDonnell toured Vietnam, Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda, Western Europe, the Balkans with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment, and then as an official Canadian war artist during the War on Terror, deployed to Afghanistan.

Many of the canvasses are monumental in scale with some being inspired from visiting hot zones such Afghanistan, and others based on visiting sites of former conflict. MacDonnell draws attention to histories that are in danger of being forgotten, serving as a counterpoint to cultural amnesia.

Curated and produced by UCalgary Libraries and Cultural Resources.