Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA"

Date

1999

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

2

Height

0.1

Length

41.9

Width

31.4

Description

UNFRAMED PRINT. WATERCOLOUR PAINTING OF HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE. IN THE FOREGROUND ARE THE COULEES, INCLUDING A GROVE OF TREES AND A PAVED ROAD. ABOVE THE BRIDGE, IN THE SKY, IS THE DEPICTION OF A CHINOOK ARCH. THE PAINTING IS SIGNED ON THE LOWER LEFT "CATHERINE ANN ABLE (C)1999". PRINTED BELOW PICTURE IS "PP 2/10 THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA CATHERINE ANN ABEL PUBLISHED BY THE SURREAL RENAISSANCE ART STUDIO (C) COPYRIGHT CATHERINE ANN ABEL 2000 PRINTED IN CANADA". INCLUDED WITH PRINT IS A SLIP OF PAPER, LIGHT YELLOW WITH BLACK PRINT. THE PAPER SHOWS TWO SAMPLES OF ARTIST'S PRINTS, GIVES INFO. AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON EACH OF THE PRINTS, AS WELL AS INFO. ABOUT THE ARTIST; "CANADIAN HERITAGE ARTIST CATHERINE ANN ABEL PRESENTS".

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PRINT DONATED TO MUSEUM BY ARTIST CATHERINE ANN ABEL. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE ARTIST, CATHERINE ANN ABEL, WAS FOUND IN A STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY PRODUCED BY THE ARTIST FOR HER 'LANDMARK STRUCTURES OF LETHBRIDGE' SERIES: "CATHERINE ANN ABEL SHOWED A NATURAL TALENT FOR DRAWING AS A CHILD. SHE PURSUED FORMAL TRAINING FROM THE VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF ART, THE PITTSBURGH ART INSTITUTE AND DISNEY INSTITUTE IN FLORIDA, AS WELL AS BY APPRENTICESHIP. CATHERINE HAS RECEIVED AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND MUCH RECOGNITION FOR HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. BEGINNING HER CAREER AS A DIVERSIFIED FREELANCE ARTIST, SHE WAS LATER EMPLOYED BY CBC TV AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND COURTROOM SKETCH ARTIST. SHE HAS ALSO TAUGHT A VARIETY OF ART PROGRAMS. TODAY, SHE IS KNOWN AS A CANADIAN HERITAGE ARTIST, SPECIALIZING IN HISTORICALLY ACCURATE WATERCOLOR PORTRAYALS OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS. CATHERINE CURRENTLY PURSUES HER LOVE OF FINE ART FROM HER HOME STUDIO IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA AND HAS SOLD OUT SEVERAL SELF-PUBLISHED PRINT EDITIONS OF HER WORK". THE STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY ALSO PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF THIS PRINT, THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE: "THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY 'HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE' IS A WORLD RENOWNED FEAT OF ENGINEERING THAT HAS SURVIVED CONTINUOUS HEAVY FREIGHT TRAFFIC TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME. COMPLETED IN 1909, AS THE LONGEST AND HIGHEST BRIDGE OF ITS TYPE IN HISTORY, IT WAS ONCE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE 'WONDERS OF THE WORLD'. THIS VIADUCT SPANS THE NATURE RESERVE AND RECREATIONAL AREAS OF INDIAN BATTLE PARK, THEN CROSSES THE OLDMAN RIVER TO SUCCESSFULLY CONNECT THE SCENIC EXPANSE OF THE SURROUNDING COULEES. THIS WEST FACING DEPICTION EMPHASIZES THE HORIZONTAL ASPECT OF THE BRIDGE BY PORTRAYING A COMMON WEATHER PHENOMENON CALLED A CHINOOK ARCH, UNIQUE TO SOUTHWESTERN ALBERTA. AS THIS WARM WIND FLOWS EASTWARD FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, IT APPEARS TO LIFT THE EDGE OF THE CLOUD COVER BLANKETING THE FOOTHILLS, CAUSING THE WELL-KNOWN ARCH TO APPEAR WITH A CLEAR MOUNTAIN VIEW BEYOND. IN THE WINTER, A SUDDEN CHINOOK WIND CAN RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OVER 25C WITHIN AN HOUR." SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY.

Catalogue Number

P20000090002

Acquisition Date

2001-07

Collection

Museum

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