Laurentian University received a generous donation from long-time supporter and friend Lily Fielding on Jan. 17.
University executives, local politicians, and Lily herself all gathered in the Brenda Wallace Reading Room inside the J.N. Desmarais Library Thursday afternoon for the unveiling of a painting that was donated by Fielding.
The piece, entitled "La Cloche", was painted by Group of Seven artist Franklin Carmichael and is now part of a growing collection of works by Group of Seven artists that adorn the walls of the Brenda Wallace Reading Room.
"The Fielding family has a long history of supporting the local community and the university," said Tracy MacLeod, chief advancement officer at Laurentian University. "It is fitting the painting be hung in this beautiful space built in honour of Mrs. Fielding's late daughter."
The reading room provides the Laurentian community with a place to read in a relaxed atmospher with a great view of Lake Nepahwin and a growing collection of Northern Ontario landscape paintings, several by Group of Seven artists.
In its 2018-2023 strategic plan, Laurentian University has committed to becoming a hub for arts and culture, while increasing awareness of the artistic and cultural contributions of Indigenous, Franco-Ontarian, and other Northern artists.
"This room has a special place in Lily's heart as it's dedicated to her late daughter," said Pierre Zundel, interim president and vice-chancellor of Laurentian University.
"If you consider the long list of community projects the Fielding family has supported over the years, a common theme arises and that is the theme of inspiration. They've inspired members of our community to gather in the great outdoors, they've inspired students regardless of financial background to follow their dreams of post-secondary education and have financially empowered them to achieve those dreams, and they've inspired the planners and engineers of tomorrow to an education facility that will develop their skills and solutions for industry problems."
The school's librarian Brent Roe also spoke at Thursday's unveiling, thanking Lily and the Fielding family for their generous donations throughout the years.
"I know how this wonderful space and its growing collection of Northern Ontario and Canadian landscape paintings is valued by Laurentian students," said Roe.
"So often when I ask students what they most like about the J.N. Desmarais Library, they respond without hesitation that it's the Brenda Wallace Reading Room. The art is frequently mentioned as one of the features of the space that they especially enjoy."
The newest addition to the reading room's walls was painted by Franklin Carmichael in 1939. Carmichael made his first trip to La Cloche, a rugged hilly area north of Manitoulin Island extending west from Killarney Provincial Park.
He sketched there for two decades, before eventually building a cabin at Cranberry Lake.
The painting depicts the magnificent land of the region through fluid brushstrokes in tonalities of purple, green, and blue.
