The Studio Building - Home To Some Of The Group Of Seven

By Author: Rob Parker
Total Articles: 312
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Standing at 25 Severn Street in Toronto is a building that has earned its place in Canada's art history annals. The Studio Building is one of the most renowned structures in Canada as far as buildings that have contributed to the development of some of the country's most well known pieces of art. It is in this building that several members of the Group of Seven lived and put the finishing touches on their work. Let's take a look at the building and its history.

First years

The studio building was always planned as a place where artists could bring their work to life. The way the building is faced and the placement of the windows takes advantage of the neutral, even light which provides the perfect illumination for a canvass.

Lawren Harris and Dr. James MacCallum were the money behind the building. The heir to the Massey Harris farm and the medical professional funded the building as a non profit facility, charging rents that would only cover the expenses of running the building. The concept was to have a central place where Canadian artists could live, meet, socialize, and work. The building was conceived ...
... as Canada was under a major art revival, which was truly ground breaking; pieces were focused on the landscape of the country, a portrayal which shunned the popular European trend of subtlety.

Harris had intended to move into the building himself, but his responsibility in overseeing its construction left him no time for his artistic endeavours. Instead, he loaned his own studio space out to A.Y. Jackson, founding member of the Group of Seven. Of course, Harris' own work (after completing the building) would become a part of the body of art produced by the Group of Seven. In fact, Emily Carr acknowledged that the paintings shown to her by Harris in the Studio Building were a major turning point in her own endeavours.

As time passed, creative inspirations and personal relationships caused the Group of Seven to drift apart somewhat, and towards the end of their careers they were scattered across the country. Today the future of the Studio Building as far as a place to foster the Arts is in doubt, although the designation as a historical building will protect the exterior.