During my first year as Manager in 1990 I had the pleasure of experiencing a very unique function at the Ranch that was hosted by my parents. This was a wind-up tour/BBQ for a group of Canadian artists who had just completed participating in a weeklong event called ‘The Old Man River Expedition’. David Durrant of Comox, B.C. was the project organizer for this late summer trip down the Old Man River. The trip included some of Canada’s most established and budding artists and was intended to create an opportunity for these artists to capture the essence of this southern Alberta tributary and share, through their medium, that essence.
If my memory serves me correctly, by the end of the evening on the night of the BBQ, David had already determined what his next effort should be – ‘The McIntyre Ranch Project’ as it clearly didn’t take him long to realize the potential the Ranch had to offer any artist. In the days and months that followed, I worked closely with David, planning the details for the project in June 1991. When the time came, David had pulled together a group of accomplished Canadian artists (some of whom were on the OMRE and some who were not) and I had pulled together the logistics to accommodate them at the Ranch. What followed was a week filled with visiting, painting, touring, sketching, eating, drinking, picture-taking and laughing. By all accounts it was a resounding success!
What seemed like the end of a good thing didn’t stop there as the group reassembled some two months later when they put on a show of their efforts hosted at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery in Lethbridge. The beauty and magnificence of the Ranch was wonderfully conveyed by the group’s sculptures, watercolours, photographs and oil-paintings. At times it was difficult to comprehend the attention the Ranch was receiving though I knew in my heart it deserved it. That evening finished with a presentation I’ll always remember. All those attending were directed outside the gallery as a wrap up presentation was about to take place. David thanked the artists for their involvement, thanked those who helped out with driving and cooking and cleaning and all others who played a role in making the project a success. David thanked my parents for giving the opportunity and then called me to the front for a special presentation. I can only imagine the look on my face when, very much to my surprise, for my hospitality I was presented with a white horse named Canvas. I’m sure many of you can understand the feelings I had at that time. I was doing my job and I enjoyed doing it – a simple ‘thank you’ would have sufficed. Regardless, Canvas was a wonderful gesture that I appreciate to this day. Thanks again all!
The show ran from July 25 through September 6 and was funded in part by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. The artists who participated in the McIntyre Ranch Project were: Robert Blake, Catherine Burgess, Dan Hudson, Stephen Hutchings, Terence Johnson, Sandra Meigs, Carroll Moppett, Bill McCarroll, John McEwen, Toni Onley, Yukiko Onley, Takao Tanabe, Martha Townsend and Tim Zuck.
