SUDBURY -- For the next two months, the Art Gallery of Sudbury is showing an exhibition of paintings by Group of Seven artist Franklin Carmichael.

Most of the art in the exhibition is unfinished because Carmichael died in 1945 at a young age, when he was still working on the pieces.

There are 37 original drawings and paintings -- and many have connections to northern Ontario.

“He’s the member that’s going to be more focused on this region,” said Taddrick Tremblay of the Art Gallery of Sudbury. "These mountains, this La Cloche idea, they know of it. So it’s nice to see such a renowned artist that’s doing stuff in your backyard."

Carmichael was a watercolour artist who also explored different oils while creating his pieces. Gallery staff said he wanted to show the rugged look of Canada’s landscape.

“Some of them are focusing on skyline, some of them on trees, so different aspects," said Tremblay. "He’s done work near Lake Superior, but he is best known for the La Cloche area just south of Sudbury near Killarney ...That’s what kind of interests people, that it’s so close to home.”

A third of the pieces are owned by the gallery, while the others are from Carmichael’s family.

Guided tours

Art Gallery of Sudbury is operating with COVID-19 restrictions and offering small group tours. Staff guides groups through the exhibition and each individual learns about the artwork.

It’s the connection to northern Ontario that interested people like Ally Carlos.

“To be able to look at the paintings and say ‘hey I know that place, I’ve been on a hike in Killarney,'” she said.

“You can recognize those rock formations and things like that. It’s really cool to have a deeper connection with the pieces and really feel like you're being represented and the area that you're from is on display.”

Carmichael is one of the only members of the Group of Seven that doesn’t have a museum named after him. But that could change soon. When the Art Gallery of Sudbury moves downtown, staff said that the new spot may be named after him.

The current Franklin Carmichael exhibition runs until Dec. 24.