Cory Trepanier Embarks on a Two-Month Painting and Filming Expedition
Artist/filmmaker Cory Trépanier heads north to complete decade-long project to paint Canada’s Arctic.
On June 29, Cory Trépanier embarked on a two-month painting and filming expedition across Canada’s central Arctic, to complete the last chapter of his Into The Arctic project.
His fourth Arctic journey will kick off with a 160-km canoe trip down the Thomsen River on Banks Island in Aulavik National Park, through the largest herd of muskox on the planet. He will travel into Ukkusiksalik National Park on the west coast of Hudson Bay, a land of polar bears, archeological sites and a historic Hudson Bay Company trading post. After a few more stops, Trépanier will work with an Inuit guide, and boat from Resolute Bay to Beechy Island, where he will walk in the steps of past Franklin expedition explorers. At last, a Zodiac will arrive to pick him up from Devon Island, and bring him to a much larger vessel: the One Ocean Expeditions’ Akademik Sergey Vavilov, which will be cruising through the fabled Northwest Passage. He will board the ship for a week, to further connect with early Arctic exploration and paint at places like Fury Beach, and on King William Island where Franklin’s crew met their demise. It will be a journey to remember.
Almost a decade ago, Trépanier began Into The Arctic with the unique artistic goal of creating the most unprecedented collection of original oil paintings from the Canadian Arctic of our time. Three extensive painting/filming expeditions to date have led to the creation of over 50 oil paintings and two documentaries from some of the most remote corners of the Canadian north. Places seldom seen, and most are landscapes that have never been painted before.This summer’s expedition will bring the collection to 75 paintings, featuring all seven Arctic National Parks and numerous places in between. It will also result in the completion of his trilogy of Into The Arctic films and see Trépanier continue to share Canada’s north through media, films for television/DVD/theatrical screenings, online content, public speaking, exhibitions and more.
In 2017, these paintings and films are to begin an extensive North American traveling museum exhibition. Trépanier’s Into The Arctic is a testament to Canada’s northern wilderness that will continue to inspire audiences and spread awareness of Canada’s Arctic for generations to come.
Follow this summer’s expedition by visiting the project website and blog page (http:// www.intothearctic.ca/journals/) where Trépanier will be posting stories, photos and videos from the field.
Cory is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society a member of the Explorer’s Club.
