The story of Grand-Pré
and the Arts begins when a certain John Frederic Herbin, poet,
historian and jeweler, whose mother is Acadian, purchases the lands
in 1907, that People believe to be the location where the church of
"Saint Charles des Mines" stood, in order to preserve the lands.
Herbin has a cross built on the site, the Herbin Cross, to mark the
church cemetery, using stones taken from what is believed to be the
foundations of former Acadian homes.
The Herbin Cross
Herbin sells the property
to the Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR) in 1917, with the condition
that Acadians be granted the right to contribute to its preservation. The DAR tranfers the lands to the Société nationale l'Assomption
that organizes a series of fund raisers for the construction of the Memorial Church
which starts in the spring of 1922. In the meantime, the DAR commissions
the statue of Évangéline,
started in 1920 by the sculptor Philippe Hébert and completed by his
son Henri after his father passes away.
The Memorial Church and the statue of Évangéline
While the Memorial Church
is being built, the Acadian community commissions the statue of Our
Lady of Assumption, the patron saint of the Acadians, to be placed in
the centre of the Memorial Church. This exemplifies the profound
attachment that Acadians have towards Grand-Pré and their
determination to show their national symbols.
The statue of "Our Lady of Assumption"
In 1955, on the occasion
of the 200th anniversaire of the Déportation, the Province of Nova
Scotia donates the bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the famous
American poet who, by publishing his poem Évangéline in the
States in 1847, brings the story of the Déportation, also known as the
"Great Upheaval", to the attention of anglophones the world over.
The bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
In 1956, the Société
national Assomption transfers the lands to Parks Canada and it soon
becomes a National Historic Site. In 1987, following the recommendation
of the Acadian Consulting Committee, Parcs Canada commissions six
paintings to illustrate the main events of the story of the Acadians.
The artist Claude Picard is selected to create the paintings which
adorn the walls of the Memorial Church.
The Story of the Acadians in six scenes painted
by Claude Picard
In 1986, Terry
Smith-Lamothe's stained glass window is placed over the main entrance
to the Memorial Church, a wonderful addition to already impressive
collection of works of art at Grand-Pré.
Stained glass window by Terry Smith-Lamothe
In 1997 the
Société Promotion Grand-Pré, a non profit organization that represents the
Acadian community, enters into a partnership with Parks Canada to
co-manage the National Historic Site. In 2003, thanks to this partership, a new visitor center is built. The talented architect Terry
Smith-Lamothe is selected to come up with the architectural design. It is
a real masterpiece, full of symbols that help to reinforce the sense of
pride of Acadians the world over.
The Visitor Centre
In
2004 the Société Promotion Grand-Pré invites François Gaudet, guide
interpreter and photographer, to create a collection of twenty photos
entitled "The Four Seasons at Grand-Pré".
"The Four Seasons" by François Gaudet
In
2004 the Société Promotion Grand-Pré commissions a mural to hang in the main
entrance of the Visitor Centre. The artist Wayne Boucher is selected, and
he creates the mural entitled "Réveil".
The mural "Réveil" by Wayne Boucher
In 2004
the Société Promotion Grand-Pré commissions a sculpture in bronze to
commemorate the 250th
anniversary of the Great Upheaval. This work of art is created by the
artists Jules Lasalle and André Fournelle who brilliantly fulfils the
vision of the members of the Board of the Société Promotion Grand-Pré. The
sculpture is unveiled on September 3rd, 2006.
The sculpture "Déportation" by Jules Lasalle and
André Fournelle
In
2007, the Acadian artist Georgette Bourgeois is invited as the first
Resident Artist at Grand-Pré and she creates a series of nine paintings
entitled "L'Esprit de Grand-Pré" (The spirit of Grand-Pré). The
paintings were on exhibit at Grand-Pré during the summer of 2007. A number
of donors bought the paintings and
donated them to the Société Promotion Grand-Pré.
Between seasons, the artist takes the series on a promotional
tour for Grand-Pré at different venues across the country.
