New Releases by William Kurelek

Nominated in the nonfiction category for the 2004/2005 Red Cedar Book Awards (British Columbia''s Young Reader''s Choice book award) William Kurelek was an internationally acclaimed artist, described by the New York Times as “the North American Brueghel.” Kurelek’s art was brilliant, but his life was difficult in many ways. Born in Alberta and raised on a Manitoba dairy farm, he suffered abuse at the hands of his father. Critics ignored his early paintings, and Kurelek fought a desperate battle with depression. How did such a tormented man create such a stunning legacy that is enjoyed around the world? May Ebbitt Cutler, who published William Kurelek’s award-winning books and knew him as artist and friend, tells the story of a haunted man, and the art that is his legacy.

Edited by Avrom Isaacs Born on a farm in Alberta in the 1920s, William Kurelek spent his childhood and youth on the Canadian Prairies, a land that he came to love in spite of the difficulties wrought by farm life. Later, Kurelek traveled from coast to coast and painted various parts of Canada with a distinct affection for the land and its people. This delightfully illustrated volume features images from a broad spectrum of the entire country. Kurelek`s endearing paintings depict charming, poignant and often humourous scenes from the everyday lives of Canadians--from lumberjacks enjoying a hearty breakfast in Northern Ontario to families celebrating the Sabbath in Montreal. His paintings also capture the landscapes of a country made up of many different parts--from the rugged shores of Newfoundland to the Banff-Jasper Highway that runs through the Rocky Mountains. Kurelek Country is a magnificent, personalized view of our nation. The artist`s father immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine, and the Ukrainian cultural heritage figures prominently in Kurelek`s work. So too do other diverse cultures, including the Polish and Irish in Canada. Kurelek is famous for his unique depictions of the many ethnic groups who settled this country. Kurelek`s own passionate writings accompany the paintings, which demonstrate that his art has always contained a deep, spiritual message. Culled from his autobiography and personal correspondence, Kurelek`s words add a compelling element to this collection. Kurelek Country also features a foreword by the respected art dealer Avrom Isaacs, who was instrumental in building the career of William Kurelek. Before emerging as one of Canada`s best-known artists, Kurelek worked as a framer at the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto to support himself and his family. (1999)

When W.O. Mitchell died in February of 1998, millions mourned his passing. Our loss was the lead item on the national news, many newspaper obituaries ran for a full page, and as an extraordinary mark of respect, flags outside government offices across the land flew at half-mast. The man they mourned - and everyone in the Canadian book world whose life he had touched was personally saddened - was known above all as the author of "Who Has Seen the Wind. And this edition - containing the full text - marrying W.O. Mitchell''s text with the art of William Kurelek, has established itself as a classic. Since its publication in 1947, "Who Has Seen the Wind has established itself in the hearts and minds of millions as a Canadian classic. The reasons for the book''s classic status are not hard to find. As readers enter the world of four-year-old Brian O''Connal and his family and friends, they find characters that radiate life so convincingly that the book has a life of its own. No ordinary simple novel, it is the ageless story of childhood told with tenderness and humour and without sentimentality, and the picture of a small town anywhere, drawn with realism and understanding. This handsome edition marries W.O. Michell''s prose with the inspired illustrations of one of Canada''s finest and most popular artists, the late William Kurelek. The 8 full-colour paintings he produced, like the 32 black-and-white sketches that adorn the first page of every chapter, all come specifically from the text, and are illustrations in the very best sense. This edition is a collector''s piece, a beautiful book that is also a joy to read, again and again.

An exploration of the interface between the artist''s religious and critical interpretations of modern culture.

Paintings and text describe what immigrants went through to survive in North America.

Summer on the prairies during the Depression years was not a vacation from school; it was hard work.

The author''s paintings of Canadian lumber camps accompany his first-hand observations of the life of a lumberjack.

''With reverence and warmth the author writes and paints his memories of boyhood on a 1930 prairie farm in winter. The narrative is colorful and interesting...the illustrations, one for each of twenty brief flashbacks, are rich in texture and painted in the American folk-primitive style; nearly all are small triumphs which can stand alone.'' ---Booklist