Calgary will temporarily be home to a selection of paintings and sculptures that will be up for auction at the Heffel Fine Art Auction House in Toronto next month.
The pieces are in Calgary to offer a preview of the auction. It is open to the public and gives Calgarians a chance to see what pieces will be coming up on the auction block.
The auction house’s vice-president, Robert Heffel, said this particular auction of post-war contemporary and Canadian impressionist art is gaining interest worldwide.
“We’ve already had hundreds of phone calls,” Heffel said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to have an art history lesson and see paintings you don’t always see.”
The auction features 116 pieces of artwork from well-known artists, including members of Canada’s own Group of Seven.
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A.Y. Jackson’s Laurentian Hills is expected to be one of the top sellers and Heffel said it should go for at least $250,000.
Other artists include Lawren Harris, Jean Paul Riopelle, Paul-Émile Borduas and Emily Carr. Heffel said he believes several pieces will fetch at least $100,000 on May 29.
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Heffel said he expects the total value for the art up for auction to be between $15 million and $23 million.
Despite the economic downturn in Alberta, Heffel said Calgarians are still showing interest in high-end art, especially when it comes to Canadian artists.
“The art market remains quite strong in Calgary,” Heffel said.
“When the great masterpiece comes out, there are always buyers for a great painting.”
The preview runs from April 12 until April 14 at the Heffel Gallery.