Prince George, B.C. – Those who enjoy fine art are in for a treat this weekend as Direct Art hosts an exhibition of original paintings from the internationally recognized gallery Uno Langmann Limited Fine Arts.

The two-day, limited exhibition features paintings by European and Canadian artists from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, including works by Canadian Group of Seven masters A.Y. Jackson and Alfred Joseph Casson and Canadian impressionists Laura Muntz and John Hammond.  This will mark the first time that original Group of Seven paintings have been shown in Prince George.  Also on exhibit are works by European artists including Arnold Marc Gorter, Alex de Andreis and Charles Clement Calderon.

Direct Art owner John Westergard says a friendship has led to his gallery hosting this prestigious exhibition.  “I met the Langmanns a few years ago and we’ve become friends, and we decided that we should try bringing some of the Group of Seven originals and some (other) originals to Prince George just to see what the people thought of it.”  And, Westergard says, that budding friendship continued to grow.  “His grandson  actually stayed with me in my house here while he went to UNBC, so we’ve just gotten closer and decided we should try to do this.”

The exhibition runs today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. till 4.  “We want everybody to be able to have a chance to look, or purchase, or do whatever they like.  Everything will be for sale.”

Westergard adds, “then they’re going to do a small antiques roadshow as well on Saturday night at the (Two Rivers) Art Gallery.”  He says “we had lined up the show and then I thought well, if we’re going to do an antiques roadshow we should do something to bring the art gallery on board.”

“So the Langmanns are going to do their appraising, they do the appraising for Sotheby’s in western Canada, and it’ll be by donation to the art gallery.  So the art gallery can work with us on it, plus they have a lot more parking over there than I have here.”  Those appraisals had to be pre-booked and, unfortunately, all bookings have been taken.

Given the quality of the paintings on exhibit at Direct Art this weekend we wondered about added security.  No problem, says Westergard.  “We’ve got this place locked up pretty tight.  It’s all alarmed, the windows are barred and everything else so we’ve never had much of a problem here.”  He adds, “I keep my guard dog here.”

So what might one spend on a piece of art this weekend?  Westergard says “from about $2,000 to $40,000 a piece, that’s kind of the price range.  You know I’ve sold prints out of here before that are $2,000, so we’ve tried to make it very reasonable.”

“This is actually the first time that the Langmanns have ever done this.  If it is (a success) then we can do it again and bring even more pieces in.  That’s the idea, to try to bring more and more to Prince George.”

Direct Art is located at 1650 Queensway.