The life and folk-art of Maud Lewis are well known and much appreciated in many parts of the world.
But her work is not welcome in China.
A Maud Lewis exhibit will not be travelling to that country this spring as part of a provincial cultural trade mission.
Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Leo Glavine couldn’t say if the situation is the result of the ongoing dispute between Canada and China over Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou.
“It’s hard to speculate in terms of why at the moment but the message came from the Guangdong Museum of Art. You know, we just have to take it on what it is at the moment.”
Glavine wouldn’t speculate on China’s reasons but says it’s very disappointing
“We’d be speculating as to a firm reason. We know that we have to have confirmation and a formal invite to go and that has not occurred at the moment.”
The exhibit, celebrating the works of the famous folk artist and other contemporary female Nova Scotian artists, was to have been launched from the Guangdong (Gwan dong) Museum of Art.
China has escalated its campaign of retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior executive of telecom giant Huawei in Vancouver as a result of an extradition request by U.S. authorities.
Reported by Gary Nickerson
