News Release

Tuesday October 30, 2012

On Parliament Hill , May 10, 2012 ; Canadian War Artist Allan Harding MacKay destroyed 5 original art works depicting aspects of Canada's military heritage in Somalia and Afghanistan to protest the Harper led Conservative Government's abuse of power.

As a follow up the artist has created an art work as a gift to Conservative Members of Parliament.

A Gift of Conscience

Artist Allan Harding MacKay has created a multiple art work to distribute to Prime Minister Harper, the 163 Conservative MP's in the House of Commons, the Government Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.

Designed as a signed and numbered edition, the art work is comprised of a boxed yellow velvet Glove with black text spelling the word Conscience. Inserted inside the Glove is a fragment from the previously destroyed art works of May 10, 2012 depicting aspects of Canada's military heritage in Somalia and Afghanistan created by the artist. The Speak Up Speak Out Parliament Hill action resulted in destruction of these original art works as a protest of the Harper led Conservative government's ongoing abuse of democratic Parliamentary traditions.

The artist is distributing a Gift of Conscience to all Conservative Members of Parliament ;including a Deluxe Edition to the Prime Minister, selected Ministers of Departments, the Government Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House as an artistic talisman to rekindle the individual conscience required to serve the citizens of Canada with honesty, integrity and reason in the service of the common good.

The Artist

Allan Harding MacKay was a war artist previously contracted by the Department of National Defense in Somalia (1993) and Afghanistan (2002).

His military related art works are in the collections of the Canadian War Museum, Department of National Defense, National Gallery of Canada, Glenbow Museum, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada Council Art Bank, and Georgian College.

AHM partnered with PFS Architects as the artist for the Veterans' Memorial commission at Queens Park, Toronto in 2006.

His award winning video Somalia Yellow has been shown in video festivals internationally. A CBC documentary on his Somalia assignment entitled Changing Perspectives was broadcast nationally and the theatre production Somalia Yellow, created by One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre in Calgary which toured to Prague and Glasgow.

Additional Somalia & Afghanistan video and works on paper have been created as recently as 2011.