The John and Gisela Sommer Collection 

40 Years of Collecting at Gallery House Sol

January 12 to March 17, 2002

The John and Gisela Sommer Collection exhibition comprises over 100 works including a wide range of original prints and artist’s books.  Many of the prints were donated by the Sommers to the Bachinski Chu Print Study Collection housed in the School of Fine Art and Music at the University of Guelph and the books were given to the University’s McLaughlin Library.  This gift provides generations of visual arts students with an invaluable resource of original art works by Canadian artists.  This is the second significant gift by the Sommers to the university.  The original gift of 75 prints was given to the Print Study Collection in 1997.

Inspired by a childhood encounter with art at a museum in Nazi Germany, John Sommer with his wife Gisela began to actively collect art works upon their arrival in Canada in the 1950s.   In 1962, they opened Gallery House Sol in Georgetown, Ontario.  Gallery House Sol is not only an art gallery but is also the collectors’ private home.  The gallery continues to function as a gathering place for fostering an intermingling of dealers, artists and members of the public. 

In the accompanying exhibition catalogue, artist Rudolf Bikkers wrote: “John has [a] passion for art that consumes most of his free time.  He has a keen sense for "sniffing out" new talent and he would invite artists to show at his gallery and often encourage them by purchasing one of their works.  John stimulates interaction with fellow artists, always challenging them intellectually and challenging them he does!” 

The catalogue includes essays by John Sommer, Rudolf Bikkers and an introduction by Art Historian Chandler Kirwin, School of Fine Art and Music who acted as guest curator for this exhibition.

This exhibition was supported by the Ontario Arts Council.  

Images:     Edward Schleimer, Sol Duo - John and Gisela Sommer, 2000.
                 Rudolf Bikkers, Self, 1992.