Coptic Museum of Canada
41 Glendinning Ave M1W 3E2 Toronto, ON, Canada

Remembering Father Marcos, founder of the Coptic Museum of Canada. 1929-2020 ....Continue reading

Follow along with Amanda's visuals here: https://drive.google.com//1KrxLi_OqVMuuUFT35ctez3uP-/view

Today the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Cross. St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great is recognized for discovering the site of Calvary where she claimed to find the relics of the True Cross. She was canonized as a saint in both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, and is still venerated today, especially during the Feast of the Cross. * * *... Title: Icon of St. Helena, the Empress (2005) Tempera on wood and gold leaf Artist: Seham Guirgis Icon commissioned by the Coptic Museum of Canada. * * * About the Artist: Seham Guirgis was born in Cairo, Egypt and immigrated to Canada in 2001 with her husband and two young sons. In 1986 she acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education from Helwan University, Cairo and in her first year she also started training with Dr. Isaac Fanous, founder of neo-Coptic iconography at the Institute of Higher Education for Coptic Studies, whom she later developed a close working relationship with. Today, her icons are in several churches and monasteries in Egypt. She is privately collected in Egypt, Canada, and several other countries.

This weekend, Coptic Orthodox Christians in Canada and around the world will welcome the Coptic New Year and celebrate the Feast of Nayrouz. * * *... Date harvesting is a familiar sight to many living in Upper Egypt’s countryside. The red date variety grows in Egypt between August and October. It is called Balah Zaghll after the nationalist leader Sa’d Zaghll (1859-1927). In the 1920s when Britain imposed censorship of the media to limit the growing popularity of Sa’ad Zaghll among the Egyptian masses, songs were created about the zaghll date and the zaghll pigeons with couched references to him. Popular singers of the period used the zaghll date to communicate such a message. Coptic Orthodox Christians also culturally celebrate the New Year or the feast of Nairouz by eating red dates. The date’s red exterior symbolizes the blood of the martyrs, it’s white interior represents the purity of their hearts, and it’s seeds stand for the strength of their faith. * * * Title: Cuillette des dates Montaza / Date Harvest - Montaza Artist: Margaret Nakhla Oil on canvas

Congratulations to Kirollos Kilada on becoming 1 of 4 recipients of the OCAD U Career Launcher Studio at 401 Richmond Street West an arts-and-culture hub in downtown Toronto. It is home to over 140 artists, cultural producers, social innovators, microenterprises, galleries, festivals, and shops. Kirollos is a Coptic artist and illustrator based in Mississauga, ON, Canada. He is a graduate of the OCAD University Illustration Program with a focus on visual metaphors and symbo...lic language. Kirollos is also an iconographer who has been commissioned for churches and private collections in both the U.S. and Canada. * * * Illustration Title: Mohammed Naguib Artist: Kirollos Kilada Description: Mohammed Naguib, first president of Egypt, was erased from history and forgotten after being put under house arrest and replaced by president Nasser. Naguib had begun democratic reform after the 1952 revolution, while Nasser sought an iron-fist dictatorship

The History of the Coptic Nation by Yacoub Nakhla Roufilla. Published in 1898, this is the first ever book in Arabic that addresses the history of Copts. Roufilla was an 18th century historian, linguist, writer, and the founder of al-Watan (The Patriot) newspaper. The book traces coptic history from the Tower of Babel and the Pharaonic dynasties all the way through to the Greek, Roman, Persian/ Sassanid , and Muslim occupations of Egypt and to the leadership of His Holiness Pope Kirillos IV (18411861). This was also the first book to address the political, social, and economic status of the Copts in Egyptian society and the relationship between the Copts and the powers that ruled Egypt over time.

*comment below with your images* The CMC is asking our community to share images that capture the story of the COVID-19 pandemic. One winning image will be featured online, and be a part of a future exhibition. In 100 years from now, what story can be told through images? Think about how images captured during the pandemic will reflect the changes to everyday life, and depict the consequences of social distancing.... Share your photos in the comments below or send via email to [email protected] * * * * Submission suggestions: How a local concern has become global. Art of the Copts in this period. Protests, social change. Use of public spaces. What has comforted you? What has given you joy? How your community adjusted to health regulations. How museums adapted to lockdown & health regulations. Physical distancing and group activities. Home centered activities (hobbies, baking, employment, etc.) Generosity of Canadian government, communities, and/or individuals. Impact of technology on life (education, communication, relationships, etc.) Circulation instructions (signs, masks, social distancing, etc.)

This icon of St. Peter once hung at the High Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo as part of an exhibition during the 1960’s on Coptic Art. It was used as an example of the early survival of traditional Coptic Art that started in the mid 20th century. * * *... * Generously donated to the Museum by member, Dr. Magued Fahmy in memory of his mentor in Coptology, Rev. Father René Paquin S.J.

Marguerite Nakhla was a prolific Coptic artist who had the ability to reproduce on her canvases every day life and folk culture in Egypt. In this painting, Nakhla is depicting a melon cut familiar to her in typical Egyptian fashion. * * *... Melon, 1942 By: Marguerite Nakhla (1908-1977) Oil on canvas. 64.5 x 42cm

Give it a try! How to draw a face in a Coptic style icon. Tutorial by Fadi Mikhail Artist

The CMC community is talented and vibrant. Our mission is to acknowledge and celebrate Coptic Art & Culture, and the art of Copts. Singing Psalm 139 in Arabic, Maria Grais Asaad. Maria is a Member of the Museum and community at-large. She is in the choir and on the acting team at St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church. Maria sings musical theatre, classical Arabic, and Coptic hymns.

A joint statement from the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of the GTA affirming our condemnation of racism and discrimination targeted towards the Black Community. #BlackLivesMatter

June 1 is Global Coptic Day. Today Copts in Canada and across the world commemorate the entry of the Holy Family Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt. This was a defining moment in the history of Coptic Christians, for Egypt had become a second Holy Land with the arrival of the Holy Family. * * *... * 1. Terracotta Figurine, Holy Family in Egypt. circa 1950 Artist: Saed Antoun from Akhmim, Egypt. 2. Stamp, The Advent of the Holy Family in Egypt. Mint collection issued in 2000 by the Egyptian Postal Service on the occasion of the Bicentennial celebration of he advent of the Holy Family’s sojourn in Egypt. 3. Medal, The Holy Family Flight in Egypt From the collection of commemoration medals issued by the Egyptian Mint Authority, December 2017. Arabic text: Blessed be Egypt My people; Isaiah 19:25. 4. Neo-Coptic Icon, The Flight of the Holy Family with Salome, 1987. Written by the Nuns at St. Demiana Convent, Egypt. #GlobalCopticDay Global Coptic Day

The Coptic Museum of Canada tells the story of the 2000 year-long history of the Copts. Our Museum’s collection includes clay works, sculptures, coins, crosses, icons, paintings, tapestries, manuscripts, rare books & papyrus fragments, stamps, textile fragments, wood work, and so much more. Here are four objects from our collection to celebrate International Museum Day. *... * * * 1. Ancient Egyptian-style collar necklace Beads made of Egyptian faience dating from 1351BC Amarna, Middle Egypt 2. The Martyrs of St. Menas and Pope Kyrilos VI Church (Helwan) and al-Umraniya (Giza), 2018 Artist: Victor A. Fakhoury. Photo by Eihab Saeed Tempera on wood, 40cm x 30cm 3. Gold Mask of King Tutankhamun, 1980 British Museum Collectors Album of 38 stamp images engraved on gold leaf from the 1972 Treasurers of Tutankhamun Exhibition at the British Museum. 4. Fish sculpture, 1950 Artist: Isaac Girguis Barsoum White clay, 18cm x 25cm #IMD2020 #InternationalMuseumDay

Museums make communities vibrant and vital places to live, work, visit & invest. We join the Ontario Museum Association in celebrating Museum Month. On November 27, 1996 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III inaugurated the Coptic Museum of Canada (formerly St. Mark’s Coptic Museum). The Pope’s wish for the Museum was for it to be a beacon of enlightenment in the North American Continent. Father Marcos spent over 25 years building the collection prior to the inauguration in 1996. ...The Museum officially opened to the public on July 9, 2000. Father Marcos trained 6 volunteers to be interpreters. In 2001 the first Board of Directors was appointed, with Father Marcos at the helm as President. Today, we have over 1400 artifacts in our collection dating 1331 BC to 2018 AD, 20 regular volunteers, and a Board of Directors who are keen on the growth and development of the Coptic Museum of Canada. #MayIsMuseumMonth #MuseumsConnectON

From April 19 to 25, The Coptic Museum of Canada joins the nation in celebrating Canada’s 12.7 million volunteers during National Volunteer Week. We would like to thank and acknowledge the tireless work done by our dedicated group of volunteers. There is no task too big or small for our mighty group of volunteers - they care for our collection, manage the library and archive, lead our group tours, manage administrative tasks, and so much more. The Coptic Museum of Canada i...s entirely run by volunteers and they play an important role in supporting the Museum's mission to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Copts across Canada and abroad. The contributions of our volunteers are invaluable and we can’t thank them enough for their dedication and generosity.

Icon of The Resurrection Isaac Fanous (1919 2007) * * *... Issac Fanous almost single handily is responsible for the renaissance the sacred art of Coptic icons in the 20th century which earned him the name Father of Neo-Coptic Iconography. His legacy to Coptic art is not solely confined to the spiritual beauty of his works but also to his dedication to train an entirely new generation of Coptic iconographers. See more