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Sport heroes Kurt Browning and Gaetan Boucher launch commemorative poster series with autograph session

Source: Canadian Newswire
Date: November 28, 2009
VANCOUVER, Nov. 28 /CNW/ - Olympian and four-time figure skating World Champion Kurt Browning and Olympic speed skating Gold Medallist Gaetan Boucher hosted an autograph signing session Saturday afternoon at the Olympic Superstore in the Bay to help celebrate the launch of the Canadian Sport Heroes Collection poster series available exclusively at the Olympic Superstore in the Bay downtown Vancouver.

The Canadian Sport Heroes Art Collection was commissioned by the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary to commemorate those athletes who have made a lasting impact on the face of sport in Canada. "Hearing the Canadian anthem played at sporting events fosters a sense of pride in all of us. Through this collection we are paying tribute to a level of success that is a powerful and inspiring legacy for Canadians young and old," says Canadian Sport Centre Calgary president Dale Henwood.

The 48x62 inch paintings created by Canadian Artist Gordon Milne have taken a decade to paint and have led to a series of collectibles, including posters, limited edition prints and full size canvas giclées. Now available exclusively at the Bay Olympic Superstore, 50% of the sales of the posters will go directly to support the development of the next generation of Canadian Sport Heroes.

Milne has found it fulfilling to be able to combine his passions of sport and art. "I am thrilled to be a part of such a unique project that bridges the gap between two cultures," said Milne during an interview at his Turner Valley, Alberta home. "Sport and the arts seem at the opposite end of the cultural spectrum, but really, they are very similar. Through the Canadian Sport Heroes Collection, we have found a way to bring the two worlds together in a lasting and meaningful way."

During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games the original Canadian Sport Heroes Collection will be on display at a variety of events and venues throughout Vancouver. The collection currently features 12 Olympians, and will continue to expand with the support of corporations who sign on to sponsor the creation of a painting. Sport Heroes portraits completed to date include: Nancy Greene Raine, Diane Jones Konihowski, Gaetan Boucher, Alex Baumann, Willie de Wit, Silken Laumann, Michael Smith, Catriona Le May Doan, Beckie Scott, Cassie Campbell, Greg Joy and Kurt Browning.

About the Canadian Sport Heroes Collection:

A select group of athletes have changed the face of sport in Canada forever. Olympic medallists, world champions, fierce competitors - they have competed for our country, they have won with pride and lost with dignity. Through their efforts they have proven that sport can capture the imaginations of an entire country - and often the entire world. They deserve to be remembered. This growing series of portraits commissioned by the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary will ensure a lasting tribute to our sport heroes. www.canadiansportcentre.com/heroes

About the Artist:

Gordon Milne was born in Hamilton, Ontario and studied art at McMaster University. After graduating he worked as a printmaker and mixed-media artist and successfully exhibited his work in several Calgary and Vancouver galleries. In the early '90's Milne switched to painting, focusing on portraiture. A painter and colourist, Milne's paintings have been described as an intricate arrangement of shapes and colors which subtly invite the viewer to identify the subject's personality based on optical cues. These monumental portraits are Milne's biggest accomplishment and his trademark today. www.gordonmilneart.com

About the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary: The Canadian Sport Centre Calgary is one of the top Olympic and Paralympic sport training environments in the world. The CSCC is a non-profit organization that strives to develop a positive and comprehensive environment focused on excellence by providing athletes and coaches with leading experts in the fields of exercise physiology, sport medicine, strength and conditioning, biomechanics, nutrition, mental training, coach education and life services. www.canadiansportcentre.com

About Hudson's Bay Company

Hudson's Bay Company is a Premier National Partner and the General Retail Merchant of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In partnership with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the company is designing and manufacturing the Official Uniforms for the Games time workforce; it will also be outfitting the Canadian athletes, in both Vancouver and Whistler, with quality apparel to make the athletes comfortable in 2010.