Red Bull parachutist drops in to Toronto's Science Centre

High Flying Celeb, Felix Baumgartner, opens new exhibition 

Austrian parachutist Felix Baumgarter dropped into the Ontario Science Centre yesterday in a very ho-hum way - through the front door. Not known for pedestrian entrances, the Austrian daredevil let an exciting new exhibition do all his talking at a media launch yesterday.
With a passion for expanding boundaries, especially in the air, Red Bull Stratos pilot Felix Baumgartner is an expert parachutist best known for jumping from a high altitude balloon at the edge of the earth’s atmosphere three years ago.

Photo by George Socka - Beach Digital

Wearing only a spacesuit, and 10 minutes of oxygen on his back, Baumgartner stepped out from the balloon’s capsule and accelerated to Mach 1.25 in just 50 seconds before parachuting to the ground. His mission set records and also delivered valuable scientific data, serving to further the progress of aerospace safety, including the development of protocols for exposure to high altitude and supersonic acceleration and deceleration.
The story of his accomplishment is part of a new exhibition at the Science Centre. The Red Bull Stratos exhibit opened yesterday and closes January 11, 2016.
Felix, born April 20, 1969, grew up in Salzburg, Austria where he dreamed of skydiving and flying helicopters and was inspired by astronauts on TV. He made his first skydive at age 16. Eager to test the limits, Felix set a record for history's lowest BASE jump (from Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue), twice set world records for the highest BASE jump from a building (Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Taipei 101 tower), and even landed his canopy inside a cave in Croatia. He is also famous for completing an unprecedented freefall flight across the English Channel using a carbon wing!
Photographer George Socka took this picture of Art Thompson (left) and Felix Baumgartner.  They are standing in front of the Red Bull Stratos capsule at the Science Centre. Thompson was the technical project director on the expedition and Felix Baumgartner, the pilot and parachutist.

George Socka reported on Baugarter's appearance in Toronto at the Ontario Science Centre in this YouTube clip
https://youtu.be/2WOqCHejpoc

New Morrisseau Exhibition Set To Open At The McMichael Gallery

30 Painting Exhibition from the Permanent Collection
Legends: Norval Morrisseau and Woodland Artists
Opens August 27, 2011 to January 2012

Kleinburg, On ... A new 30 painting exhibition, drawn from the McMichael Canadian Art Collections Permanent Collection, will open at the gallery on August 27th and will run until January 2012. The exhibition, which looks at how the works of the late Norval Morrisseau has influenced Canadian Woodland Artists, is curated by the McMichael's Chris Finn.
First Nations artist Norval Morrisseau is celebrated for establishing a style of art that became known as the Woodland School. The intuitive use of bright, pure colour shapes contained within black form lines is a deliberate attempt by the artist to communicate cultural beliefs and values to the viewer using colour. Other First Nations artists are similarly motivated through their creation of unique and significant art forms.

ABOUT THE McMICHAEL

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,700 artworks, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations, and Inuit artists. The gallery is located on Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $30 for families. There is a $5 fee for parking. For more information about the gallery, visit www.mcmichael.com.

CUTLINE:
Spirit Fish
Carl Ray (1943-1978), Spirit Fish, c. 1975, acrylic on canvas, 61.4 x 76.7 cm, Purchase 1975, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 1975.32.2

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For further information or to receive images, contact:

Stephen Weir, Publicist
Gallery: 905.893.1121 ext. 2529
Toronto Office: 416.489.5868
Cell: 416.801.3101
sweir@mcmichael.com