Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa hosts Artist Salon in honor of famous Canadian painter

ATTARD, Malta – The Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa Artist Salon featured the first watercolor paintings of Malta completed by Tom Forrestall during his first week of the two-week Artist in Residence program which started on April 10.

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa hosted a VIP Artist Salon for Artist in Residence, Tom Forrestall, considered by many art critics to be one of the “pillars of Canadian Art”. The Salon, under the Patronage of Michelle Muscat, spouse of the Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, was hosted by David Woodward, General Manager of the Corinthia Palace. Other guests included Michelle Buttigieg, US Representative, Malta Tourism Authority, a partner with Corinthia in this Artist in Residence program, and representatives of Malta’s cultural and art scene.

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa hosted VIP Artist Salon for Artist in Residence program: From Left to Right- Monica Forrestall; Maria Grazia Cassar, Executive President, Din l-Art Ħelwa; Corinthia Palace Hotel in partnership with Malta Tourism Authority’s Artist in Residence, Tom Forrestall; Michelle Muscat, spouse of the Prime Minister of Malta; Michelle Buttigieg, US Representative, Malta Tourism Authority & David Woodward, General Manager, Corinthia Palace Hotel

Forrestall provided informal comments on his painting style, favorite sites, and anecdotes of his process and what worked for these sites. Photos of Tom Forrestall painting in the various locations, were also on display, documented by his Journalist daughter, Monica Forrestall, who accompanied her father.

Forrestall, during his Artist in Residence in Malta, will create a collection of watercolor paintings featuring the diversity that is Malta, “18 Days on Malta: Closer Look at 7,000 Years of History in Words & Paint”. The painting sites around Malta included historic buildings and landscapes in Valletta, Mdina, and the sister island of Gozo.

Blue Grotto boats by Tom Forrestall Photo Credit: Monica Forrestall

Tom Forrestall Malta Watercolor Paintings “Meet the Artist” Exhibit & Sale at Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa on April 23

The Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, hosting Tom Forrestall during his Malta Artist in Residence, will organize an exhibit of Forrestall’s collection of watercolor paintings of Malta on Saturday April 23, 2016. During the exhibit, Tom Forrestall will hold two more Artist Salons open to the public, one at 12 noon and the second at 5 pm. Half of the proceeds from the sale of the paintings in Malta, as well as any exhibits that will take place in the coming year in the US, will be donated back by Forrestall to Din l-Art Ħelwa, the Malta Heritage Institute.

Painting Itineraries for Malta

Following the conclusion of the Artist in Residence program with Forrestall, Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa will develop curated painting itineraries, “The Perfect Places to Paint in Malta,” based on Forrestall’s notes and comments on his painting experience in Malta.

Tom Forrestall is one of the leading painters associated with the contemporary realism movement of Canada and of the Maritime provinces. Forrestall was born in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, in 1936 and grew up in Middleton and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he currently resides and maintains his studio. Forrestall’s career has spanned over fifty years, during which he has received awards including the Order of Canada and several honorary doctorates. His works have been exhibited in museums and public galleries both nationally and internationally in solo and group exhibitions.

The Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa is the original flagship of Corinthia Hotels, opened in 1968. Located in the heart of the island of Malta, adjacent to the Presidential Palace, the 147- room five-star Corinthia Palace exudes grace and historic charm. It is positioned between the island’s capital Valletta and Mdina, the picturesque medieval silent city that is still inhabited till this day. This opulent hotel offers the leisure guest an extensive range of facilities, including the Athenaeum Spa and Health Club, complete with a wide range of revitalizing treatments and indoor and outdoor pools. With a century-old restored villa as its main dining venue, this hotel is all about warmth, personal attention, and traditional elegance. The hotel boasts top-class restaurants, including Rickshaw, offering Asian-fusion dishes, and the al fresco Summer Kitchen. For corporate guests, modern business facilities are available, with a large conference room easily accommodating 450 delegates, and six syndicate rooms including two boardrooms for smaller groups. Corinthia Palace is a 21st-century stately hotel, created by experts with a passion for craftsmanship and an understanding of world-class service. Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa is an award-winning member of Corinthia Hotels’ collection of five-star hotels founded by the Pisani family of Malta. For more information, visit corinthia.com/palace or visit Twitter@corinthiapalace or Instagram @corinthiapalace

The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere. Valletta built by the proud Knights of St. John is one of the UNESCO sights and the European Capital of Culture for 2018. Malta’s patrimony in stone ranges from the oldest free-standing stone architecture in the world, to one of the British Empire’s most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. With superbly sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do.