"Cats under the carpet"
Denis Wilkinson, Landscape Architect, University of Manitoba 1963 – 1967

April 25 – June 20, 2024

When Dean J.A. Russell worked to create the first graduate program of landscape architecture in Canada, he convinced the University to hire Denis Wilkinson, an English landscape architect working for Lawrence Halprin in California, as a teacher and campus designer. Wilkinson designed the 1964 Proposed Landscape Programme for the campus, the first comprehensive spatial design for the University of Manitoba. In the same year, Wilkinson also developed a proposal for the first graduate academic program in Landscape Architecture. His contribution to the Faculty of Architecture is immense, and his now historical works of landscape architecture on campus that still exist are essential examples of built work from the 1964 Landscape Programme. The three remaining Wilkinson projects on campus are under threat and require restoration.

"Cats Under the Carpet” celebrates Wilkinson’s contribution to the University of Manitoba through a display of his sophisticated approach to the design of the landscape. The design of subtle grading sculpts the land creating spaces that continue to be valued today.

The exhibition is not just a tribute to Wilkinson's work, but also a call to action for the University of Manitoba and professional communities. It aims to raise awareness about the need to preserve these landscapes, which are an integral part of our daily lives.