Cold Lake artist earns top job

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Canada's Michelangelo is a Dene Indian from Cold Lake, Alta.

Alex Janvier has been selected to paint his abstract work on the massive dome

of the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa this winter.

Although Janvier jokes about turning the dome into the Sistine Chapel, the artistic commission is one of the most important in the country.

A temporary floor will be built so Janvier can stand up to complete the four-month job. The dome, at the river end of the museum's grand hall, measures 45 square metres.

Bill Taylor, museum director emeritus, said every step will be taken to preserve the painting for centuries. It will be a monument to Janvier, who is known as the first Canadian Native artist to work in a modern abstract style.

"He was chosen for this because he is an entirely distinctive and profoundly impressive painter. His work is lyrical and intensely Indian," Taylor said.