Charles Pachter

Charles Pachter, age 4, was petting a moose at the Canadian National Exhibition 65 years ago. Who knew that he would join the moose as a Canadian icon?

Charles Pachter is an internationally acclaimed painter, sculptor, designer, historian and lecturer whose works can be viewed in settings as diverse as the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Canadian Embassy in Washington, Toronto’s College subway station and U of T.

He and the Canadian moose will be forever linked. In 1996, he purchased an abandoned property on Grange Avenue, near the Art Gallery of Ontario, and transformed it into his Moose Factory gallery and event centre. One reviewer described it as “the most innovative private showcase to appear in Toronto in ages. Semiotically speaking, it’s an oasis of optical bliss in a desert of dross.”

Pachter’s moose sculptures can be found all over Canada, including on two U of T campuses; his website has an illustration of a moose on his home page and his latest book M is for Moose: A Charles Pachter Alphabet is a collection of his most iconic works, new art and words filled with a genuine love for Canada.

"The University of Toronto is a prime example of a place with spectacular diversity and dynamism. It allows you to flourish, to become a sponge absorbing everything constantly. I say go for it; get ready to astonish the world."

Pachter, of course, is known for more than his moose affiliations. His flag paintings hang in the Prime Minister’s residence in Ottawa, in the Parliament buildings and the French Embassy in Ottawa. His portraits of the Queen, Margaret Atwood and Canadian hockey players, including former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden, are familiar to millions of Canadians.

Pachter is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier of France’s Order of Arts and Letters and a recipient of the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals.