BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

John Koerner
(John Michael Anthony Koerner)(also Korner)

September 29 1913 - February 24 2014

B.C. Society of Artists (President 1956-1958)
Canadian Group of Painters (Vice-President 1959-1960)
Royal Canadian Academy of Art (Associate 1960-66)



The artist in 2013. Photograph Gary Sim.


Koerner was born in Novy Jicin, Czechoslovakia, in 1913. He arrived in Vancouver in 1940.

He exhibited in the Vancouver Art Gallery's B.C. Artists exhibitions. He had solo exhibitions at the gallery in 1940, 1952, and 1956.

He exhibited artwork under the name "Korner" instead of "Koerner" for a while, so that his work was not necessarily linked directly to the name of his wealthy family.

Koerner was on a list titled "Leading Vancouver Artists," provided to the Labour Arts Guild on April 10, 1946 by the Vancouver Art Gallery to assist in the Guild's call for entries to the second annual B.C. At Work exhibition.

He exhibited in the Seattle Art Museum's annual Northwest Artists exhibitions from 1953 to 1963.

He taught drawing and painting at the Vancouver School of Art from 1953 to 1958, and was a Professor of drawing and painting at U.B.C. from 1958 - 1962.

Koerner died in 2014 at the age of 100.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1942 May 26 - June 14 Solo exhibition (15 pictures) VAG

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual Piece
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual Pink Trail Phantasy
1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 VAG   B.C. Artists 12th Annual Beach Motive
Crescendo
1946 July 2 - 28 VAG   Jubilee Exhibition Kalamalka
1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 15th Annual Back Yard
Stone Yard
1948 Sept. 18 - Oct. 10 VAG   B.C. Artists 17th Annual Island Beach
1953 May 5 - 31 VAG    BCSA 43rd Annual Sea Myth
1954 May 25 - June 13 VAG   BCSA 44th Annual Fossil Message
Sea Myth
1955 April 26 - May 15 VAG   BCSA 45th Annual Italian City
City Image
Summer Still Life
1956 Feb. 28 - Mar. 18 VAG   BCSA 46th Annual Subdued Isle
Marine
By the Sea's Side
1957 March 5 - 24 VAG   BCSA 47th Annual White Hill
Farm in White
Coast, White on White
1958 Feb. 4 - 22 UBC   BCSA 48th Annual Encroaching Sea
Island Marine
1959 June 2 - 21 VAG   BCSA 49th Annual Hungry Bird
Coast Glitter (blue)
1960 May 22 - June 12 VAG   BCSA 50th Annual Near the Warm Centre
Horn of Plenty
1961 May 10 - 28 VAG   BCSA 51st Annual Elegy for a Childhood Friend
1962 May 8 - June 3 VAG   BCSA 52nd Annual Empress Prow
Spanish Knight
Fire Ball Ride
1963 May 1 - May 19 VAG   BCSA 53rd Annual Butterfly Creek
1964 May 8 - June 3 VAG   BCSA 54th Annual Northern Landscape
Desert Series (4)
1964 Summer Park Royal   BCSA Summer Exhibition Lady
Landscape
1966 May 10 - June 5 VAG   BCSA 56th Annual Dark Still Life

References - BIBLIOGRAPHY

Refer to BIBLIO.

References - GROUP EXHIBITIONS

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM - NORTHWEST ARTISTS EXHIBITIONS 1914 - 1975
     Refer to NWA BC artists by exhibition
     Refer to NWAA BC artists alphabetically

100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)

B.C. PAINTINGS BURNABY 58 (refer to BAG58)

B.C. ARTISTS 27th ANNUAL (refer to BCA58)

7 WEST COAST PAINTERS (refer to VIF59)

SOME PAINTERS OF THE B.C. MAINLAND (refer to AGGV66)

SCAN: SURVEY OF CANADIAN ART NOW (refer to VAG74)

B.C. ARTISTS' TRIBUTE TO COLIN GRAHAM (refer to AGGV74)

VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)

BEYOND THE CANVAS - Artists, Stories and the Sea (refer to VMM00)

OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPE (refer to BAG08)

COAST ART TRUST - NEW & RECENT WORKS (refer to AGE09)

CROSS CONNECTIONS (refer to LAG10)

THE ORNAMENT OF A HOUSE - FIFTY YEARS OF COLLECTING (refer to BAG17)

References - GENERAL

BRITISH COLUMBIA - A CENTENNIAL ANTHOLOGY (refer to BCCA58)

MACLEAN'S MAGAZINE - B.C. CENTENNIAL ISSUE (refer to MAC58)

CREATIVE CANADA - Volumes One & Two (refer to CC71)
      Includes 1-1/2 columns of information about Korner.

FROM DESOLATION TO SPLENDOUR (refer to FDTS77)

VISUAL ARTS BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VABC77)

ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979 (refer to RCA81)

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

ART BANK CATALOGUE (refer to AB87)

MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - SPRING EXHIBITIONS 1880 - 1970 (refer to MM88)

THE ALMA MATER SOCIETY ART COLLECTION - University of British Columbia 1948 - 1988
      No ISBN, 64 pages, illustrated in colour and b&w
      Includes history of the collection, artist biographies

A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
      Extensive biography, numberous references.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to EBC00)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      8 references cited for Koerner.

A MODERN LIFE: Art and Design in British Columbia 1945-1960 (refer to VAG04)

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)

ARTISTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to LSG11)

GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020 (refer to GVAG20)
     7 references to Koerner.

Clippings

"The first Honourable Mention in the watercolour class went to John A. Korner for "Crescendo," the second to Dorothy Bell for her painting "Sun Bathers." "
      From "12th Annual B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
      Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin, November 1943

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