David Franklin Marshall
June 25 1928 - January 1 2006
B.C. Society of Artists (Associate 1956-57, Member 1957-1967)
Northwest Institute of Sculpture (Founding Member B.C. Chapter)
Sculptor's Society of Canada (Founding Member Western Chapter, 1970)
Sculptor's Society of British Columbia (Founding Member)
David Franklin Marshall was born in Islay, Alberta. He studied art at the Ontario
College of Art, then at the Vancouver School of Art for four
years, where he "particularly appreciated" taking night school drawing classes under
B.C. Binning. While taking these classes he met Carel
Thompsen, a woman he married in 1952. He and his wife traveled to England in 1953 where
he studied sculpture for a year at the Heatherley's School of Art in London, England.
The Marshalls traveled through Europe on an art tour, and then returned to Vancouver. On
the way back to Vancouver they visited Chicago and viewed the work of Mies van der Rohe.
Marshall then took further studies in sculpture at the University of British Columbia.
In 1955 Marshall was one of the founders of the Northwest Institute of Sculpture, at
Eugene, Oregon, and exhibited in their exhibition Sculpture of the Pacific
Northwest.
In 1956, in cooperation with Robert Hume, a sculptor and curator at the
Vancouver Art Gallery, Marshall organized the first outdoor
exhibition of sculpture in Canada, held at the University of British Columbia.
He exhibited in the 1950 and 1956 B.C. Artists exhibitions at the
Vancouver Art Gallery, also in the B.C.
Society of Fine Arts exhibitions in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1964.
Marshall engraving c1964, courtesy Bob Macintyre
He had one-man shows at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1959,
and at the Little Gallery, New Westminster, in 1967.
He obtained a teaching certificate from U.B.C., and taught art for the Vancouver
School Board for four years. In the summer of 1967 he organized an exhibition of
sculpture on the plaza of the Queen Elizabeth theatre in Vancouver, held in conjunction
with Vancouver's centennial year.
In 1970 Marshall took part in founding the Western Chapter of the Sculptor's Society
of Canada, and later the Sculptor's Society of British Columbia, an organization which
he stills supports in 2003, holding the position of Treasurer.
In 1973 he began teaching part-time at Capilano College in North Vancouver, a position
he held until his "official" retirement in 1990. Following his retirement he enrolled
in the College as a student to be able to continue using the sculpture facilities at the
school.
In 1975 Marshall was one of twelve sculptors who took part in a Stone Sculpture
symposium at Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver, each sculptor spending two months
working outside on a sculpture.
In 1982 he had a solo exhibition at the Richmond Art Gallery, from
July 9 - 27. The Gallery produced their first exhibition poster for
this show.
Marshall sculpture "Four Forms Vertical" at Big Rock Garden Park 2001, photo G. Sim
In 2001 a major retrospective of Marshall's work was held at the Big Rock Garden Park in
Bellingham, Washington. Over thirty works in bronze and marble, representing forty years
of work, were on display in a forested outdoor setting. Many of the sculptures had not
previously been exhibited. The exhibition was co-sponsored by Capilano College, the
Consul General of Canada in Seattle, the Center for Canadian Studies at Western
Washington University, and the City of Bellingham.
Marshall exhibition opening at Big Rock Garden Park 2001, photo G. Sim
The exhibition opened on May 13,
with an opening celebration that included a short speech by Gary Sim, representing
the Public Art Committee of the City of Vancouver. Marshall had been an advisor
for the creation of the Big Rock Garden Park in 1987 for his good
friend George Drake. In the photograph above 13 Marshall sculptures are
visible, although the branch at centre left obscures some of them.
Marshall sculpture at AIBC exhibition 2008, photo G. Sim
In 2003 Marshall continued to sculpt daily, both in his back yard and in the studios at
Capilano College. Unfortunately, little of his work was available for public viewing,
although he has a work in Van Dusen gardens and another in a mall in Coquitlam. He
owned a large collection of his own work that will hopefully one day be made
available for the appreciation of the general public.
Marshall sculptures at AIBC exhibition 2008, photo G. Sim
Mona Fertig, owner of Mother Tongue Publishing, began researching her father's artwork
around 2006, and discovered Marshall's work during her research. Marshall had been
one of her father's - George Fertig - circle of artist friends in Vancouver. Mona
commissioned a writer for Marshall's biography, and the project became the first
publication in Mother Tongue Publishing's new series of books on the "unheralded
artists of British Columbia." Exhibitions of Marshall's sculptures were held at
the AIBC gallery in Vancouver and at the Bellevue Gallery in West Vancouver in
conjunction with the launch of the book.
Letter and C.V. sent to the Editor by Marshall in 2003.
Marshall sculptures at AIBC exhibition 2008, photo G. Sim
Marshall sculptures at AIBC exhibition 2008, photo G. Sim
Sculptures installed at Van Dusen Gardens, Vancouver, 2013, photo G. Sim
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
| DATE |
EXHIBITION |
LOCATION |
|
|
|
| 1959 |
Solo Exhibition |
Vancouver Art Gallery |
| 1967 |
Solo Exhibition |
The Little Gallery, New Westminster |
| 1992 |
Solo Exhibition |
Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond |
| 2001 |
Retrospective exhibition |
Big Rock Garden Park, Bellingham Washington |
| 2008 |
Retrospective exhibition |
Architectural Institute of B.C. Gallery, Vancouver |
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| DATE |
EXHIBITION |
ARTWORK |
|
|
|
| 1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 |
VAG
B.C. Artists 19th Annual |
No Title |
|
|
No Title |
| 1956 Oct. 23 - Oct. 11 |
VAG
B.C. Artists 25th Annual |
Head (ceramic) |
| 1955 April 26 - May 15 |
VAG BCSA
45th Annual |
A Woman's Head |
| 1956 Feb. 28 - Mar. 18 |
VAG BCSA
46th Annual |
Head - Carved Concrete |
| 1958 Feb. 4 - 22 |
UBC BCSA
48th Annual |
Head (ceramic) |
|
|
Head (ceramic) |
| 1959 June 2 - 21 |
VAG BCSA 49th Annual |
Head |
| 1964 May 8 - June 3 |
VAG BCSA 54th Annual |
The Slot (red cedar) |
References - BIBLIOGRAPHY
Refer to BIBLIO.
References - GROUP EXHIBITIONS
100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)
CENTENNIAL SCULPTURE '67 (refer to FCA67)
BC SCULPTORS (refer to SSC74)
DIVERSITY (refer to SSBC80)
TRI-DIMENSIONS (refer to SSBC81)
DAVID MARSHALL / DWANE NEUBERGER (refer to PHG81)
THREE CANADIANS (refer to GM82)
SCULPTURE '83 (refer to SSBC83)
SCULPTURE '84 (refer to SSBC84)
THREE SCULPTORS / BRONZE (refer to WG03)
THE SCULPTORS' SOCIETY OF B.C. EXHIBITION 2004 (refer to SSBC04)
RICHMOND ART GALLERY 25:25 - 1980-2005 (refer to RAG05)
THE ORNAMENT OF A HOUSE - FIFTY YEARS OF COLLECTING
(refer to BAG17)
References - GENERAL
BRITISH COLUMBIA - A CENTENNIAL ANTHOLOGY (refer to BCCA58)
VISUAL ARTS BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VABC77)
BRITISH COLUMBIA ART COLLECTION 1974-80 (refer to BCAC80)
A GUIDE TO SCULPTURE IN VANCOUVER (refer to GSV80)
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES
(refer to AIC82)
A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS
(refer to M)
Short biography, two references
A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)
CANADIAN ART - FROM ITS BEGINNINGS TO 2000 (refer to CAN00)
Biography
Biography provided by the artist, 2001.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA
(refer to BIAC03)
2 references to Marshall.
PUBLIC ART IN VANCOUVER - ANGELS AMONG LIONS (refer to
PAV09)
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to
VPL)
GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020
(refer to GVAG20)
Numerous references to Marshall in a wide variety of galleries.
A POCKET GUIDE TO THE UNHERALDED ARTISTS OF BC SERIES
(refer to MTP20)
Clippings
"Imagination Shown in City Art Show" by Mildred Valley Thornton
Vancouver Sun, June 27 1959
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