BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

National Gallery of Canada

1880 - current

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982


The National Gallery of Canada is in Ottawa, Ontario. It was founded in 1880, and from its beginning sponsored travelling exhibitions. Many of these exhibitions were for Canadian artists either in Canada or abroad. Others were shows from the Gallery's collection, or touring shows from other countries. Many of them toured to Vancouver.


The Gallery in winter, 2014


The Gallery's main entry hall


Janet Cardiff's amazing 40 Part Motet playing in the restored Rideau Chapel


My name on "125 YEARS OF DONORS 1880-2005" wall in main entry hall


Exhibition of my BC Artists donation. Photo courtesy National Gallery Library & Archives


Exhibition catalogue


Exhibition catalogue

I must confess that I have had a long relationship with the National Gallery, that began after I met Charles C. Hill, who was then the Curator of Canadian Art at the Gallery. He was interested in my project, and was supportive in many ways over the years. By way of thanks I started an extensive series of donations to the Gallery's Library and Archives, from my collection of material on BC artists, beginning in 2002 and continuing (so far) to 2015. The Librarians and the Gallery showed their thanks for these donations by curating and producing the exhibition noted above. They also honoured me by creating my own call number in their database system that links all of my sequential donations together with one search for "gsim" as a keyword. They were quite happy about doing this, and said that I was the first person they had done it for. The Gallery also added me to their "125 Years of Donors" wall (see photo above), and listed me in Artists in Canada.


     
A selection of exhibition covers from 1934, 1938, 1955, and 1960.

Exhibitions

DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1934 Aug. 3 - 26 RCA Selections from 53rd Annual Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1935 May 8 - 26 Contemporary Paintings by U.S.A. Artists Vancouver Art Gallery
1935 Oct. 15 - 27 Contemporary American Prints Vancouver Art Gallery
1936 April 7 - 26 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1937 June 8 - 27 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1938 March 1 - 13 Pictures by Children Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1938 April 13 - 27 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1938 Oct. 12 - 30 Theatre Art Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1941 April 8 - 27 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1942 April 14 - May 3 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1943 Feb. 5 - 25 Loan Exhibition Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1945 April 6 - 29 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1947 Dec. 30 - 1948 Jan. 18 National Gallery Collection Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1948 June 15 - July 4 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery
1950 March 21 - April 9 National Gallery Colour Litho Posters Vancouver Art Gallery
1950 June 20 - July 9 RCA Group Show Travelling Vancouver Art Gallery

References

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA by Jean Sutherland Boggs
      1971; ISBN 0-19-540189-1; 188 pages hardcover
      A history of the National Gallery; 220 colour and b&w plates

CANADIAN ART VOLUME ONE / A - F
      Catalogue of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
      General Editors: Charles C. Hill / Pierre B. Landry
      1988, National Gallery of Canada; ISBN 0-88884-545-6
      32 pages front matter; 406 pages catalogue; index
      Essay Collecting Canadian Art at the National Gallery of Canada 1880-1980 by Hill
      Complete listing alphabetically by artist of the Gallery's collection (in 4 volumes)
      300 artists listed in this volume, each with concise biography & works illustrated.
      A meticulous and massive project: 1,775 artworks catalogued in Volume One.
      See also Volume Two / G - K below (1994).

CANADIAN ART VOLUME TWO / G - K
      Catalogue of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
      Editor Pierre B. Landry in collaboration with Claire Champ
      1994, National Gallery of Canada; ISBN 0-88884-638-X
      11 pages front matter; 392 pages catalogue; index
      Complete listing alphabetically by artist of the Gallery's collection (in 4 volumes)
      197 artists listed in this volume, each with concise biography & works illustrated.
      A meticulous and massive project: 1,710 artworks catalogued in Volume Two.

A NEW CLASS OF ART - The Artist's Print in Canadian Art, 1877 - 1920
      1996, Rosemary L. Tovell, ISBN 0-88884-655-X; published by National Gallery of Canada
      Technically an exhibition catalogue of travelling show, but has extensive information.
      Illustrated; includes endnotes; list of works; selected references; index
      An excellent overview of an important period of Canadian printmaking
      Includes information on Thomas Mower Martin (3 etchings illust.), John Innes (1 illust.),
           Walter J. Phillips (4 illust.), among others.

INDEX TO NINETEENTH-CENTURY CANADIAN CATALOGUES of ART
      2004; ISBN 0-88884-786-6; softcover, Vol. One 984 pages, Vol. Two 1,066 pages
      Published by National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives: Occasional Paper Number 6
      Includes user guide, catalogue index, artist index, collector index, bibliography
      A huge compilation of well-referenced early information, bilingual
      No B.C. exhibitions listed, in particular missing 1890 VAA - 1st Annual Exhibition.
      Winner of 2004 Melva J. Dwyer Award (Art & Artists in Exhibition also nominated).

INDEX TO NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
and CHECKLISTS 1880 - 1930
      2007; ISBN 978-0-88884-835-2; softcover, 514 pages
      Published by National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives: Occasional Paper Number 7
      Includes essay, catalogues, artist listings, collector listings, bibliography
      A major compilation of well-referenced information, numerous western artists listed

CANADIAN FINE CRAFTS 1966:67

ELUSIVE PARADISE - THE MILLENNIUM PRIZE

ARTISTS ARCHITECTS & ARTISANS - Canadian Art 1890 - 1918


Clippings

"Nor should the helpful part played by the National Gallery remain unrecorded. In enabling the West, through periodical exhibitions, to become familiar with the more distinguished work that is being done by painters in Eastern Canada, and in sending us so inspiring a missionary as Mr. Arthur Lismer to spread the gospel of art to spur us to effort and emulation, the authorities in Ottawa deserve our thanks." (continues)
      From "BRITISH COLUMBIA ART - Significance of First "All British Columbia Show" by Harold Mortimer Lamb
      Saturday Night December 10 1932

"The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, is sponsoring a travelling show for 1942-43 of works by the Canadian Group of Painters. Pictures have been requested from B.C. artists, including W.P Weston, A.R.C.A., Lawren Harris, J.W.G. Macdonald, Charles H. Scott, A.R.C.A., and Emily Carr. The last travelling show went to about a dozen principal cities, including Vancouver, in the Dominion."
      From "B.C. Artists' Display To Calgary For Exhibition" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, May-June 1942


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