BCSFA
1918 - 2004
Canadian
Red Chimera
oil on canvas
73 x 34 in, 185.4 x 86.4 cm
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 CAD
Sold for: $2,500
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Heffel Gallery Ltd., Vancouver
Private Collection, Vancouver
In the early 1920s in Vancouver, a group of art enthusiasts organized The B.C. Art League, whose objective was to establish both an art school and an art gallery. As a result, in 1925 the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts opened on the top floor of the Vancouver School Board at 590 Hamilton. Well known founding teachers were Group of Seven artist Frederick Varley and Jock Macdonald, and the school’s first director was artist Charles H. Scott. The 1920s were exciting creative times for the school, with Scott organizing events such as costumed Beaux Art Balls at the Commodore Ballroom and sketching strips to Savary Island, and Varley took his students on summer sketching trips to Garibaldi Park. Well-known early graduates of the school included Jack Shadbolt, E.J. Hughes, Molly Lamb Bobak and B.C. Binning, to name a few.
In 1933 the school changed its name to the Vancouver School of Art, and in 1936 it moved to the former Vancouver High School at Cambie and Dunsmuir. The 1930s during the Depression were trying times for the art school, and it also had to weather the Second World War. Several location shifts and changes followed, and after being under the umbrella of other educational institutions, in 1978 it again became an independent institution. The school changed its name to the Emily Carr College of Art and Design, and established in its own building on Granville Island in 1980. Located in the school was the Charles H. Scott Gallery, known for its innovative show program. Spirited shows of graduates work took place annually, installed throughout the building, which involved media from painting to installation and video. In 2008, the college was recognized as a full university, and became known as Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
In 2017, the university moved from its long-time location at Granville Island to a purpose-built centre on Great Northern Way, and continued its education programs in the visual arts, design and media arts education and research. One of only four post-secondary art institutions in Canada, in 2021 it ranked as the top university in Canada for art and design.
Peter Aspell was a student at the Vancouver School of Art, receiving his diploma in 1942. He taught painting at the school from 1948 to 1970 alongside Gordon Smith and Jack Shadbolt. From 1970 to 1978 he started his own school, called the Peter Aspell School of Art.
Please note: this work is unframed.
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
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