SSSR ah amet ete By CHARLES H. SCOTT, A.R.C.A. Reviewing the development of the Art of any country would appear to necessi- tate the giving of some information on its geography and ethnography, since these features affect the creative expression of the artist. A glance at the map of Canada shows British Columbia shaped like a suspended sock. The top of the sock lies against the Yukon, the foot rests firmly on the State of Washington, with the heel form- ing Vancouver Island and the toe cutting sharply into Alberta. The back of the sock runs north for 800 miles, forming a travelled coast line that holds back the Pacific Ocean at the cost of innumerable inlets. Within this sock lies 360,000 square miles of as variable a physiography as the most questing of artists could wish. This huge Province (the third largest in the Dominion) is made up of mountains valleys and plains, with climates varying from the temperate to the sub-zero. Need- less to say the big proportion of its popu- lation lives in the temperate zone. In this zone lie Vancouver and Victoria, the two largest cities in the Province which together account for sixty per cent of the total population. Vancouver is the com- mercial and artistic capital, Victoria the legislative capital, and the mecca of those seeking relief from the hurly-burly of modern living or sub-zero temperatures. The peoples inhabiting the Province are mixed occidentals, native Indians, and a considerable number of orientals (chiefly Chinese and, until recently, Japanese). The natural resources of the Province, viz., lumbering, fishing, mining and agriculture provide the principal sources of the peoples’ employment and wealth. The small population, the nature of the basic industries, and the real-estate boom days of the first decade of the 20th century offered little encouragement to the arts in the early days of British Columbia’‘s history. Even in those early days, however, there were trail-breakers in the arts as well as in the forests and mountains. The majority of them were of British stock and British schooling in the arts, a fact which influ- enced the art outlook of the Province for many years. Early artists of the first decade included Tom Fripp, who left England for farming in B. GC. and stayed to paint; James land Bloomfield, a decorative artist; S. P. Judge, first instructor in The Studio Club, (the first art group formed in Vancouver; now defunct); Margaret Wake, a painter of landscape and Indian portraits; Fitzmaurice, one of Canada's best cartoonists; Norman Hawkins, civil engineer and painter; Will Ferris, De Forrest, Stanley Tytler, John Kyle and Kate Smith, all of Vancouver. Victoria provided Mr. Dean Drummond, Josephine Crease, Emily Carr and Sam Maclure. In 1906, Bernard McEvoy, Tom Fripp, S. P. Judge and John Kyle found- ed the B. C. Society of Fine Arts, the first purely exhibiting society in the Province. Of the early painters, two at least should be specially mentioned: Emily Carr and Tom Fripp. Both painted the land- scape of the country, but in an entirely different manner. Victoria-born Emily Carr skirted the rugged coast line of the Prov- ince, entered the forests with tent, dog and paints, and was receptive to the life and customs of the native Indians with whom she made many contacts. She painted landscape with a technique based on French impressionism which later gave place to an expressionism which was well suited to the spirit-dwelling aspect of her subject matter. Tom Fripp came to B. C. well equipped with a 19th century water-colour techni- que. He painted the coast mountains ris- ing from green waters, capped with snow and mist, and he painted them through English eyes. : Other artists; W. P. Weston, Charles Marega, and Charles H. Scott, arrived in the Province in the early part of the second decade. More than one art society was formed in those early days, but one only, the B. C. Society of Fine Arts (with head- quarters in Vancouver) had the guidance, fortitude and enthusiasm to win through to its present position of the major exhibi- ting Art Society in the Province. So far, no Art Gallery had come into being in the Province and exhibitions of Art from the outside were restricted to occasional showings brought from the East by the Exhibition Association, to Hastings Park, where they took their place uncom- fortably with the live-stock, the manufac- tures, the products of the field and garden, and the skidroad. Exhibitions of third-rate quality works by European artists with well-known names and society affiliations were also brought to Vancouver by Lon- don dealers. A-SHORT ART HISTORYOOF CO 1S UB LA © Full-time instruction in art was inade- quate at this time, there being no art school in the Province. The young art student had perforce to content himself with what the few private studios or the night classes run by School Boards could offer. Much praise is due John Kyle who not only started the Night Art classes in Vancouver, but who as Director of Techni- cal Education for the Province, also talked art education to every School Board throughout the Province. In the early 1920's a new society, The Art League, was formed. The League aimed at the founding of a provincial Art School and Art Gallery. Bernard McEvoy and John Radford were chiefly responsible for arousing the public's interest in this new society, and in a very short time make-shift premises were acquired where showings of paint- ings, drawings, and sculpture took place. It was the hope of the Art League that both the Art Gallery and the Art School would arrive as a result of grants of money from the Provincial Treasury. As it happened, neither came that way: the Art School was founded in 1925 by the Vancouver School Board, and the Art Gallery in 1931 through private donors, headed by the late H. A. Stone. Never- theless the League served to accentuate the need for both institutions and was actively responsible for interesting the School Board in financing the Art School. The Vancouver School of Art opened in September, 1925, on the top floor of the School Board Office building. G. Thornton Sharp, a city architect, was director of the School during its first year with Charles H. Scott as principal. At the end of the first session Mr. Sharp resigned and Mr. Scott was appointed Director. Within a short time departments in Drawing and Painting, Commercial Art, De- sign and Crafts and Modelling were in operation. The staff consisted of F. H. Varley, J. W. G. Macdonald, Charles Marega, Kate Smith Hoole and Grace Melvin. The aim of the School was to steer a course in Art which would enable students to land either on the shores of industry or the less secure footing of the fine arts. In these formative years the school had its share of bad times. The apathy of an indifferent public had to be overcome, | j i | oak By CHARLES H. SCOTT, A.R.C.A. Reviewing the development of the Art ‘of any country would appear to noces: tate the giving of some information on geography end ethnography, since these features affect the creative expression of the artist ‘A glance at the map of Canada shows British Columbia shaped like a suspended ‘sock. The top of the sock lies against the Yukon, the foot rests firmly on the State of Washington, with the heel form- ing Vencouver Island and the toe cutting sharply into Alberta. The back of the sock runs north for 800 miles, forming a ravelled coast line that holds back the Pacific Ocean at the cost of innumerable fnlets, Within this sock lies 360,000 square miles of as variable a physiography as the most questing of artists could wish. This huge Province (the third largest in the Dominion) is made up of mountains valleys end plains, with climates varying from the temperate to the sub-zero, Need- less to say the big proportion of its popu: lation lives in the temperate zone. In this zone lie Vancouver and Victoria, the two largest cities in the Province which together account for sixty per cent of the total population. Vancouver is the com: mercial and artistic capital, Victoria the legislative capital, and the mecca of those secking relief from the hurly-burly of modern living or sub-zero temperatures. The peoples inhabiting the Province are mixed occidentals, native Indians, and a considerable number of oriontals (chiefly Chinese and, until recently, Japanese). ‘The natural resources of the Province, viz., lumbering, fishing, mining and agriculture provide the principal sources of the Peoples’ employment and wealth. The ‘small population, the nature of the basic industries, and the real-estate boom days Of the first decade of the 20th century offered little encouragement to the arts in the early days of British Columbia's tory. Even in those early days, however, there were trailbreakers in the aris as well as in the forests and mountains. The majority ‘of them were of British stock and British schooling in the arts, a fact which influ- fenced the art outlook of the Province for many years. Early artists of the first decade included Tom Fripp, who left England for farming in B.C, and stayed to paint; James leTeslieS FI Bloomfield, a decorative artist; S. P. Judge, first instructor in The Studio Club, (the first art group formed in Vancouver; now defunct; Margaret Wake, a painter of landscape and Indian portraits; Fitzmaurice, ‘one of Canada’s best cartoonists; Norman Hawkins, civil engineer and painter; Will Ferris, De Forrest, Stanley Tytler, John Kyle and Kate Smith, all of Vancouver. Victoria provided Mr. Dean Drummond, Josephine Crease, Emily Carr and Sam Maclure. In 1906, Bernard McEvoy, Tom Fripp, S. P. Judge and John Kyle found- ed the B. C, Society of Fine Arts, the first purely exhibiting society in the Province, Of the early painters, two at least should be specially mentioned: Emily Carr and Tom Fripp. Both painted the land- scape of the country, but in an entirely different manner. Victoriacborn Emily Carr skirted the rugged coast line of the Prov- ince, entered the forests with tent, dog and paints, and was receptive to the life ‘and customs of the native Indians with whom she made many contacts. She painted landscape with a technique based ‘on French impressionism which later gave place to an expressionism which was well suited to the spiritdwelling aspect of her subject matter. ‘Tom Fripp came to B.C. well equipped with a 19th century water-colour techni que. Ho painted the coast mountains ris- ing from green waters, capped with snow ‘and mist, and he painted them through English eyes. Other artists; W. P. Weston, Charles Marega, and Charles H. Scott, arrived in the Province in the early part of the second decade. More than one art society was formed in those early days, but one only, the B.C. Society of Fine Arts (with head- quarters in Vancouver) had the guidance, fortitude and enthusiasm to win through to its present position of the major exhibi- ting Art Society in the Province. So far, no Art Gallery had come into being in the Frovince and exhibitions of Art from the outside were restricted to ‘occasional showings brought from the East by the Exhibition Association, to Hastings Park, where they took their place uncom: fortably with the livestock, the manufac tures, the products of the field and garden, and the skidroad. Exhibitions of third-rate quality works by European artists with wellknown names and society affiliations ‘were also brought to Vancouver by Lon- don dealers. ASSO RT A Re tlio h@ahey 10.5 © © ve al 72\ 4 Full-time instruction in art was inade- quate at this time, there being no art ‘school in the Province. The young art student had perforce to content himself with what the few private studios or the night classes run by School Boards could offer. Much praise is due Tohn Kyle who not only started the Night Art classes in Vancouver, but who as Director of Techni- ‘cal Education for the Province, also talked art education to every School Board throughout the Province. In the early 1920's a new society, The Art League, was formed. The League ‘aimed at the founding of a provincial Art School and Art Gallery. Bornard McEvoy and John Radford ‘were chiefly responsible for arousing the public's interest in this new society, and in a very short timo makeshift premises were acquired where showings of paint ings, drawings, and sculpture took place. It was the hope of the Art League that both the Art Gallery and the Art School ‘would arrive as a result of grants of money from the Provincial Treasury. As it happened, neither camo that way: the Art School was founded in 1925 by the Vancouver School Board, and the Art Gallery in 1931 through private donors, headed by the late H. A. Stone. Never theless the League served to accentuate the need for both institutions and was actively responsible for interesting the School Board in financing the Art School ‘The Vancouver School of Art opened in September, 1925, on the top floor of the School Board Office building. G. Thornton Sharp, a city architect, was director of the School during its first year with Charles H. Scott as principal. At the fend of the first session Mr. Sharp resigned ‘and Mr. Scolt was appointed Director. Within a short time departments in Drawing and Painting, Commercial Art, De- sign and Crafts and Modelling were in operation. Tho staff consisted of F. H. Varley, J. W. G. Macdonald, Charles Marega, Kate ‘Smith Hoole and Grace Melvin. Tho aim of the School was to steer a course in Art which would enable students to land either on the shores of industry ‘or the less secure footing of the fine arts. In these formative years the school had fits share of bad times. The apathy of an indifferent public had to be overcome,