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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,

|
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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,