| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
Dorothy Bell was born in Edinburgh in 1893, and took art training at the Edinburgh School of Art, the Glasgow School of Art, and at the Vancouver School of Art.
She had work in a number of B.C. Artists exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
She exhibited her work in the 1944 and 1945 British Columbia At Work exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery. She was living in Vancouver at the time.
Bell was on a list titled "Leading Vancouver Artists," provided to the Labour Arts Guild on April 10, 1946 by the Vancouver Art Gallery to assist in the Guild's call for entries to the second annual B.C. At Work exhibition.
She was a member of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts, and exhibited in their 39th Annual Exhibition in 1949. Later that year she submitted four drawings to the 1949 B.C. Graphic exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, but only one of them was selected for the exhibition.
A 1952 newspaper article noted that she was giving Saturday art lessons to children at Gleneagles Elementary School.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| DATE | EXHIBITION | ARTWORK |
| 1937 Sept. 17 - Oct. 10 | VAG B.C. Artists 6th Annual | Glacier Flow |
| Black Tusk from Empetrum | ||
| 1938 Sept. 16 - Oct. 9 | VAG B.C. Artists 7th Annual | Capilano Valley |
| Mural Designs - Canadians | ||
| Sunlit Garden | ||
| The Boy and the Boat | ||
| 1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8 | VAG B.C. Artists 8th Annual | Gambier Island |
| Cedar and Maple | ||
| 1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 | VAG B.C. Artists 9th Annual | Across Seymour Valley, December |
| Light | ||
| Ski Slopes | ||
| 1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 | VAG B.C. Artists 10th Annual | Rubble Creek, Garibaldi |
| Foot of Burrard Street, Evening | ||
| Lifting Clouds, Savary | ||
| High Tide and East Wind | ||
| 1942 May 15 - 31 | BCSFA 32nd Annual | The Wharf |
| 1942 July 7 - Sept. 2 | VAG B.C. Artists 1st Annual Summer | Mountains, Howe Sound |
| 1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 | VAG B.C. Artists 11th Annual | Mt. Baker from the Seymour Trail |
| Beach, Mountain and Water in Winter | ||
| My Garden | ||
| Red Cross Supplies | ||
| 1942 Nov. 3 - 15 | FCA Red Cross Benefit | (no information available) |
| 1943 May 15 - June 6 | BCSFA 33rd Annual | Chemistry Students |
| Spring on the North Shore | ||
| 1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 | VAG B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer | My Garden |
| Spring in False Creek | ||
| 1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 | VAG B.C. Artists 12th Annual | Island Fantasy |
| Sun Bathers | ||
| 1944 May 13 - June 4 | BCSFA 34th Annual | Between Winter and Spring |
| Winter Serenity | ||
| Fresh Snow on Hollyburn | ||
| 1944 July 4 - Aug. 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Summer | Between Winter and Spring |
| 1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 | VAG B.C. Artists 13th Annual | Helm Glacier, Garibaldi |
| Stone-patterned Hillside | ||
| Sawmill in Cheakamus Valley | ||
| 1944 Nov. 21 - Dec. 10 | Labour Arts Guild 1st B.C. At Work | Sigurdson's Lumber Mill |
| 1945 May 18 - June 10 | BCSFA 35th Annual | Old Houses Along False Creek |
| Back Yard Pattern (as seen from art gall. roof) | ||
| 1945 July 3 - Aug. 26 | VAG B.C. Artists 4th Annual Summer | Helm Glacier, Caribaldi |
| Backyard Pattern | ||
| 1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 | VAG B.C. Artists 14th Annual | Cambie Street |
| Clouds Over Howe Sound | ||
| 1945 Nov. 13 - Dec. 2 | Labour Arts Guild 2nd B.C. At Work | Donkey Man |
| 1946 May 31 - June 23 | BCSFA 36th Annual | Strange Surroundings for a Boat |
| Up Howe Sound to Garibaldi | ||
| Form and Color Arrangement on the Shore | ||
| 1946 July 2 - 28 | VAG Jubilee Exhibition | My Garden |
| 1946 Aug. 13 - 25 | VAG Stanley Park in Pictures | After Nightfall |
| The Theatre Under the Stars had Wet Evening | ||
| 1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 | VAG B.C. Artists 15th Annual | The Channel Between Jervis and Princess Louisa Inlets |
| False Creek Industries | ||
| 1946 ? - ? | VAG Selections from 15th BCA | Blanca Street in Winter |
| 1946 Oct. ? - ? | FCA 40 Selections from 15th BCA | False Creek Industries |
| 1947 May 9 - June 1 | BCSFA 37th Annual | Rising Clouds |
| Intersection of Old Cambie St. Playgrounds | ||
| The Yellow Cabin | ||
| 1947 July 8 - 27 | VAG B.C. Artists Summer Exhibition | Land Clearing |
| 1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 | VAG B.C. Artists 16th Annual | Mount Garibaldi |
| 1948 May 18 - June 6 | BCSFA 38th Annual | Logging Scars |
| Coast of Vancouver Island | ||
| 1948 July 27 - Aug. 15 | VAG Stanley Park in Pictures | Lights at the Entrance |
| 1949 May 3 - 22 | BCSFA 39th Annual | Snowy Woods |
| Sleigh Riding on Trimble Hill | ||
| High Wind Spanish Banks | ||
| Pt. Grey Street in Winter | ||
| 1949 July 12 - July 31 | VAG Stanley Park in Pictures | Prospect Point |
| 1949 Oct. 8 - 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 18th Annual | Summer Evening, Spanish Banks |
| Kalamalka Lake | ||
| 1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 | VAG First B.C. Graphic | Golden Ears Above Haney (rejected) |
| False Creek Industries (rejected) | ||
| Jervis Inlet | ||
| Rain (rejected) | ||
| 1950 April 25 - May 14 | BCSA 40th Annual | Coast of Vancouver Island Yellow Point |
| Downtown Street, Vancouver | ||
| 1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 | VAG B.C. Artists 19th Annual | Boats Wintering |
| 1951 April 24 - May 13 | VAG BCSA 41st Annual | Ice on Fisherman's Cove |
| Under Snow (Water Colour) | ||
| 1951 Summer | Park Royal BCSA Summer Exhibition | Coast of Vancouver Island |
| Winter at Point Grey | ||
| Ice on Fishermans Cove | ||
| Fishermans Cove | ||
| Summer Holidays at C.P.R. Dock | ||
| 1952 April 1 - 20 | VAG BCSA 42nd Annual | Towing on Howe Sound |
| Night Passage | ||
| Blue Day | ||
| 1953 May 5 - 31 | VAG BCSA 43rd Annual | Night Mystery |
| Moonlit Mountains | ||
| Howe Sound | ||
| 1954 May 25 - June 13 | VAG BCSA 44th Annual | The North Wind |
| Snowfall | ||
| Winter Calm |
SOUVENIR CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITIONS OPENING THE NEW VANCOUVER ART GALLERY (refer to VAG51)
OUR TOTEM POLES - A SOUVENIR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
"A Monograph of the Totem-Poles in Stanley Park"
January 1953, by The Rev. George H. Raley.
Three-colour cover image by Bell.
100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)
BRITISH COLUMBIA WOMEN ARTISTS 1885-1985 (refer to AGGV85)
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
1 reference cited for Bell - WWNA listed above.
" ... Among those contibuting paintings and drawings are: ... Dorothy Bell ... "
From "Noted Artists Offer Paintings For Red Cross"
Vancouver Province (presumed), November 1942
"Among other prominent exhibitors are ... Dorothy Bell ... "
From "Summer Show at Gallery Major Event
for Art Lovers" by Palette
Vancouver Province, July 7 1943
"The first Honourable Mention in the watercolour class went to
John A. Korner for "Crescendo," the second to
Dorothy Bell for her painting "Sun Bathers." "
From "12th Annual B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin, November 1943
"Other artists showing creditable work are ... Dorothy Bell ... "
From "Notable Exhibits of Artists' Work"
by Mildred Valley Thornton
Vancouver Sun (presumed), May 1944
"All of the contributions by Dorothy Bell, especially her fine
"Point Grey ("Street", Ed.) in Winter" show a stride ahead in this
artist's work."
From "Lively Spirit Pervades B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, May 3 1949