BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Canadian Institute of Associated Arts

? - 1937 - 1939 - ?


The Canadian Institute of Associated Arts had a school at 1210 Dominion Bank Building, Vancouver, according to the school's Prospectus for the 1938 School year. The school's motto was "Art As Your Career". Rex C. Mills, B.A., was the Managing Director and Instructor in Advertising Layout, Lettering, and Copy-writing.

The school employed local artists as teachers, including Allan Edwards, J.W.G. Macdonald, George Goutiere, Browni Wingate, Gerald H. Tyler, Clark Stevenson, E.R. McTaggart, Marion Aird Morham, and Maisie Robertson, the latter teaching wood carving, animal sketching and painting.

Art students known to have studied at the school include Beulah Jaenicke, Dr. Elmore G. Kemp, Miss Gwen Roberts, and Don MacCallum.

The school's mission statement was summarized in the introduction to the Prospectus by Rex Mills:

     "Specialization is just as necessary for success in the fields of Fine or Applied Art as in any other profession. Many Students already know, before they enter THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF ASSOCIATED ARTS, just what branch they wish to follow. Otheres again, are a little uncertain. This is where the advisory experience of the Instructors is of great importance. The Staff are enabled, by careful observation of the pupil or his work, to discover just what field of Art is best suited to each individual. All work is then carefully planned to meet the requirements of each student. This eliminates the necessity of taking a general course which merely touches the surface of all the branches without extracting any practical knowledge of any one subject. The student who attains proficiency in one type of work has a far greater opportunity of becoming a financial success in the world of Art than the one who does not specialize.
     A diploma is granted upon successful completion of the Course selected, if requested. It follows, however, that the proficient, conscientious graduate has something far more important and convincing than a certificate - namely, his examples of work. A smart, up-to-date collection of first-class samples will inspire both confidence in the job-seeker and respect from the prospective employer."

Courses given at the Institute included fashion illustration; advertising layout, lettering and copywriting; magazine illustration; landscape painting; industrial illustration; radio (microphone) tehnique; and portrait painting. Additional courses that could be given if six or more students enrolled included life class; cartooning; radio-script, article and short-story writing; textile design and hand-block printing; wood carving, animal sketching and painting; and mural painting.


1937 advertisement

The Institute put on exhibitions of student work at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1938 and 1939.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1938 Aug. 19 - 28 Group Show VAG
1939 June 6 - 18 Group Show VAG

References

Clippings

"Canadian Artist Exhibiting Work"
     Vancouver Province, June 6 1939

"The display consists of an interesting variety of fine and applied art work. The latter will include samples of work sold by the students, in air brush and other media, for fashion and general industrial art."
     Art Gallery Bulletin, Vol. 6 No. 9

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