BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

George Charles Clutesi

January 1 1905 - February 27 1988

Alberni Valley Group (1944-?)


George Clutesi was born in Port Alberni. He exhibited his work in the 1944 British Columbia At Work and B.C. Artists exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery. He was living in Alberni, B.C. He had a solo exhibition at the Gallery in 1944.

In 1962 he provided illustrations for the book Sepass Tales - Songs of Y-Ail-Mihth. He was commissioned to paint a mural at Expo 67 in Montreal. He wrote his first book in 1967 - Son of Raven, Son of Deer, which was followed in 1969 by Potlatch.


1962 illustration by Clutesi

He died in hospital in Victoria in 1988 at the age of 83.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1944 June 13 - 25 Solo Show VAG

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 VAG   B.C. Artists 13th Annual To'ghee (South-easter)
Seal Hunting
1944 Nov. 21 - Dec. 10 Labour Arts Guild   1st B.C. At Work Pilchard Fisherman

References - MONOGRAPHS

Refer to BIBLIO.

References - GROUP EXHIBITIONS

VISIONS OF THE WEST COAST - ROBERT ALLER & HIS COMMUNITY (refer to UVIC05)

References - GENERAL

A GUIDE TO B.C. MYTH and LEGEND, Ralph Maud 1982 (1986 reprint)
      Published by Talon Books, Vancouver; ISBN 0-88922-189-8
      "A Short History of Myth-Collecting and a Survey of Published Texts"
      A critical review of Clutesi books, pages 164-166.

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA (refer to CE00)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      4 references cited for Clutesi.

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE marriage, death (refer to BCVS)

Clippings

"Art in Victoria and elsewhere on Vancouver Island has taken on fresh impetus during the past six months. Among individual successes ... a new Indian painter, George Clutesi, of the recently-organized Alberni Valley group, has aroused much interest for his original and sincere interpretation of Indian life on the west coast."
      From "Collection of Eastern Artist Features Art Gallery Display" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, January 24 1945

"Outstanding exhibitors were ... George Clutesi, now well known as one of the best Indian painters in the west."
      From "Vancouver Sculptor's Work On Display Soon" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, April 8 1948

"First First Nations Bestseller: George Clutesi" by Randy Fred
      B.C. Bookworld, Autumn 2007, page 5.
      Memoirs by Clutesi's nephew Fred.

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