| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
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The annual exhibition of the Vancouver Art Association
was opened in October by Lieut.-Governor Nelson. There was a large assemblage present to hear
the addresses, and three galleries of pictures were thrown open to the public. Two of these
were filled by a loan collection, among which were some fine paintings lent by
Mr. J.M. Browning, Mr. H. Abbott, Mr. R.G. Ferguson and others. The
third room was filled by the work of the pupils and also by the members of the association.
Many of these were entered for competition. The Lieut.-Governor in his opening address said
that he was glad to find that in building up a new city the people had not forgotten the claims
of art upon all lovers of the beautiful. Vancouver in this respect had taken the initiative,
and although Victoria had this year held an Art exhibition which was highly creditable to that
city, still to Vancouver belonged the honour of having organized the first Art association in
British Columbia. Mrs. Nelson then presented the medals with a few appropriate words to each
recipient. The gold medal for water colors, given by the Governor-General, was won by
Mrs. A. St. George Hamersley, and one for crayon landscape, given
by Mayor Oppenheimer, by Mrs. Reid. A gold medal for figure
painting, presented by Mr. A.G. Ferguson, was awarded to Mrs. Lefevre,
and a silver medal, offered by the association for competition among its pupils, was taken by
Mrs. G.R. Major. Mr. H.B. Lewis won a gold
medal for his paintings (sic) of "A Moonlight Camp." The association has already begun to form the nucleus of a permanent Art gallery, and by the liberality of Messrs. J.C. Keith and E.E. Rand a fine portrait in oils of Captain George Vancouver, R.N., from whom the island takes its name, has become the property of the city. This picture is a copy by Alldridge, of the old portrait in the Bethnal Green Museum, London, and permission had to be obtained from the British Government to have it copied for this purpose. How surprised the old explorer would have been could he have foreseen that, after a hundred years, his likeness would be brought across the seas to what was then a wilderness - the first gift of artistic value to a city then undreamed of, which would bear his name! |
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The Dominion Illustrated: "Our British Columbia Letter" (December 20 1890) Canadiana, https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_06470_129.6 |