BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

W. James Leyland

c1870 - July 13 1935

Art, Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver
Advisory Board of Fine Arts (President 1920)
B.C. Art League (Organizing committee 1920)
James Leyland's Fine Art Gallery, Vancouver



From The Gold Stripe, 1918


James Leyland was an artist, a gallery owner, and an important supporter of the arts in Vancouver in the early part of the twentieth century. He is first listed in the City directories in 1913, living at "Boscobel," 201 West 8th Avenue, North Vancouver.

In 1916 the Henderson's City directory listed him as a Department Manager for Spencer's department store in North Vancouver, he was living in North Vancouver.

He wrote an article titled Art and the Soldier, published in Vancouver in The Gold Stripe, Volume One, Christmas 1918.

In 1920 Leyland was made President of the newly formed Advisory Board of Fine Arts, an organization created to "act in conjunction with the Exhibition Association" to put on an exhibition of art at Hastings Park (now known as the Pacific National Exhibition). He also represented the Art, Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver on the Advisory Board.

Leyland was also a member of the B.C. Art League, founded in 1920, and was appointed to the Organizing committee 1920. He gave a lecture for them in 1927, per clipping below.

He advertised his gallery in The Paint Box in 1926 and 1927. The gallery was variously at 665 Granville Street, 609 Dunsmuir Street, 619 Dunsmuir Street, and finally at 821 Howe Street in 1933. In 1928 he showed an exhibition of the work of A.C. Leighton. In 1929 he loaned paintings to the Citizens' Loan Exhibition of Water Colors sponsored by the B.C. Art League.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK

References

THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)

FROM DESOLATION TO SPLENDOUR (refer to FDTS77)

Refer to Early Art and Framing Stores of Vancouver.

CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1913-1935 (refer to DIR)

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE death (no certificate) (refer to BCVS)

Clippings

"The committees which will be recommended to the League were named as follows: ... J. Leyland ..."
      From "B.C. Art League Committees Are Active"
      Western Woman's Weekly, October 9 1920

"A new fine arts committee for 1924 has been struck as follows: ... Mrs. R.P.S. Twizell and Mr. James Leyland reresenting the Art, Historic and Scientific Association ... "
      From "Will Feature B.C. Artists"
      Vancouver Province, May 10 1924

"The first lecture, by Mr. James Leyland, on "Prints and How to Know Them," was reported in Vancouver's three daily newspapers - the directing and editorial departments of which seem to vie with each other in being ready to give publicity to the work and aims of the League. Mr. Leyland certainly demonstrated to his audience that there was much to know about prints, and in a racily expressed lecture expounded not a little that even novices in art could carry away."
      From "The B.C. Art League"
      British Columbia magazine, December 1927


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