BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Mrs. Adela (Adele) Winifred Pilkington
(m Alfred James Pilkington)

March 18 1873 - April 2 1962

Vancouver Sketch Club (Secretary 1918-1920)
B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Member 1926-1933)
B.C. Society of Fine Arts/B.C. Society of Artists: Exhibitor's Timeline
Art, Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver (Member 1931)

Adela W. Pilkington was born in England. She lived in Vancouver from 1906. She was a member of the Vancouver Sketch Club, exhibiting her work in their exhibitions as early as 1917.

She exhibited her artwork in a number of B.C. Society of Fine Arts annual exhibitions. She was listed in the 1929 and 1930 exhibition catalogues as Hon. Sec. Treasurer of the Society.

Her husband Alfred was an accountant in Vancouver City Hall, becoming Comptroller before his retirement. Around 1946 the couple moved to North Vancouver.

She also exhibited artwork with the Island Arts and Crafts Society in 1911.

In 1932 she was a signatory to an agreement to boycott the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa for their exhibition and purchase policies related to Canadian artists. She was noted as being a Vancouver artist.

B.C. Vital Statistics on-line database states that Adela Winifred Pilkington died in North Vancouver on April 2, 1962 at the age of 88. Her occupation was noted as "Housewife." The death certificate does not note the names of her parents, so her maiden name is currently not known to the Editor.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1909 November BCSFA    Second Exhibition Still Life Study
1917 May 5 Sketch Club    Exhibition (titles not known)
1917 December 1 Sketch Club    Exhibition (titles not known)
1919 Sept. 6 - ? Sketch Club    Monthly Exhibition A Cottage Garden
1920 Feb. 7 Sketch Club    Monthly Exhibition (snow scene)
(study of roses)
1920 Dec. 4 - ? Sketch Club    Annual Exhibition Marjory (daughter)
"Succo" (boy's portrait)
A Snow Scene in Surrey
1925 May 9 - 16 BCSFA   17th Annual Exhibition Avon Warwick
Borrowdale, Keswick
1925 Nov. 28 - Dec. 5 Sketch Club    Semi-Annual Exhibition The Tired Model
1926 May 8 - 15 BCSFA   18th Annual Exhibition Penzance, Cornwall
1929 May 18 - June 8 BCSFA   21st Annual Exhibition Wallflowers
Still Life
Still Life (Purple and Amber)
1929 Nov. 16 - 30 BCSFA   Winter Exhibition The Blue Lustre Bowl
1930 May 31 - June 14 BCSFA   Spring Exhibition Still Life
1933 June 3 - 11 VAG   BCSFA 23rd Annual Exhibition Zinnias
1933 Sept. 22 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual The Witch Ball

References

WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)
      Entry gives only Pilkington's name and address at 1748 Haro St., Vancouver.

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

ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY - List of Exhibitors

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

BRITISH COLUMBIA WOMEN ARTISTS 1885-1985 (refer to AGGV85)

CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1919/21 (refer to DIR)

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

Clippings

"Among the exhibitors were ... Mrs. Pilkington ..."
      From "Social Notes"
      Vancouver Daily World, May 7 1917

"At their new quarters in the Victoria block, the Vancouver Sketch Club had an interesting exhibition on Saturday afternoon. Among the exhibitors were ... Mrs. Pilkington ... "
      From "Many Visitors At Sketch Club"
      Vancouver Daily World, December 3 1917

" ... "A Cottage Garden" by Mrs. Pilkington."
      From "Sketch Club Opens Winter Season's Work"
      Vancouver Daily Province, September 8 1919

" ... Mrs. A.W. Pilkington (was represented) by a snow scene in oils and a study of roses in oils; ... "
      From "Sketch Club Has Resumed Exhibitions"
      Vancouver Daily World, February 9 1920

"Several landscape studies by Mrs. A. Pilkington are full of poetic feeling."
      From "Freshness and Vitality in Exhibition of Vancouver Sketch Club"
      Western Woman's Weekly, June 5 1920

"For some time the meetings and exhibitions of the club were held at the studio of Miss Wake, but about two years ago an independent studio was secured at the present quarters, 342 Pender street west. This location has become known for its art associations, the building having also contained the studios of such well known artists as Mr. Thos. W. Fripp, Miss Margaret Wake, Miss Isabel Weir, and Mr. Norman Hawkins."
       From "Sketch Club Is Well Organized" by I.B.
       Vancouver Province, July 17 1920

"In the Loan Exhibit members represented were ... Mrs. A.J. Pilkington, ..."
      From "Arts Clubs Active - Vancouver Sketch Club"
      Western Woman's Weekly, September 18 1920

"Adela W. Pilkington, the popular and more than kind secretary of the club, also showed portraits. One of her lovely little daughter Marjory dressed as a flower girl in pale blue with a basket of lovely violets in her hands. The boy "Succo" was also excellent in likeness. Usually Mrs. Pilkington shows some fine still life or flower paintings, but this time she has given us one of her landscapes instead "A Snow Scene in Surrey.""
      From "Annual Exhibit by Sketch Club"
      Vancouver Province, December 6 1920

"The only portrait in oils was shown by Mrs. A.J. Pilkington, entitled "The Tired Model," a noticeable and very decorative piece of work."
      From "Private View Precedes Sketch Club Exhibition"
      Vancouver Province, November 30 1925

Miss Wake painted "Sophie," a finely executed piece of work representing another well-known old indian woman. This has been frequently exhibited in Vancouver, and is now the property of Mrs. A.J. Pilkington, the wife of the City Comptroller."
      From "The City Art Gallery" by G.H. Lardner
      Museum and Art Notes, Vol. IV, No. 1. March 1929

"The B.C.S.F.A. has recently had the expert and capable assistance of Mrs. A.J. Pilkington as honourary secretary treasurer, and the society owes much to her in this regard. The catalogues were ready and the arrangements were complete."
      From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts" by Diogenes
      Vancouver Province, November 13 1930

" ... the 118 artists who have signed the agreement to date ... include ... Adela W. Pilkington ... "
      From "Canadian Artists Unite to Boycott National Gallery" by The Canadian Press
      Montreal Gazette, December 8 1932


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