BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Lillian Irene Hoffar
(m Neville Reid)

September 2 1908 - July 22 1994

Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (Diploma 1929)
Pioneer Art Students of Vancouver Art School
Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association
B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Member 1940-67, President 1958-1960 & 1965-67)
B.C. Society of Fine Arts/B.C. Society of Artists: Exhibitor's Timeline
Canadian Group of Painters (1959-67, President 1958, 1960, 1966-67)


Irene Hoffar was a member of P.A.S.O.V.A.S., the Pioneer Art Students of Vancouver Art School, an artist's group formed in 1930 from the students who entered the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts in its first year and a half of classes in 1925 and 1926.

Hoffar started classes at the VSDAA in 1925, and was in the first graduating class in 1929, later exhibiting in the PASOVAS group exhibition at the B.C. Art League gallery in 1930.


1929 Graduating Class

In the catalogue for the 1929 Winter exhibition of the BCSFA, there are entries for G. Hoffar and J. Hoffar. It is possible that both of these listings are typographic errors for Irene Hoffar, especially since the exhibition catalogue had a few other errors in the listings.


Linocut illustration, The Paint Box, 1930

After graduation she took post-graduate studies at the art school, and then travelled to England with Vera Weatherbie for further post-graduate studies at the Royal Academy Schools, London, England. On her return to Vancouver she opened a studio and did portraits, murals, decorative panels, and even the interior of a yacht.

She exhibited in the Seattle Art Museum's annual Northwest Artists exhibitions from 1930 to 1943.

She taught drawing and painting at the Vancouver School of Art from 1933 - 1937. On October 28 1933 she married Neville Leighton Reid in Vancouver, and subsequently exhibited as Irene Hoffar Reid. Reid was listed as an Insurance Agent on the marriage certificate.


Article and illustration, The Savary Puddin, 1935

In 1936, the Spring issue of The Smock Pocket noted that "A portrait by Mrs. IRENE HOFFAR REID, '29, was purchased and presented to the Art Gallery to augment the Permanent Collection. This is the first honor of this kind to be bestowed on a Graduate." The newsletter also noted that Reid was sharing a studio with Margaret Carter at 581 Granville Street.

Reid had work in the PASOVAS group exhibition in 1936, at the Vancouver Art Gallery. She also exhibited work at the National Gallery of Canada, the Seattle Art Museum in 1930, and the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, in 1932.

She exhibited work in the B.C. Artists' exhibitions from 1932 to 1950.

She exhibited with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in their annual exhibitions from 1940 onward. She was President of the society when it finally ceased to operate in 1967, after the few remaining members voted it out of existence following an unsuccessful membership campaign.

She submitted four charcoal drawings to the 1949 B.C. Graphic exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, two of them were selected for the exhibition. She was living in Vancouver. In 1967 she was awarded the Canada Centennial Medal for her contribution to the arts.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1974 April 8 - May 4 Solo Exhibition Studio Shop & Gallery, W Van

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1929 Nov. 16 - 30 BCSFA   Winter Exhibition Jervis Inlet
Morning, Hotham Sound
After the Rain
1930 Nov. 27 - Dec. 7 PASOVAS   Art Club Exhibition Mural "Sun Bathers"
1932 Sept. 17 - 30 PASOVAS   Club Exhibition "The Washerwomen of Gibraltar"
"Morning, Alta Lake"
1933 May 3 - 18 VAG   VSAGA 1st Annual Exhibition Indian Village
1933 Sept. 22 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual The Fishermen
The Herring Net
1933 Dec. 1 - 17 VAG   B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition The Woodpile
Looking Across the Bay
1934 Sept. 21 - Oct. 14 VAG   B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Grey Day
Rhythm
Woman Reading
1934 ? - ? VAG   B.C. Artists Edmonton Exhibition Rhythm
1934 Dec. 4 - 16 VAG   B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition Coming Storm
Leaves of Autumn
1935 Sept. 20 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Sketch
Distant Hills
1936 Feb. 21 - Mar. 5 PASOVAS Annual Group Show The Storm
1937 Sept. 17 - Oct. 10 VAG   B.C. Artists 6th Annual Winter
1938 Sept. 16 - Oct. 9 VAG   B.C. Artists 7th Annual Flower Study
Spring
West Bay
1940 May 17 - June 2 BCSFA   30th Annual Holiday
March Day
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual Near Clinton
Marble Canyon
The Valley
1941 May 10 - June 1 BCSFA   31st Annual Jessie
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual Cariboo Farm
The Corral
Mending the Rose Trellis
1942 May 15 - 31 BCSFA   32nd Annual Composition
Screening Earth
October
1942 July 7 - Sept. 2 VAG   B.C. Artists 1st Annual Summer October
Jessie
1943 May 15 - June 6 BCSFA   33rd Annual Cariboo Landscape
1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer Cariboo Landscape
Cariboo Landscape
1945 May 18 - June 10 BCSFA   35th Annual Maple Trees
1945 July 3 - Aug. 26 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Summer Margaret
1946 July 2 - 28 VAG   Jubilee Exhibition Cariboo Landscape
1947 April 12 - 13 WVCAC   Exhibition of Fine Arts Cariboo Landscape
1948 May 18 -June 6 BCSFA   38th Annual Linda and Rusty
Houses and Trees
1949 May 3 - 22 BCSFA   39th Annual Sketch No. 1
Sketch No. 2
1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 VAG   First B.C. Graphic The Rocks
Fallen Trees (rejected)
The Barn
Vegetable Garden (rejected)
1950 April 25 - May 14 BCSA   40th Annual Winter
Sketch
1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 VAG   B.C. Artists 19th Annual The Wharf
1951 April 24 - May 13 VAG    BCSA 41st Annual Linda
1952 April 1 - 20 VAG    BCSA 42nd Annual The Haystack
1953 May 5 - 31 VAG    BCSA 43rd Annual Low Tide
Flower Study
Catherine
1954 May 25 - June 13 VAG    BCSA 44th Annual Trailer Camp
Linda
1955 April 26 - May 15 VAG    BCSA 45th Annual Tulips
Autumn
Summer
1956 Feb. 28 - March 18 VAG    BCSA 46th Annual Girl and Cat
Spring
1957 March 5 - 24 VAG    BCSA 47th Annual Boats on the Beach
Randle's Landing
Low Tide
1958 Feb. 4 - 22 VAG    BCSA 48th Annual Anemones
Sun Bathers

References - BIBLIOGRAPHY

Refer to BIBLIO.

References - GROUP EXHIBITIONS

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM - NORTHWEST ARTISTS EXHIBITIONS 1914 - 1975
     Refer to NWA BC artists by exhibition
     Refer to NWAA BC artists alphabetically

SOUVENIR CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITIONS OPENING THE NEW VANCOUVER ART GALLERY (refer to VAG51)

3rd BC GRAPHIC & CANADIAN SOCIETY OF GRAPHIC ART (refer to BCG57)

100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)

SPRING EXHIBITION - FCA - BC REGION (refer to FCA64)

PLANTAE OCCIDENTALIS - 200 Years of Botanical Art in British Columbia
      1979, By Maria Newberry House, The Botanical Garden, U.B.C., Technical Bulletin No 11
      Exhibition catalogue, illustrated; list of works; ISSN 0703-1432
      Includes one work by Reid, Spear Thistle, ill. in colour p.62.

VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)

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

FIRST CLASS - Four Graduates From The Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts
      1987, Letia Richardson, The Floating Curatorial Gallery at Women in Focus
      ISBN 0-921823-03-7
      Exhibition catalogue; includes survey essay of women artists in Vancouver:
      Chronologies of Lilias Farley, Reid, Beatrice Lennie, and Vera Weatherbie.

EARLY BRITISH COLUMBIAN WOMAN ARTISTS (refer to HG95)

GENERATIONS - FIVE DECADES OF ART IN WEST VANCOUVER 1912 - 1962 (refer to WVMA99)

SHIFTING MARGINS: EMILY CARR and IRENE HOFFAR REID (refer to BAG13)

88 ARTISTS FROM 88 YEARS (refer to ECU17)

References - GENERAL

Attendee at the 1935 Vancouver School of Art Summer Camp
(refer to SUMMER SKETCHING CAMP - SAVARY ISLAND)

THE SAVARY PUDDING folio by Frederick A. Amess, private collection.
   Original drawings, paintings and text by Amess, C.H. Scott, Grace Melvin,
       H. Mortimer Lamb, Plato von Ustinov, and other students and visitors.
   June 1935 (various dates), June 1939 (various dates)
   52 loose 12"x18" sheets of brown sketch paper

WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)
      Short entry for Hoffar.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - A CENTENNIAL ANTHOLOGY (refer to BCCA58)

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

FROM DESOLATION TO SPLENDOUR (refer to FDTS77)

VISUAL ARTS BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VABC77)

BRITISH COLUMBIA ART COLLECTION 1974-80 (refer to BCAC80)

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

BY A LADY, Celebrating Three Centuries of Art by Canadian Women by Maria Tippett
      1992, Viking, ISBN 0-670-84458-6
      226 pages, illustrated in colour and b&w, list of illustrations, index
      References to Reid on pages 70 and 85

A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)

VANCOUVER ARTIST: Irene Hoffar Reid
      1999 April; by Michael Clark, Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design.
      Visions newsletter, Volume 5 Issue 3, page 6.
      One page biography with 3 illustrations of her work.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to EBC00)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
     2 references to Reid

THE FECKLESS COLLECTION (refer to FECK18)

GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020 (refer to GVAG20)
     2 references to Reid

CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1933-34 (refer to DIR)

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Hoffar_Reid

Clippings

"In addition some of the graduates of the school, notably Vera Weatherbie, Fred Amess, and Irene Hoffar show great promise, and their work has already been well perceived at exhibitions in Eastern Canada."
      From "BRITISH COLUMBIA ART - Significance of First "All British Columbia Show" by Harold Mortimer Lamb
      Saturday Night, December 10 1932

"Many other well-known artists are represented, including ... Irene Hoffar ... "
      From "Bargains in Art" by D.S.M.
      Vancouver Sun, December 1 1933

"Irene Hoffar Reid's sketches show definitely her change in style and indicates that she has not yet masterd her new ideas."
      From "Pasovas Club Has Splendid Annual Show" by R.W.M.
      Vancouver Province, November 6 1934

"Irene Hoffar Reid is represented with a number of striking paintings in the oils section, including a rather unusual study of "Autumn.""
      From "Pasovas Art Show"
      Vancouver Sun, November 6 1934

"... Irene Hoffar Reid ... are all represented."
      From "PASOVAS EXHIBIT - Pioneer Art Students' Show"
      Vancouver Province, February 21 1936

"The oils are an interesting group, notably ... and "The Storm," by Irene Hoffar Reid, the latter being distinguished for its strong color value."
      From "FINE PASOVAS ART EXHIBITION"
      Vancouver Sun (?), February 2 1936

"Margaret Williams, Irene Hoffar Reid, Maud Sherman, and others, attain that effect which contrasting colors afford ... "
      From "PASOVAS CLUB - Annual Display on View at Art Gallery"
      News Herald, February 1936

"On the walls of the studio shared by Margaret Carter and Irene Hoffar Reid are murals, landscapes, portraits in oils and conte, the latter a medium much used by the Old Masters."
      From "GRADUATES IN ART" by Cintra
      (unknown newspaper), April 25 1936

"Mrs. Irene Hoffar Reid, West Vancouver, receives the Association Bronze Medal for work in black-and-white of a high order of merit for her drawing, "The Valley." Mrs. Reid is one of the original students of the Vancouver School of Art."
      From "Major Art Award to CASF Officer At B.C. Artists' Annual Exhibit"
      Vancouver Sun, October 7 1940

"Irene Hoffar Reid is better than ever in her three captivating compositions."
      From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts Display Sets New High Mark" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, May 16 1942

" ... Irene Hoffar Reid's small "Cariboo Landscape" is a gem of beautiful tapestry-like color."
      From "Fine Creative Spirit Marks Exhibition By B.C. Artists"
      Vancouver Province, May 21 1943

"Among other prominent exhibitors are ... Irene Hoffar Reid ... "
      From "Summer Show at Gallery Major Event for Art Lovers" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, July 7 1943

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