BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Maisie Anne Robertson (Miss)

April (3?) 1910 - December 26 1998

Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (Diploma 1931)
Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association
B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Member 1937 - 1967)
Federation of Canadian Artists (Founding Member 1941)


Maisie Robertson was born in Harrison Hot Springs in 1910.

A number of her grade school drawings were published as prize drawings in School Days magazine, published by the Vancouver School Board. The image of the reindeer above was published in 1925 when she would have been 15 years old.


Illustration, The Paint Box, 1930

Robertson was an early graduate from the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, receiving her diploma in Drawing and Painting in 1931.


"Maisie at Work"


1931 Graduating Class

In 1933-34 she had a studio at 1087 Bute Street, along with a number of other artists and art teachers.

The Spring 1936 edition of The Smock Pocket, the Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association newsletter, noted that she had a studio at a new address of 1225 Harwood Street.

She had a portrait titled Norma in the 1932 All Canadian Exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The portrait may be of her fellow art school student Norma Park.

Robertson exhibited in the annual B.C. Artists exhibitions from 1933 on. A biographical entry form for the 1942 show stated that she was was living at Cultus Lake, and had been "living in B.C. since 1910."


Painted brooches

She had work in the British Columbia At Work exhibition in 1945 at the Vancouver Art Gallery.


The following images are all greeting card designs by Robertson that were donated to CARFACS for production of silk screen printed and hand painted cards that the society used for fundraising. A number of well-known BC artists contributed designs, but I don't know if there is a catalogue anywhere listing all of the cards that were produced over the years. Robertson clearly gave them a lot of designs. None of these cards are dated. The giraffe and the herd of running horses cards are in the collection of the editor, the rest of the cards are in the collection of Mrs. Violet Kinnear, who kindly allowed me to photograph them.

                                         


She was a part-time instructor in Wood Carving, Animal Sketching and Painting at the Canadian Institute of Associated Arts, whose 1938 Prospectus noted "exhibitor and winner of many prizes both here and in the east for Wood Carving and Animal Painting." She also taught at St. Marina's School.

Maisie Robertson was on a list titled "Leading Vancouver Artists," provided to the Labour Arts Guild on April 10, 1946 by the Vancouver Art Gallery to assist in the Guild's call for entries to the second annual B.C. At Work exhibition.

 

She exhibited one painting in the 1948 Stanley Park in Pictures exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, although the list of exhibitors gave her last name as Robinson.


Cover image for exhibition catalogue

Maisie exhibited with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in many of their annual exhibitionsfrom 1937 on. Her illustration of three horses was used as the cover image for the 1949 exhibition catalogue.

She submitted four 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. She also had a solo exhibition at the Gallery in 1949.

In the 1950s Robertson travelled to Africa to stay with family, and produced a number of paintings and prints from her travels there, including a large two-colour block print of a giraffe used as a greeting card. One of these cards was sent to her long-time friend Maud Sherman and is now in the collection of the editor.

The British Royal family commissioned a number of artworks from Robertson for decorating their "getaway cottage" in Nairobi, Africa.

Robertson provided an artists statement to the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1953.

She exhibited in the Seattle Art Museum's annual Northwest Artists exhibition in 1963.

A biographical sketch of Robertson was published in VISIONS, the newsletter of Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design, in the March 1998 issue.

She died in Vancouver in 1998 at the age of 88.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
Mar. 22 - April 10 1949 Cariboo Sketches VAG

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1932 May - July VAG   All Canadian Exhibition Norma
1932 Sept. 17 - 30 PASOVAS   Club Exhibition "Chow"
"Chow"
1933 May 3 - 18 VAG   VSAGA 1st Annual Exhibition Portrait
Dog Show Poster
Black Cat
1933 Sept. 22 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Tiger
1935 Sept. 20 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Belgian Mare - Darling
Chinese Dog (wood block)
Rams
1936 Feb. 21 - Mar. 5 PASOVAS Annual Group Show (titles?)
1936 Sept. 18 - Oct. 11 VAG   B.C. Artists 5th Annual Horses Grazing
Blue Boy
1936 Oct. 15 - 20 VAG   B.C. Artists Chilliwack Exhibition Horses Grazing
1937 April 16 - May 1 BCSFA   27th Annual Ming
Ram
1938 Sept. 16 - Oct. 9 VAG   B.C. Artists 7th Annual Portrait
Polo Pony
1939 June 9 - 25 BCSFA   29th Annual Spring
Summer Afternoon
Circus Horses
1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8 VAG   B.C. Artists 8th Annual Won Driving
1940 May 17 - June 2 BCSFA   30th Annual Biddie
1941 May 10 - June 1 BCSFA   31st Annual Sand
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual Fawns
1942 May 15 - 31 BCSFA   32nd Annual Loon Lake Road
Strawberry Roan
1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 VAG   B.C. Artists 11th Annual Stock Horses at Shipping Pens
1943 May 15 - June 6 BCSFA   33rd Annual Bay, Grey and Roan
Fawns
Colt (sculpture)
1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer Colt
1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 VAG   B.C. Artists 12th Annual O.K. Ranch
1944 May 13 - June 4 BCSFA   34th Annual Remuda, Big Bar Lake
1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 VAG   B.C. Artists 13th Annual Second Gate - Big Bar Lake
American Saddle Bred
1945 May 18 - June 10 BCSFA   35th Annual Plowing Match
Loon Lake Road
1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 VAG   B.C. Artists 14th Annual Grey Mare, "Satin"
Blue Roan
1945 Nov. 13 - Dec. 2 Labour Arts Guild   B.C. At Work Beef Drive
Spring Plowing
1946 July 2 - 28 VAG   Jubilee Exhibition The Road to Loon Lake
1947 May 9 - June 1 BCSFA   37th Annual Bays
1947 July 8 - 27 VAG   B.C. Artists Summer Exhibition Bays
1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 VAG   B.C. Artists 16th Annual Pasture Gate
Cariboo Hills
1948 May 18 -June 6 BCSFA   38th Annual Standard Bred
Bays
1948 July 27 - Aug. 15 VAG   Stanley Park in Pictures Blue Herons
1948 Sept. 18 - Oct. 10 VAG   B.C. Artists 17th Annual Cutting Out Brands
1949 May 3 - 22 BCSFA   39th Annual Colts
Spring Plowing
Early Morning, False Creek
Foal
1949 Oct. 8 - 30 VAG   B.C. Artists 18th Annual Rider
Movement
1949 Nov. 22 - Dec. 11 VAG   First B.C. Graphic Siesta
Thoroughbred
The Cast Shoe (disqualified)
Colt (rejected)
1950 April 25 - May 14 BCSA   40th Annual Summer Afternoon
Horses and Sage
1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 VAG   B.C. Artists 19th Annual Rowan Tree
Evergreen
1951 Summer Park Royal    BCSA Summer Exhibition Skyline trail
O.K. Ranch
Hills and sage
1955 April 26 - May 15 VAG    BCSA 45th Annual Impala
1957 March 5 - 24 VAG    BCSA 47th Annual Jerusha
1958 Feb. 4 - 22 VAG    BCSA 48th Annual Grape Vine

References

ART AS YOUR CAREER
    Canadian Institute of Associated Arts Prospectus, 1938

WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)
      Good information, address at 2154 York Street, Vancouver.

CANADIAN CERAMICS '63 (refer to CGP63)

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

RETROSPECT - CERAMICS 80 (refer to PGBC80)

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

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

A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)

VANCOUVER ARTIST: Maisie Robertson
      1998 March; by Michael Clark, Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design.
      Visions newsletter, Volume 4 Issue 2, page 7.
      One page biography with 2 illustrations of her work.

A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      2 references cited for Robertson.

DAILY GRIND EXHIBITIONS (refer to DG04)

Vancouver School of Decorative & Applied Arts - List of Students

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

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

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

Clippings

"Exceptionally clever are Maisie Robertson's animal sketches. In her line drawings of a colt she has caught all of its awkwardness, in an amusing manner. Miss Robertson also shows several interesting animal carvings in wood."
      From "Pasovas Art Show"
      Vancouver Sun, November 6 1934

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

"In the working of material into decorative effect there are buffalo book-ends by Maisie Robertson ... "
      From "PASOVAS CLUB - Annual Display on View at Art Gallery"
      News Herald, February 1936

"When searching for the "unusual" one day we came across prancing horses carved in walnut, book ends of Canadian buffalo carved from Canadian wood, and an absolutely captivating, sleepy donkey. We were told they were made by a girl who has a studio somewhere in the West End and who "does" animals. Eventually we found the studio in a sunny corner, and Maisie Robertson the carver in wood. She shares a studio with Maude (sic) Sherman, already well known for her oils and water colors."
      From "GRADUATES IN ART" by Cintra
      (unknown newspaper), April 25 1936

"Coveted Art Prize Goes to Vancouver Painter"
      Vancouver Sun, September 30 1938

"As in previous years, three bronze medals were awarded for work of a high order of merit in Watercolour, Black and White, and Sculpture, respectively. The names of the successful competitors follow:- Sculpture: Miss Maisie Robertson (Polo Pony - Wood carving)."
     From "Medal Awards in B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
     Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin Vol. 6 No. 2 October 1938
     Information provided courtesy Joanna Spurling, VAG Library & Archives

"Maisie Robertson's "Spring" an equine study under the trees will be greatly admired."
      From "Leading Provincial Artists Exhibit at Show" by T.H.W.
      News-Herald, June 10 1939

" ... together with oil and watercolour paintings by ... Maisie Robertson ... all contribute much to this extraordinary show."
      From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts Display Sets New High Mark" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, May 16 1942

"Among other exhibits are ... Maisie Robertson's study of horses, splendidly alive ... "
      From "Fine Creative Spirit Marks Exhibition By B.C. Artists"
      Vancouver Province, May 21 1943

"In more lyrical mood are canvasses by Maisie Robertson, "Beef Drive," full of well-observed life on the range ... "
      From "B.C. Industry Lives in Gallery Display"
      Newspaper unknown, (November 1945)

"Painter Of Animals Puts No Price Tag On Ambition" by Naomi Lang
      (unknown), April 1 1950


HOME