BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Marjorie Robertson

May 27 1912 - January 14 1998

Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (Diploma 1935)
Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association
International Association of Machinists
B.C. Society of Artists (Member 1942-1964)


Marjorie Robertson was born in Vancouver. Her parents were born in Scotland and England. She was an early graduate from the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, and subsequently studied drawing in London England under Leon Underwood; studied sculpture at the Glasgow School or Art; and studied painting at the Art Students' League in New York under Robert Brackman.

The Spring 1936 edition of The Smock Pocket, the Vancouver School of Art Graduates' Association newsletter, noted that she had a studio with Joan Blanchet at 1151 Hastings Street.

She exhibited her work in the B.C. Artists annual exhibitions in 1939, 1940, 1942, and 1956.

She had work in the B.C. At Work exhibition in 1944 at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and won the $250.00 First Prize for her sculpture Aircraft Worker. The sculpture was illustrated in WALLNEWS in March 1945, which also noted about the artist: "graduate of Vancouver School of Art; for the past two years plaster pattern maker at Boeing Aircraft; member International Association of Machinists (AFL)." The sculpture depicts a kneeling woman holding a drill or rivet gun.

She also exhibited with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in their annual exhibitions from 1940 to 1959. She was a member of the Society from 1942 to 1964.

Robertson died in North Vancouver in 1998 at the age of 85. Her occupation was noted as "Giftshop - Retail Owner / Artist." She had never married.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8 VAG   B.C. Artists 8th Annual Range Country
Portrait Head (sculpture)
1940 May 17 - June 2 BCSFA   30th Annual Still Life
Mary
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual Okanagan Home
Skaha Lake
Robert Haywood
1941 May 10 - June 1 BCSFA   31st Annual Okanagan Hills
Helen
1942 May 15 - 31 BCSFA   32nd Annual Figure (ceramics)
1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 VAG   B.C. Artists 11th Annual Hamadryad
1943 May 15 - June 6 BCSFA   33rd Annual Puma (sculpture)
1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer Puma
1944 Nov. 21 - Dec. 10 Labour Arts Guild   1st B.C. At Work Aircraft Worker
1946 May 31 - June 23 BCSFA   36th Annual Alison
1946 July 2 - 28 VAG   Jubilee Exhibition Hamadryad
1947 May 9 - June 1 BCSFA   37th Annual Portrait Head
1949 May 3 - 22 BCSFA   39th Annual Abstract
Mermaid
1951 April 24 - May 13 VAG    BCSA 41st Annual Portrait
1952 April 1 - 20 VAG    BCSA 42nd Annual Terracotta Nude
Torso
1953 May 5 - 31 VAG    BCSA 43rd Annual Abstract Figure
1955 April 26 - May 15 VAG    BCSA 45th Annual Mother and Child, No. 1
Mother and Child, No. 2
Shape
1956 Feb. 28 - March 18 VAG    BCSA 46th Annual Indian Basket Seller

References

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

WALLNEWS March 1945
   "Issued by Industrial Information Division Wartime Information Board. Production by National Film Board."
   Sculpture Aircraft Worker by Robertson illustrated.

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

CENTENNIAL SCULPTURE '67 (refer to FCA67)

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)

A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      1 reference cited for Robertson: Macdonald above.

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

VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF ART - LIST OF GRADUATES & STUDENTS (refer to VSA)

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

Clippings

"For oil painting I find the best medium for distant effects is a true gentleman."
     From "Infamous sayings of famous artists" by Robertson
      Savary Pudding, Volume 2, Number 8, 1935

" ... sculptures by ... Marjorie 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


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