| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
She exhibited paintings in exhibitions held by the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1932 and 1941. She also showed work at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in 1931 and 1932; the Ontario Society of Artists; and with the Art Association of Montreal in 1933.
In 1934 she had work in the RCA's 55th Annual exhibition, held at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
She had work in the B.C. Artists exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery from 1934 to 1950.
In 1941 she had work in the RCA's 62nd Annual exhibition, held at the Art Association of Montreal.
She 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.
Thornton was the art critic for the Vancouver Sun daily newspaper from 1943 to 1959. She was on the Hanging Committee for the 1944 B.C. At Work exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
She died in Vancouver in 1967 at the age of seventy-seven.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
| DATE | EXHIBITION | LOCATION |
| 1936 August 4 - 16 | Solo Exhibition | VAG |
| 1941 Nov 18 - 30 | Solo Exhibition (48 pictures) | VAG |
| 1949 May 24 - June 5 | Solo Exhibition (47 pictures) | VAG |
| DATE | EXHIBITION | ARTWORK |
| 1934 Dec. 4 - 16 | VAG B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition | Qu'Appelle Valley, Sask. |
| Cree Child | ||
| 1935 Sept. 20 - Oct. 15 | VAG B.C. Artists 4th Annual | Peggy |
| Sunshine & Shadow in Saskatchewan | ||
| 1936 Aug. 18 - 28 | David Spencer B.C. Artists' Golden Jubilee | Lost Lagoon |
| 1936 Sept. 18 - Oct. 11 | VAG B.C. Artists 5th Annual | Deep Cove |
| Lost Lagoon from Stanley Park | ||
| 1936 Oct. 15 - 20 | VAG B.C. Artists Chilliwack Exhibition | Lost Lagoon from Stanley Park |
| 1938 Sept. 16 - Oct. 9 | VAG B.C. Artists 7th Annual | Stanley Park |
| 1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 | VAG B.C. Artists 9th Annual | Autumn Hillside |
| 1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 | VAG B.C. Artists 10th Annual | Whialim - Portrait of an Indian |
| 1942 May 15 - 31 | BCSFA 32nd Annual | Immutability |
| B.C. Mining Town, Bralorne | ||
| 1942 July 7 - Sept. 2 | VAG B.C. Artists 1st Annual Summer | Touchwood Hills, Sask. |
| 1943 May 15 - June 6 | BCSFA 33rd Annual | Jervis Inlet |
| Right of Way, Sask. | ||
| 1943 July 2 - Aug. 25 | VAG B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Summer | Jervis Inlet |
| 1943 Sept. 25 - Oct. 20 | VAG B.C. Artists 12th Annual | Wide Horizons |
| 1944 May 13 - June 4 | BCSFA 34th Annual | The Fair and Fruitful Okanagan |
| 1944 July 4 - Aug. 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Summer | Wide Horizons |
| 1945 May 18 - June 10 | BCSFA 35th Annual | Capt. Kettle, Caulfeild, B.C. |
| 1945 July 3 - Aug. 26 | VAG B.C. Artists 4th Annual Summer | Capt. Kettle, Caulfeild, B.C. |
| 1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 | VAG B.C. Artists 14th Annual | To the Sun Dance |
| 1946 May 31 - June 23 | BCSFA 36th Annual | Blackfoot Camp |
| 1946 July 2 - 28 | VAG Jubilee Exhibition | Immutability |
| 1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 | VAG B.C. Artists 16th Annual | Father Thomas of the Cariboo |
| 1949 May 3 - 22 | BCSFA 39th Annual | Red Cedar Bark Dance (Kwakiutl) Indians |
| 1950 April 25 - May 14 | BCSA 40th Annual Exhibition | Indian Burial on Chief Island |
| 1950 Nov. 28 - Dec. 17 | VAG B.C. Artists 19th Annual | Fort Steele (In the Kootenay) |
| 1951 April 24 - May 13 | VAG BCSA 41st Annual | Okanagan Landscape |
| 1951 Summer | Park Royal BCSA Summer Exhibition | Coast Country |
| Fraser Canyon | ||
| Okanagan Landscape | ||
| Immutability | ||
| Scene at Whytecliffe | ||
| 1952 April 1 - 20 | VAG BCSA 42nd Annual | Timber Country |
| 1953 May 5 - 31 | VAG BCSA 43rd Annual | Lake Kalamalka |
| 1954 May 25 - June 13 | VAG BCSA 44th Annual | Bella Coola Indian Mask Dance |
| 1955 April 26 - May 15 | VAG BCSA 45th Annual | Portrait of Rev. G.H. Raley |
| 1957 March 5 - 24 | VAG BCSA 47th Annual | Portrait of Dr. G.H. Raley D.D. |
| 1958 Feb. 4 - 22 | UBC BCSA 48th Annual | Princess Louise Inlet |
| 1959 June 2 - 21 | VAG BCSA 49th Annual | Raven Haunted |
CONTEMPORARIES OF EMILY CARR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to SFU74)
AN EXHIBITION OF OUR COLLECTION OF EARLY WESTERN CANADIAN WATERCOLORS (refer to UL78)
BRITISH COLUMBIA WOMEN ARTISTS 1885-1985 (refer to AGGV85)
EARLY BRITISH COLUMBIAN WOMAN ARTISTS (refer to HG95)
BRITISH COLUMBIA - A CENTENNIAL ANTHOLOGY (refer to BCCA58)
VISUAL ARTS BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VABC77)
CANADIAN ART PRINTS (refer to CAP79)
ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979
(refer to RCA81)
Lists 4 paintings exhibited by Thornton 1932-41
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)
MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - SPRING EXHIBITIONS 1880 - 1970 (refer to MM88)
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to EBC00)
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
8 references cited for Thornton.
THE GRANDE DAMES OF THE CARIBOO (refer to FOW13)
GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020 (refer to GVAG20)
1 reference to Thornton.
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)
A POCKET GUIDE TO THE UNHERALDED ARTISTS OF BC SERIES (refer to MTP20)
"Mildred V. Thornton, of Vancouver, has just held a
one-man show in Toronto which received much praise, and many works by B.C.
artists have found eastern or American purchasers during the past six months."
From "Western Artists Capture Interest At Toronto Show"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, November 20 1941
"Mildred Valley Thornton fills a room at the Gallery
with numerous watercolors. In another room this well known member of the Vancouver
art world completes her current display with a display of oil paintings. ... "
From "Western Artists Capture Interest At Toronto Show"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, November 20 1941
"Mildred Valley Thornton's "B.C. Mining Town, Bralorne" is uncompromisingly
vigorous, rich and vital in color and thoroughly of the west."
From "B.C. Society of Fine Arts
Display Sets New High Mark" by Palette
Vancouver Province, May 16 1942
"Mildred Valley Thornton exhibits a dramatic and impressive
"Right of Way, Sask." ... "
From "Fine Creative Spirit Marks Exhibition By B.C. Artists"
Vancouver Province, May 21 1943
"Among other prominent exhibitors are ... M.V. Thornton ... "
From "Summer Show at Gallery Major Event
for Art Lovers" by Palette
Vancouver Province, July 7 1943
"It was '43 I think, when I was last in Trail, to see the first exhibit
of Vancouver artists, sponsored by James L. (sic) Amess, of
B.C. Fine Arts association, Vancouver,
Mrs. Mildred V. Thornton, Bess Symons,
Fred Amess and the writer. ... "
From "LIKES WESTON" by "Allan P. Allsebrook"
Trail Daily Times, March 1948
"Mildred Valley Thornton's Indian dance,
with a telling native design in the upper part of the canvass (sic),
is easily her best picture. She has entered with much liveliness into
free interpretation of her subject matter."
From "Lively Spirit Pervades B.C. Artists' Exhibition"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, May 3 1949
"Mildred Valley Thornton, F.R.S.A. has an international reputation as an outstanding
interpreter of our aboriginal life and lore. For thirty years she has trekked alone to
remote Indian reservations in search of her material and has brought back pictorial
documents of rich social significance. No other artist in Canada has done comparable work in
this field. In time the Indians themselves may forget the grand old men and women of their tribes,
may forget the Sun Dance, the Totem Poles, the Potlatch and the Secret Ceremonies, but
these things will not die so long as the paint and canvas of Mildred Valley Thornton exists.
Shown is one of her watercolour paintings depicting Tsimshian Totem Poles at Kitsegukla on
the Upper Skeena River."
From "MILDRED VALLEY THORNTON PAINTING - Tsimshian Totem Poles"
Beautiful British Columbia magazine, Winter 1962 issue