BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Mrs. Joanna (Joanne) Simpson Brooke Wilson

September 16 1896 - April 14 1987

B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Associate Member 1952-1967)
Federation of Canadian Artists (Founding Member 1941)

Joanna Wilson was born in Invergordan, Scotland in 1896. She was a pupil of the Edinburgh College of Art. After arriving in B.C. she became a member of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts, exhibiting her work with them from 1951 to 1955, and in 1957, 1958, and 1960. In 1941 to 1945 she was living in Vancouver. In 1949 she was living in Cloverdale. She was a painter in watercolour and oil.

She had work in the annual B.C. Artists exhibitions from 1935 to 1939, and from 1944 to 1948. She specialized in "B.C. coast Indian scenes, and flower studies."

Wilson deposited her personal archives, including artwork, with Library & Archives Canada in 1974. She died in Cloverdale in 1987, where she is buried.

There are at least 2 variations on the name of this artist - Joanna and Josie - who may in fact be two artists. However, both artists (if so) lived in Vancouver and then Cloverdale and exhibited in the same shows with different names, possibly mother and daughter. Names as exhibited are listed after the artwork in list below.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1935 Nov. 22 - Dec. 8 VAG   B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition Zinnias (J.S.)
Cosmos (J.S.)
1936 Sept. 18 - Oct. 11 VAG   B.C. Artists 5th Annual Lilacs
Wallflowers
1936 Oct. 15 - 20 VAG   B.C. Artists Chilliwack Exhibition Lilacs
1937 Sept. 17 - Oct. 10 VAG   B.C. Artists 6th Annual Indian Babies' Graves in the Trees
1938 Sept. 16 - Oct. 9 VAG   B.C. Artists 7th Annual Indian Chief With His Talking Stick
Flower Study - Dogwood
Gathering for the Potlatch
1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8 VAG   B.C. Artists 8th Annual Clematis (Joanna S.)
Indian Village, B.C. Coast (Joanna S.)
1944 Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 VAG   B.C. Artists 13th Annual Indian Community Houses (Josie S.)
The Village Gossips (Josie S.)
1945 Sept. 22 - Oct. 21 VAG   B.C. Artists 14th Annual Hunters Delight (Joan)
Assembling for the Potlatch (Josie S.)
Flower Study (Josie S.)
1946 Sept. 21 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 15th Annual Decoys (Joan)
Chrysanthemums (Josie S.)
1946 Oct. ? - ? FCA    40 Selections from 15th BCA Decoys
1947 Sept. 20 - Oct. 12 VAG   B.C. Artists 16th Annual Still Life (Joan)
Zinnias (Josie S.)
1948 Sept. 18 - Oct. 10 VAG   B.C. Artists 17th Annual Fishing Boats, Fort Langley (Joan)
Old Barns, Ladner (Joan)
Oyster Plant, Mud Bay (Josie S.)
View From Panorama Ridge (Josie S.)
1951 April 24 - May 13 VAG   BCSA 41st Annual Mount Cheam (Joanna S.)
On the Fraser
1952 April 1 - 20 VAG   BCSA 42nd Annual Village Scene, Alert Bay
1953 May 5 - 31 VAG   BCSA 43rd Annual Old Maples, Boundary Bay
1954 May 25 - June 13 VAG   BCSA 44th Annual Uprooted (Joanne S.)
1955 April 26 - May 15 VAG   BCSA 45th Annual At Low Tide (Joanna S.)
An Old Barn
1957 March 5 - 24 VAG   BCSA 47th Annual Romaney Poppies (Joanna S.)
1958 Feb. 4 - 22 UBC   BCSA 48th Annual A Kwakiutl Indian Dance (Joanna S.)
1960 May 22 - June 12 VAG   BCSA 50th Annual Flower Study (Joanna S.)
Romaney Poppies

References

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

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

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

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

Clippings

"Artists represented in the group comprise the following ... Joanna Wilson ... "
      From "Maritime Art Association"
      Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin, November (?) 1939

"Josie S. Wilson shows an entertaining and apparently authentic conception of old B.C. Indian life in her "Assembling for the Potlatch." "
      From "Graphic Arts and Sculpture Place in Gallery Exhibition" by Palette
      Vancouver Province, September 24 1945

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