Artists of the UNB Art Centre 1940-1950.
The UNB Art Centre is pleased to announce the next exhibition in their 75th anniversary celebrations. Art for Art’s Sake: the Artists of the UNB Art Centre from 1940-1960 celebrates the contributions of artists such as Goodridge Roberts, Bruno Bobak, Fritz Brandtner, and Alfred Pinsky to the UNB Art Centre’s ongoing reputation as a cultural landmark for the campus community at UNB, and the broader New Brunswick art community. This exhibition will open on Friday, May 20th at 5:00 p.m. at the UNB Art Centre. All are welcome to attend.
In its history, the UNB Art Centre has been home to many recognized and well-established artists. Art for Art’s Sake acknowledges the many artists who have helped shape the legacy of the UNB Art Centre. Following in the footsteps of founders Pegi Nicol MacLeod and Lucy Jarvis, anyone coming into the Centre had some big shoes to fill. Fritz Brandtner and Alfred Pinsky helped the UNB Art Centre continue to flourish following the Second World War, by teaching a rigorous summer school curriculum. Art for Art’s Sake will feature works from each of these artists, in celebration of their commitment to the UNB Art Centre.
The establishment of the Canadian Council for the Arts in 1959 allowed the UNB Art Centre to implement an artist-in-residence program. The leadership and commitment of artists-in-residence like Goodridge Roberts (1959-1960) and Donald Reichert (1959-1962), has helped shape the UNB Art Centre into a dynamic cultural institution. Bruno Bobak, who served as artist-in-residence from 1960-1962, and who then became director of the Centre from 1962 until his retirement in 1987, also had a huge impact on the development of the UNB Art Centre, and has become one of Fredericton’s best-loved artists. Art for Art’s Sake will draw from the UNB Permanent Collection and showcase works by all of these prominent artists, and the impact they have on the UNB Art Centre’s history and legacy.
Over the years, the UNB Art Centre has been a place for teaching, learning, and loving art. Many students, interns, employees, and members of the public have benefited from the expertise and guidance of the artists who called the UNB Art Centre home. Art for Art’s Sake will showcase the work of Hazel Parks McLeod, who was a student at the UNB Art Centre in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her paintings help demonstrate the impact the UNB Art Centre had as an art education site, as well as its contribution to New Brunswick’s art scene.
The UNB Art Centre is located at Memorial Hall, 9 Bailey Drive, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton. The galleries are open 9 am – 4 pm weekdays and for special events. Admission is free to members of the public. Everyone welcome.
