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History of Sculpture in British Columbia
Vancouver citizens interested in art formed four art societies by the turn of the century. Two members, J. Murray and D. Campbell, were woodworkers and F.W. Caulfield listed himself as a wood carver.
In 1890, the provincial government commissioned a courthouse and British Columbia's first free standing sculpture. Legislative buildings in Victoria put the call out for sculpture and Franz Cizek, a tinsmith executed the Captain Vancouver sculpture. Art work began to embellish the buildings in Victoria. In the Vancouver boom around the turn of the century, many office buildings sprang up using granite and were decorated with sculptural forms made by itinerant stone masons working from architectural drawings or catalogues.
The Studio Club formed in 1904, and it was with this society that Vancouver and British Columbia's first resident professional sculptor exhibited. Charles Marega arrived in 1909 on his way to California, read an ad for a commission for sculpture. The Studio Club having disappeared over time, Marega formed the Palette and Chisel Club in 1926. At that time, Marega was listed as the only sculptor exhibiting. In the 1930s, other sculptors were noted as exhibiting. In 1941, the Federation of Canadian Artists ("FCA") was organized in Ontario. Later in the 40's, a B.C. Region of the Federation was noted as a functioning society which by the 70's was exclusively made up of painters. In 1956, a group of sculptors formed the Northwest Institute of Sculptors ("NWIS") in Vancouver. The Vancouver Art Gallery having been opened in 1931, by the 50's, the sculptors' society was mounting several outstanding exhibitions. Through this period, the NWIS members joined with the Sculptors' Society of Canada ("SSC") in Ontario. Eventually the members in British Columbia decided to form their own society in 1974, and the Sculptors' Society of British Columbia ("SSBC") emerged. Two founding and valued members presently remain actively involved with our society. They are David Franklin Marshall and William Koochin.
Through the years, members have contributed monumental sculpture to Vancouver's history and throughout the world. Large exhibitions have been held in British Columbia with travelling exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe. In the early stages of Granville Island, the government acknowledged our societies unique contributions and we were able to pay a director to manage an office leased from Canada Mortgage and Housing ("CMHC") in 1977 on Cartwright Street with enough space for sculptors to work. At the present time, the society is going through one of its many resurgencies.
Throughout the Sculptors' Society of British Columbia's history, very important values and standards have been adhered to. A high standard of excellence, integrity, professionalism and concern for public education and communication are the major criteria. The Sculptors' Society of British Columbia has always been a unique group of sculptors. Our members offer many styles and techniques from realism, impressionism to abstract working and experimenting with materials on the cutting edge. Sculptors continue to experiment with new materials all the time. We are purists in a sense, savouring every moment we can work in materials that will inevitably, become extinct but realizing the inevitable and transitions to new materials. Precious woods, Argillite, Mastodon and Jade are rapidly disappearing. Issues of longevity are present in the minds of most sculptors. In each and every sculptor, there also lives the yearning to achieve and contribute a sculpture to history and to our civilization. We are naturally storytellers of our history and our culture.
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