The Winnipeg School of Art: The Early Years

Patricia Vervoort is an assistant professor of art history at Lakehead
University.

This exhibition and illustrated catalogue, prepared by Marilyn Baker for Gallery I.I.I. of the FitzGerald Study Centre, traces the development of art and art education in Winnipeg from the founding of the Winnipeg School of Art in 1913 to its amalgamation with the University of Manitoba in 1950. Divided according to the school’s principals, Alexander Musgrove (1913-1921), Frank H. Johnston (1921-1924), C. Keith Gebhardt (1924-1929), and L. LeMoine FitzGerald (1929-1949), the catalogue is profusely illustrated with work by teachers and students and with photographs of classrooms, student groups, and exhibitions, along with the school’s advertising prospectus. A lengthy biographical section follows with detailed entries for teachers and students.

With the objectives of furthering the development of Canadian art and training commercial artists, the Winnipeg School of Art soon became the centre for advancing art appreciation within the community. Each principal influenced the development of the school in different ways: Musgrove emphasized drawing; Johnston was a member of the Group of Seven; Gebhardt, from Chicago, introduced a “Made-in-Winnipeg” programme; and FitzGerald introduced the students to artists outside Winnipeg by bringing exhibitions and reproductions to the school. In addition to recording the early years of the Winnipeg School of Art, this catalogue also displays a history of changing taste in art. The financial set-backs that threatened the school’s survival were met with determination; these episodes provide lessons for art educators now faced with cuts in funding. The catalogue is well researched, lavishly illustrated, and thoroughly readable.