Peter Maxwell Ewart (7 April 1918 – 23 January 2001) was a Canadian painter. He is especially known for his depictions of the Cariboo country of British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. During his career, Ewart had over 40 solo exhibitions in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.[2]
Peter Maxwell Ewart | |
|---|---|
 c. 1982 | |
| Born | Peter Maxwell Ewart 7 April 1918 Kisbey, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | 23 January 2001 (aged 82) Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
| Education | Sir George Williams College, Art Association of Montreal, Commercial Illustration Studio of New York City[1] |
| Known for | Painter |
| Spouse | Susan Jane Nickel (1916–1959, m. 1948) |
Biography
editPeter Maxwell Ewart was born in Kisbey, Saskatchewan, on 7 April 1918.[1][3] At a young age his family moved to Montreal,[4] where he attended West Hill High School. After taking correspondence courses in commercial illustration, he attended Sir George Williams College and the Art Association of Montreal. He next took instruction at the Commercial Illustration Studio of New York City, where he was introduced to avant-garde design.[1]
During World War II, while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force as a wireless operator, he was stationed at Bella Bella in British Columbia.[5] Ewart relocated to Vancouver in 1947, and one year later he married.[1] In 1958 he moved to Langley in the Fraser Valley. The following year his wife Susan passed away. They had one daughter, Linda.[4] Ewart was instrumental in the planning and construction of the Langley Arts Centre.[6] He died in Surrey, British Columbia, on 23 January 2001.[3]
Career
editEwart's training had led him to see the poster as a true art form. In Montreal, he was commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to produce a ski poster in 1939. During the next two decades, he completed 24 posters and two serigraphic prints for the CPR and Canadian Pacific Airlines.[1] Twenty-one of his graphics are featured in the book Posters of the Canadian Pacific, by Marc H. Choko and David L. Jones (Firefly Books, 2004).[7]
His first forays into painting consisted of marine views which gained a following.[5][8] Some of his stated influences were Maurice Cullen and Clarence Gagnon.[4] In 1971, one of his works was presented to Odessa, by its sister city of Vancouver.[9]
Much of Ewart's subject matter was found in the Cariboo region of British Columbia between Spences Bridge and Ashcroft.[5] He also painted the Canadian Rockies.[10] His canvases often have a touch of red as a focal point,[11] and frequently include people and horses.[5] He variously tried to capture a sense of loneliness, the warmth of winter cabins, campfires and morning frosts.[10] Ewart was a slow and meticulous painter, sometimes taking up to a year to finish a picture.[12] One contemporary criticism was that although well done, his paintings approached that of a standard product and evolved little.[11]
Legacy
editIn 2015, Kwantlen Polytechnic University conferred a posthumous honorary degree on Ewart for his role as a co-founder of Langley Community Music School.[13] Three years later, his name was bestowed on Peter Ewart Middle School, located in Willoughby within the Township of Langley.[14]
Ewart's works are found in the collection of the Langley Centennial Museum and Exhibition Centre.[15]
Exhibitions
edit- Alex Fraser Galleries, Vancouver[11]
- Royal Canadian Academy of Arts[10][16]
- Royal Academy of Arts (London, England)[10][16]
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts[10][16]
- Quebec Provincial Museum[10][16]
- Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto)[10][16]
- Mid-Century Exposition of Canadian Painting[10][16]
- Calgary Stampede (1967)[17]
- Alwin Galleries (London, England, 1972)[10]
- Langley Arts Centre[9]
- Expo 86, Vancouver[18]
- Peter Ewart Middle School (Langley, 2020)[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Choko, Marc H.; Jones, David L. (1999). Canadian Pacific Posters 1883–1963 (4th ed.). Montreal: Meridian Press. pp. 70–71. ISBN 0-929058-15-1.
- ^ "Peter Ewart". Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Ewart". Vancouver Sun (obituary). 10 February 2001. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ a b c "Quest for beauty". Langley Advance. 4 May 1972. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b c d Parker, J. Delisle (26 February 1955). "He Paints The Cariboo Country (first part)". The Province. Vancouver. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Music school welds multiple interests". Langley Advance. 31 May 1973. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Choko, Marc H.; Jones, David L. (2004). Posters of the Canadian Pacific. Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books. ISBN 1-55297-917-2.
- ^ "Open Range, Near Ashcroft". The Gazette. Montreal. 10 March 1956. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "One-man Show Set for Langley Artist". The Surrey Leader. 27 April 1972. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Peter Ewart show next week". Langley Advance. 27 April 1972. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b c Lowndes, Joan (2 December 1966). "Unexpected lyricism smoldering on a strip of silk". The Province. Vancouver. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Parker, J. Delisle (26 February 1955). "He Paints The Cariboo Country (second part)". The Province. Vancouver. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "LCMS founders to be granted honorary KPU degrees". Langley Advance Times. 15 April 2018. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ "New middle school named for Langley artist, music school founder". Langley Advance Times. 27 September 2018. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ Jones, Natasha (29 October 2012). "Iris Preston bequeathed paintings to Township". Langley Advance Times. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Local top artists draw many viewers". Langley Advance. 28 May 1964. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Stampede Displays a Century of Art". Calgary Herald. 3 July 1967. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Business Beat". The Journal. Ashcroft. 28 June 1988. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Uytdewilligen, Ryan (19 February 2020). "West Fine Art Show honours the legacy of Langley artist Peter Ewart". Langley Advance Times. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
External links
edit- "Peter Ewart (1918-2001) - A Retrospective". Archived from the original on 16 May 2022.
- Peter Ewart, Pegasus Gallery