livingfeature
TYLER STEWART
P H O T O G R A P H Y : J E N A L S T O N , M PA ; I M A J E N P H O T O G R A P H Y
Faces of
Significance
2016 marks the 80th anniversary of
the Lethbridge Artists Club, and as
part of observing that milestone,
the club has planned a very special
event that celebrates those
in our community.
Lethbridge Artists Club President, Sue Wilkie, works on
her Faces of Significance portrait, in the background.
CAN YOU IMAGINE A CAREER LASTING EIGHT
D E C A D E S ? For the Lethbridge Artists Club, 80 years is not just a
milestone–it’s the chance for a fresh initiative to breathe new life into the
organization.
But how did the club get here? Lethbridge, it seems, has always been
fertile ground for the arts.
Founded in the living room of Miss Anna MacKenzie in 1936, the
club started as a way for six friends to share their passion for painting,
with one of their earliest influences being that of Miss Edith Fanny Kirk.
Her plein air approach to painting the surrounding region–recently
celebrated by a Galt Museum exhibition–was translated into a rich
educational experience for many of the club’s early members.
The Lethbridge Sketch Club, as it was known then, attracted many
guest instructors over the years, with many loaned from the newly formed
Banff School of Fine Arts. Even legendary Group of Seven member A.Y.
Jackson spent time sketching with students in the area, and these guest
instructors solidified the educational importance of the club.
Club President Sue Wilkie explains that the driving force behind the
club remains as important as ever. “Those original founding members
were very serious about making art–as are we,” Sue states.
LETHBRIDGELIVING.COM
JAN-FEB 2016
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