In Memory of Barry Jeeves

As published by The Buzz June 2015

Artist and potter Barry Jeeves died on May 10, 2015. Born in Toronto, Barry moved to Prince Edward Island in 1971 and had a great influence on the PEI art scene as a teacher and mentor. He studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and the Sir George Williams College of Art in Montreal and was an instructor at the Island’s School of Visual Arts.
Reflecting on her relationship with Barry Jeeves his student and friend, Arlene Rice, owner of Details Past and Present, says:

“I first met Barry Jeeves many years ago when I enrolled for an evening pottery class at the School of Visual Arts. Barry was the instructor. He was one of the most encouraging people I have ever met.

He was always in a positive mood and made you feel like your work had great potential.
“Years later I met Barry again when he approached me to carry his work in my gallery; I was thrilled. Whether it was a streetscape or a floral, his paintings always had a fresh, painterly look. He usually grew the flowers that he painted.

“I remember being at his home one time and admiring a large floral painting. I asked him if he had just finished it. He had a little smile on his face and said no, he had done that piece 40 years ago. That was a great testament of the timelessness of his work.

“When he started having difficulty getting around he would paint small streetscapes from his car, sizes that were small enough to handle within the confined space. They sold as quickly as he brought them in. He would call me when he was coming to town and I would meet him at his car to collect the paintings.

“Barry was one of the kindest and most talented people I have ever met and he leaves a great legacy to the art and craft world of PEI. There is a saying that those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach. Barry Jeeves was a man who did both with creativity, integrity and modesty. I will miss him.” Artist Richard Vickerson continues, “I met Barry about 1980. At that time Holland College School of Visual Arts was offering evening workshops and I decided to take Barry's painting class. I had always had an interest in painting, but I didn't really know how to get started. I had  some cheep oil paints, but found them impractical, so I began using a set of watercolours that I had purchased a few years before . Barry would have us paint still lives. I can still remember the subjects, his old lumberjack coat, work boots, flowers too old to sell from a local shop, a broken pot. I still have these paintings and come across them when I am in a mood to organize my chaotic studio. Barry's love for the process of painting was infectious. He would tell us stories of meeting a farmer who wondered what this man with flailing arms was doing in his field. He would find Barry vigorously painting a sunset before the colours faded. He instilled in all of us the idea that even the most modest subject was worth exploring, and in so doing, he opened up a new way of seeing the world around us. Over the years I have met many artists who have similar memories of Barry.  It would be difficult to measure the effect that Barry had on so many lives. I don't know when I would have come to watercolour, but my first efforts were with Barry. I will always remember his kind encouragement and guidance.”

Henry Purdy adds his comments: "I met Barry Jeeves in 1971 when he was hired as the Pottery Instructor for the Handcraft Training Centre. I was on the interview committee. I remember the committee being extremely impressed by Barry's personality and his desire to teach. Later, after he had left the teaching end of things to run his pottery business with Joan, he proved to be a great craftsperson." Purdy continues, "I hired Barry for Holland College to teach part time Pottery & Painting. He was an inspiration to all those students who came in contact with him. To this day I still have people mention the fact that Barry was so helpful, patient and encouraging to them as a teacher. The Island arts community has lost a very genuine, dedicated and gentle member....he will be missed."

Robert Doddridge - Wood Apple - PEI Art Auction

A unique piece of work by the late Bob Doddridge is up for auction at the annual PEI Art Auction organized by Gallery 18 in New London, PEI each summer. The piece is a wooden apple turned out of - you guessed it PEI apple wood.

Elizabeth Wilson - Afton: A Place in Time

Great article on Elizabeth Wilson the co-author of Afton a Place in Time.

As published in The Guardian - Jan 10, 2013

In the years before the West River Bridge was built in 1958, winter travel was tricky for people living along the south shore of P.E.I.

The existing roads were often of little use, so ice travel became popular and petrifying.

As soon as the roads filled with snow, travel to the capital city was mainly on an ice road, marked with brush to show the safest route across the Charlottetown Harbour.

On a December afternoon in 1936, Vera (Alchorn) MacEachern and her sister, Aletha, were on their way home to Fairview, after visiting their brother Lloyd, a patient at the Charlottetown Hospital.

“There was nothing we could do but set out by foot across the treacherous ice,” says MacEachern, during a telephone interview. Suddenly, a squall came up. “The sky turned from pale gray to blinding white. Very soon we couldn't see the shore. Then the footpath we were following vanished in the swirling snow. We walked for what seemed like hours and luckily stumbled onto the shore of New Dominion, made our way home and lived to tell the tale,” says the 89-year-old.

It’s one of the stories in Afton: A Place in Time. Launched last month, the community history covers the south shore neighbourhoods of New Dominion, Fairview, Rocky Point, Rice Point, Nine Mile Creek and Cumberland. With chapter titles like Pre-Settlement, Afton Pioneers, Seafaring and River Travel, Industry, Community and an entire section on Afton's soldiers, the 207-page book contains narratives and historical information on the area and its settlers. Afton: A Place in Time is receiving positive reviews from community members.

“It’s a great historical document for the community,” says Errol Taylor, chairman of the board of Afton Community Centre.

“The fact that it has been pulled together by a committee is great. It honours our veterans and the residents of the community and records the history of various cultures like the Mi'kmaqs that have been a part of Prince Edward Island," Taylor says.

Gina Rankin, chair of the Community of Afton, is also happy with the book.

“I'm pleased for the whole community. I’m also pleased for the co-authors Natalie Carragher and Elizabeth Wilson and everyone who has worked on it,” Rankin says.

The project has been a “labour of love” for Wilson.

“For me, it’s a way to give back to a community that has welcomed me, because I'm not from here," says Wilson, who was born in Ontario, raised in Alberta, moved to P.E.I. in 1976 has been living in Rice Point since 1980.

The book was also a great way to engage young people.

“Whether they were involved in putting the book together or will be using the book in the future for a school project, it's important to engage youth... and help them develop a sense of community,” says Wilson, one of a dozen people who worked on it.

Her co-author agrees. “I felt privileged to be on the receiving end of the stories (during the) interview process,” says Carragher, who is from Cumberland.

As she edited and pieced the book together, she realized the contribution she was making to her community.

“A lot of the history dies with the community members, unless it's captured and written about. So without anyone to capture them, these stories were soon to be lost," says Carragher, currently enrolled in the masters of communications program at Ryerson University in Toronto.

But there were other reasons Wilson started researching the book in 2010. She had gathered information on the veterans from the community of Afton and had written part of the manuscript.

“It was important to honour the soldiers that fought in the First World War, Second World War and Korean War," says Wilson who in her personal life was fighting a war of her own.

“I was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2010. Somehow, working on this project motivated me, making my life more purposeful. So it become one more thing that needed to be done. Co-writing the book helped keep my mind off personal matters," she says.

What's next?

“History never ends. We're always finding more stuff. The committee received more information after the book was printed. We did our best, but I’m sure that as people read the book they'll have more things to say.”

AT A GLANCE

Fast facts

What: Afton: A Place in Time

Completed: By the Afton Computer Resource Club.

Researchers: Andrea Angus, Kristin Nicholson, Jennifer Fanning, Bobby McNally, Natalie Carragher and Alicia Carter.

Editors: Marie Nantes, Elizabeth Wilson, Sydonia Kerry, Patti Machell, Natalie Carragher.

Funded by: P.E.I.'s department of innovation and advanced learning and department of innovation and advanced learning and Skills P.E.I.

Copies: Available at P.E.I. bookstores.

Great article published in  in The Buzz in December 2012 on Ron Arvidson, who had been the pottery instructor at Holland College School of Visual Arts.

Ron Arvidson, The Art of the Organic

Profile by Jane Ledwell

The first time Ron Arvidson saw a potter transforming an unformed lump of clay, the young art student knew it was a “magical” art he wanted to master. After creating pottery professionally more than 40 years, the soft-spoken potter makes modest claims for his magic. “I try to grow from one piece to another,” he says. “One [piece] has to be better than the last… There’s no fun doing it the same again and again.” Ron says, “I like the whole thing to be brought together—colour and texture matched to the organic form of the clay.”

Ron says that to support this evolution, he tends to “work in series, evolved from a particular image.” An avid birder, he says, “Bird images come up again and again and again. Landscape is involved in a lot of them too.” Though the landscape used to be “really literal,” more recent pots subtly build from earth imagery at the foot, through lines of overlapping glaze, towards sky at the top.

His current work is a series of plates in black-and-white based on drawings of birds—crows, heron, osprey. “They are more realistic,” he says, and yet, “drawing with white is not just lines developing: it’s removing the black. It’s like a wood cut—a process of taking away.” His hope is each piece will be “a drawing you don’t have to frame.”

The plates capture Ron’s love of birds. “Birding is a great occupation,” Ron says. “People can bring birds into their life… Even a backyard birdfeeder can develop into something beyond that; it can lead to an understanding and appreciation beyond that. You can develop a sensitivity to nature.”

Such sensitivity takes effort to value in a mass-produced consumer world. Examining the serviceable mug and cutlery before him at the café where we meet, Ron comments practically, “It’s getting to a point you don’t really need the item that is handmade, that has a design component or decoration.” The mass-produced stuff, though, is “pretty sterile, pretty much the same.”

He muses, “Now that you can go to a computer and create a design on the computer and have a 3D image printed, it’s hard to justify making something that starts with a ball of clay. But,” he says hopefully, “I think there’s a growing movement to appreciate nature”—and along with it, the organic, handmade, and artisanal.

“Plan B” protests against highway development and habitat destruction underscore this for Ron. “Plan B shows it has gotten to a point things have gone a little too far. Making products has gone too far.

“People are not happy with things being imposed on them and want to take control of their environment and what they have in their homes. They want not just mass-produced [stuff], but more and more people appreciate the hand-crafted item, the homemade loaf of bread, the homemade meal. They appreciate [things that are] locally made from local products.” He feels sure “this is going to become more central.”

The work of a potter is often solitary, so connecting to others through teaching is “essential” to Ron. He says, “It comes back to the fact that working in the studio, I didn’t like working alone all the time. I like the idea of working with other people and talking to people on a regular basis. I like working with others solving problems, and getting others’ input.”

Beginning a career in the handmade, Ron says, “is like a young farmer—it is not an easy pathway… You’re going to have to grasp a path and take it on yourself to explore.” He speaks admiringly of the new generation of Island artisans doing exactly that.

Ron now reflects on one of his biggest early influences, Saskatchewan potter Jack Sures, and realizes his hallmark was “he approached it as an artistic endeavour.” Pressed to suggest how he wants his own work remembered, Ron Arvidson says, “I want people to appreciate it for the quality of workmanship, and for real growth and development and change over time.” Clay doesn’t change or grow without the potter’s hand, the artist endeavouring.

Katharine Dagg featured at Details Past and Present Gallery

Details Past and Present Gallery on Richmond St. in Charlottetown features the work of Katharine Dagg, who was a design instructor at Holland College School of Visual Arts in the 1970's. A biography of Katharine is located on the gallery site

Katharine is a resident of PEI, having moved here over 30 years ago. She holds a BFA from the University of Manitoba, majoring in drawing and painting and minoring in ceramics. She has worked as an Arts and Crafts officer for the government of the North West Territories instructing, developing and promoting arts and crafts with the native people. She also worked for Canadian Arctic Producers setting up and displaying Inuit art shows in Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, Montreal and Toronto. Her dream was to live and work as a potter and hopefully, find time to paint. The pottery dream was fulfilled as a partner with Sandi Mahon at Stoneware Pottery, a successful studio business that they ran for over 30 years. She now finds time to pursue her passion for painting. Says Dagg, "I am mad about colour. There is no room for beige in my life! I'm inspired by nature and the human figure and faces that tell a story. I can be tempted by heady blossoms gossiping over a fence,or luscious fruits and vegetable overflowing in great crockery - abundance, beauty and colour.

Bob Doddridge - A Legacy in Wood

Award winning chair designed and created by Bob Doddridge (wood) and Ian Scott (leather).

The legacy of Bob Doddridge, former Holland College School of Visual Arts wood instructor Bob Doddridge who died in 2005 remains a significant part of the arts and cultural development of Prince Edward Island. His life as an college instructor had a significant impact on his students at a time that the crafts industry was just emerging on PEI. His knowledge and “can do” attitude have been sited by industry leaders as having a major impact on their determination to succeed in a field where few had prospered previously.

Bob's commitment as an artisan himself during his teaching career and in retirement showed his students that understanding construction techniques while being of great significance, that it was the hands-on aspect of achieving high quality finished work that was the end goal.

His daily work ethic was exemplar in many ways and showed his almost undivided attention to detail and to practicing his craft.

Award winning chair designed and created by Bob Doddridge (wood) and Ian Scott (leather).

This collection of images are an indication of the beautiful work that Bob created and which still graces homes, offices and public building. Enduring - strong - natural wood - created to last and continuing to serve, these are words that describe Bob's work and also reflect his outlook on his work.

 Chair designed and created by Bob Doddridge.

 Assorted items by Bob Doddridge.

Lectern by Bob Doddridge.

Chancellor's chair UPEI -  by Bob Doddridge.

Crest of UPEI - carved by Bob Doddridge.

Bob Doddridge at work.

Mural for Canadian Coast Guard College designed by Henry Purdy, carved by Bob Doddridge.

Statue designed by Henry Purdy, carved by Bob Doddridge.

Bob Doddridge - Memorial Trees in Trust

Diane and Jacques Gaudreau of Gaudreau Fine Woodworking Artisans have made a donation in memory of former School of Visual Arts wood instructor Bob Doddridge. They writes "We invite anyone who wishes to dedicate a piece of island forest as a memorial to Bob to please visit: Memorial Trees in Trust."

Well done Diane and Jacques.

Holland College Launches History Book

Wayne MacKinnon, author of the newly-released A Record of Achievement, a history of the first 25 years of Holland College.

Newsrelease by Holland College

Wednesday, September 17, 2008. Charlottetown, PE - Former staff, students, members of program advisory committees and the public are invited to attend the book launch of A Record of Achievement - Holland College the First 25 Years on Thursday, September 25 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the cafeteria in the Charlottetown Centre.

A joint project of the Association of Holland College Retirees and the college, A Record of Achievement delves into the political, economic, and social motivation behind the creation of the college in 1968, as well as the college's revolutionary approach to learning. Well-known historian and author Wayne MacKinnon, who wrote the book, says the college was a trail-blazer right from the start.

"Holland College acquired an international reputation for its pioneering work in competency based education," said MacKinnon. "The success of its students is a testament to the way in which the college responded to the need for skilled workers in a changing economy."

Holland College President Dr. Brian McMillan says the publication of the book couldn't have come at a better time.

"The college is preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary. This is an excellent time to acknowledge and honour the individuals, businesses, industries, and governments that helped to create an institution that has become highly recognized not only across Canada, but also on the world stage."

Davida Stewart, ASCHOR's History Committee convener, is pleased to see the project come to fruition.

"Members of the ASHCOR committee viewed the development of a written record and collection of archival material as a task in which they truly believed and wanted to see accomplished. This goal has now been achieved," she said.

In conjunction with the book launch, a collection of Holland College memorabilia will be on display in the lobby of the new wing of the Charlottetown Centre, at the Kent Street entrance, and the Holland College library will showcase the results of its digital archives project.

The book is available for purchase at the Holland College bookstores in the Charlottetown Centre and at the Atlantic Police Academy in Summerside, or may be ordered by calling the Holland College Bookstore at (902) 566-9548 or by e-mailing clambert@hollandcollege.com.

Sara Underwood
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Foundation and Corporate Advancement
Holland College
140 Weymouth Street
Charlottetown, PE C1A 4Z1
Tel: (902) 566-9695
Fax: (902) 629-4268

Article on Henry Purdy - former director of Holland College SVA

This article was published by the PEI Provincial Art Bank
HENRY PURDY, C.M., F.R.S.A., R.C.A., A.N.S.C.A.

Henry Purdy is a professional visual artist working on Prince Edward Island for more than 46 years. He was elected into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1978 and had been on the executive and council of the Academy, representing the Atlantic provinces, for a number of years. He was awarded the Royal Society of Arts medal in 1981 for his contribution to the Fine Arts in the Atlantic region. Purdy is a past member of the Canada Council (appointed in 1984 and reappointed in 1987). He served on the Board of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, as P.E.I.’s representative, for several years. Purdy served on the Board of the Confederation Centre of the Arts appointed by the provincial government, from 1984 until 1991.

His works are in collections, private and corporate, in many countries including the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany as well as in every province in Canada. A partial listing of Canadian collectors (collections): PEI Mutual Fire Insurance; City of Moncton; City of Saint John; Confederation Centre of the Arts; RCMP Headquarters, Charlottetown; University of Prince Edward Island; Holland College; Atlantic Tourism and Hospitality Institute; University of New Brunswick; St. Mary’s University; Memorial University; Canadian Coast Guard College, Sydney; Dofasco, Hamilton, Ontario; Avon of Canada; Stentor Management, Ottawa, The Canadiana Fund, Ottawa; McInnes Cooper, Charlottetown; and the Royal Canadian Mint. These works include sculptures, paintings, prints and drawings. A major sculptural piece was commissioned and installed at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in 1973.

Purdy has had over 100 exhibitions from 1958-2005 and has participated in group exhibitions throughout 1994. He has had solo exhibitions at Ellen’s Creek Gallery in Charlottetown and at the City Hall Gallery in Moncton. A major exhibition, Henry Purdy: Freedom Comes Inside Out, was organized and shown at the Confederation Centre of the Arts Gallery in 1999. A book of his drawings entitled, Prince Edward Island Sketchbook, was published by Four East Publications of Nova Scotia in 1981. He collaborated with Rev. Adrien Arsenault in producing a number of books of poetry and drawings. Purdy’s Lady Slipper design for a $350 gold coin for the Royal Canadian Mint was selected and minted in 1999. Purdy was awarded te Lister Memorial Trophy by the PEI Crafts Council as the Outstanding craftsperson in 1992 and awarded an honorary life membership in 2002. He received the prestigious 125 Commemorative Medal presented by the Government of Canada in 1992. Purdy was one of the founding members of the PEI Council of the Arts in 1973. He served as Chairperson of the Council, and was the crafts representative in 1998. Purdy is a past president with the PEI Crafts Council and was the Chairperson of the Standards Committee. He was one of the founding staff members of the Holland College in 1969, creating the Commercial Design Program and was Director of the Centre of Creative Arts at the College from 1977 to 1992. He is the Past/Founding Chair of Holland College Association of Retiree (2001). He is the Past Vice-President of the Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island (2001). Purdy conducts art workshops and courses throughout PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He is a sessional lecturer with the University of Prince Edward Island for the Fine Arts Studio 111 course.

Purdy was awarded the Fr. Adrien Arsenault Senior Arts Award by the PEI Council of the Arts in 1996. This award recognizes excellence of work and contribution to the professional arts in the province over a substantial period of time and is the most significant arts award given in the province. Purdy was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2001 and was presented with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Purdy lives with his wife in Charlottetown and has three children.

Purdy can be reached at hpurdy@eastlink.ca or by phone at 894-410

Important Island artist and arts advocate dies in December

Hilda Woolnough passes

as published in The BUZZ, Jan 2008

Hilda Woolnough, a visual artist and strong supporter of the arts, died Tuesday, December 11.

For over 30 years on Prince Edward Island, Hilda Woolnough was an artist, teacher, advocate and champion of artists’ rights. She was the driving force behind The Phoenix Gallery, The Gallery-On-Demand, the Great George Street Gallery, The Arts Guild, the Printmakers Council and the Student Art Expo. She served on the boards of many professional provincial and federal arts organizations, and was a lifetime member of the PEI Council of the Arts. In recognition of her contributions to the arts in Prince Edward Island, the Council awarded her the Father Adrien Arsenault Senior Arts Award in 1999. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy in the same year.

Woolnough was born in Northampton, England in 1934; her mother, uncle, and brother were all artists. Woolnough attended the Chelsea School of Art in London, studying with Henry Moore, and graduated with an MFA. She immigrated to Canada in 1957 and soon after made her way to PEI. With her husband, UPEI professor, writer and publisher, Reshard Gool (1931-1989), they formed part of the nucleus for a vibrant arts community.

Woolnough had solo exhibitions across Canada, in Mexico and Jamaica, and was included in group exhibitions in Japan and Spain. Solo exhibitions of her work were mounted at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in 1976 (which toured the Atlantic region), 1991, 2001, and 2005. Her work is in numerous public, and private collections, including the Musée des beaux arts, Montreal, Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the New Brunswick Museum, Memorial University, St. John’s, and the Canada Council Art Bank.

The Confederation Centre Art Gallery will present a selection of Woolnough works from the gallery collection, in January and February 2008, and continue to develop a retrospective planned for Summer 2009.

To honour Hilda’s contribution to the arts on Prince Edward Island and her dedication to arts and youth the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts has established the “Hilda Woolnough Memorial Scholarship” for Island students pursuing post-secondary education in visual arts, and who are in their first or second year of study.

The February issue of The Buzz will feature a special tribute to Hilda Woolnough.

Blog editors note: Hilda served as design instructor at Holland College School of Visual Arts in the crafts section of the school in the 1980's. Besides her career as an artist and arts advocate, she shared her great passion with her students, for the integration of strong design principles in handcraft design.

Hilda Woolnough Remembered

Island artist and arts advocate passes.

As published by the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts, Jan 11, 2008

The Island Arts Newsletter

Volume 3 Issue 58 - The Standard Edition

Editors note: Hilda served as design instructor at Holland College School of Visual Arts in the crafts section of the school in the 1980's. Besides her career as an artist and arts advocate, she shared her great passion with her students, for the integration of strong design principles in handcraft design.

The Prince Edward Island arts community lost a vibrant and colourful member on December 12, 2007.

Hilda Woolnough was a renowned artist and printmaker, but she was much more to fellow artists. She was a tireless champion of artist's rights and opportunities and the driving force behind The Phoenix Gallery, The Gallery-On-Demand, the Great George Street Gallery, The Arts Guild, the Printmakers Council and the Student Art Expo. Hilda served on the boards of many professional provincial and federal arts organizations, and was a lifetime member of the PEI Council of the Arts. In recognition of her contributions to the arts in Prince Edward Island, the Council awarded her the Father Adrien Arsenault Senior Arts Award in 1999. That same year, she was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy. Hilda's work is in many public and private collections including the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Canada Council Art Bank.

Hilda was born in Northampton, England and immigrated to Canada in 1957, settling in Hamilton, Ontario. After time spent in Mexico, where she earned a Master's of Fine Art degree at the San Miguel de Allende Instituto; in London, England, where she did post-graduate work at the Central School of Art and Design; and in Kingston, Jamaica, where she designed the etching and lithography departments at the Jamaica School of Art; Hilda found her way to PEI. Together with her husband, UPEI professor, writer and publisher, Reshard Gool, who died in 1989, she formed part of the nucleus for a vibrant arts community. Indeed, her elegant presence, colourful clothes and opinions made an occasion of every event she attended.

To honour Hilda's contribution to the arts on Prince Edward Island and her dedication to arts and youth the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts has established the "Hilda Woolnough Memorial Scholarship" for Island students pursuing post-secondary education in visual arts and who or in their first or second years of study.

"Being new to the Island, I did not know Hilda personally. However, it was impossible not hear people speak of her and her effect on the Island's Arts landscape. We have lost a tremendous champion of the Arts and of artists. Through this scholarship, it is our hope that future generations of Island artists will also remember Hilda and her enduring contribution to the Island." said Greg Doran, the Council's Chairperson.

The Board and staff of the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts extend their condolences to Hilda's friends and family. She will be missed, but she has left a wonderful legacy for artists both on the Island and throughout Canada.

The Handcraft Training Centre

The roots of formal craft training on PEI go back to the 1960's when the Handcraft Training Centre was created. While various locations were used to teach courses and hold extension programs the main location was in a former provincial health laboratory located at 188 Prince St. in Charlottetown. Barry Jeeves came to PEI in 1971 from Banff, Alberta to teach the pottery program at the Handcraft Training Centre.
L>R Daphne Large, an extension pottery instructor and Eileen Brophy, a pottery student in the pottery studio of the Handcraft Training Centre.
Ann Morrison, a leather student at work in the leather studio of the Handcraft Training Centre.

Eventually the building of a new building in the early 1970's led to the relocation of the Centre to Burns Ave. in West Royalty. The operation became part of Holland College and was renamed the Holland College School of Visual Arts.

Prince Edward Island Sketchbook

When Henry Purdy, the director of Holland College School of Visual Arts, published Prince Edward Island Sketchbook in 1981, four of the subjects of sketches in the book were instructors in the school.

Trudi Walker - Weaving Instructor

Ron Arvidson - Clay Instructor

Ian Scott - Leather Instructor

Bob Doddridge - Wood Instructor

Raku Workshop with Christopher Thompson 1988

Workshops were a great tradition at the School of Visual Arts - they were a time to celebrate and to learn from master craftspeople. They were open to anyone who wanted to register and tended to connect students to practicing artisans across the Island and to the larger crafts community internationally.

An open slide show by the visiting artisan helped to bring the broader world of fine craft to PEI, and to share the excellent work taking place on Prince Edward Island with the larger community.

1st Annual - Pro Am Clay Challenge - 1988

Media personality, Wylaine LeFoye is paired with Island potter Daphne Large - to produce a joint piece and prove that mud and media do mix (or something like that).

Remembering Bob Doddridge (1942-2005)

Bob Doddridge, Master Woodworker (1942-2005)
By Ian Scott, published in The BUZZ

The recent death of Bob Doddridge, marked the passage of an era for fine craft on PEI. His waterfront studio in Charlottetown, was the source of some of the finest woodworking Islanders have seen, while his influence on students and heritage conservation is equally of the highest order. As a furniture maker, his commissioned work is treasured in public buildings, churches and private collections locally, as well as every province of Canada.

Bob arrived on PEI in 1969 to work with PEI NewStart, a job training program in Montague. He played hockey with the Montague Vikings, and made lifelong friends before going to graduate school in 1971.

I met Bob when we both became instructors at what was eventually called Holland College School of Visual Arts. From 1974 to 1998 he shared his love of woodworking, and passion for high quality design with an entire generation of Island woodworkers. Working every evening and weekend he also remained a prolific craftsman. His finishes allowed full expression of rich natural wood colours with oil-based finishes creating silky smooth surfaces.

Raised in Sillery, a suburb of Quebec City his early success in hockey continued through all his university years. He was leading scorer for Ryerson in Toronto, while graduating in Furniture and Interior Design in 1964. In 1969 he earned a BSc, while on an assistantship at the State University of New York at Oswega, and he completed a Masters in Industrial Arts Education from Ball State University in Indiana in 1972.

After several early renovation projects with friends, Bob tackled the complete restoration of 66 Great George St. which was in a dilapidated block of Charlottetown in 1976. He was one of the first to realize the potential of recreating high quality living spaces within the historic downtown. Creating two attractive units, he lived in the upper apartment, with a Scotch dormer overlooking Province House and the waterfront. The building is now part of the Inns on Great George.

Lacking workshop space, Bob moved to North River Road, renovating again, and created a new waterfront studio surrounded by nature.

Retiring from the College in 1998, he continued to create presentation awards, furniture and large carvings. His work was exhibited during the 70's, 80's and 90's, winning awards, but the testament that will likely remain even stronger is his influence on woodworkers in raising the level of craft design on PEI.

Diagnosed with lung cancer, even when hospitalized in the fall, he was determined to return home daily, where he could assist with completion of the final commissions he had started. It was only after these were completed, that he slipped away on October 30th at the age of 63.

The legacy remains of well designed, substantial creations with the natural warmth of wood revealed - reminding us of values Bob held high. The impact he had will ensure that the name Doddridge will continue to represent the finest of 20th century work, in the enduring way that Isaac Smith's buildings or Mark Butcher's furniture speak of excellence from the 19th century.