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.