Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"THE POST OFFICE"

Date

1999

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

2

Height

0.1

Length

41.3

Width

31.1

Description

UNFRAMED PRINT. WATERCOLOUR PAINTING OF THE LETHBRIDGE POST OFFICE. IN THE FOREGROUND ARE PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET, AND A MAN WALKING HIS DOG. THE CLOCK ON THE POST OFFICE TOWER SHOWS "6:45". THE PAINTING IS SIGNED IN LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER "CATHERINE ANN ABLE (C)1999". PRINTED BELOW PICTURE IS "PP 2/10 THE POST OFFICE CATHERINE ANN ABEL PUBLISHED BY THE SURREAL RENAISSANCE ART STUDIO (C) COPYRIGHT CATHERINE ANN ABEL 2000 PRINTED IN CANADA". INCLUDED WITH PRINT IS A SLIP OF PAPER; LIGHT YELLOW WITH BLACK PRINT. THE PAPER SHOWS TWO SAMPLES OF ARTIST'S PRINTS, GIVES INFO. AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON EACH OF THE PRINTS, AS WELL AS INFO. ABOUT THE ARTIST; "CANADIAN HERITAGE ARTIST CATHERINE ANN ABEL PRESENTS".

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PRINT DONATED TO MUSEUM BY ARTIST CATHERINE ANN ABLE. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE ARTIST, CATHERINE ANN ABEL, WAS FOUND IN A STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY PRODUCED BY THE ARTIST FOR HER 'LANDMARK STRUCTURES OF LETHBRIDGE' SERIES: "CATHERINE ANN ABEL SHOWED A NATURAL TALENT FOR DRAWING AS A CHILD. SHE PURSUED FORMAL TRAINING FROM THE VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF ART, THE PITTSBURGH ART INSTITUTE AND DISNEY INSTITUTE IN FLORIDA, AS WELL AS BY APPRENTICESHIP. CATHERINE HAS RECEIVED AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND MUCH RECOGNITION FOR HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. BEGINNING HER CAREER AS A DIVERSIFIED FREELANCE ARTIST, SHE WAS LATER EMPLOYED BY CBC TV AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND COURTROOM SKETCH ARTIST. SHE HAS ALSO TAUGHT A VARIETY OF ART PROGRAMS. TODAY, SHE IS KNOWN AS A CANADIAN HERITAGE ARTIST, SPECIALIZING IN HISTORICALLY ACCURATE WATERCOLOR PORTRAYALS OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS. CATHERINE CURRENTLY PURSUES HER LOVE OF FINE ART FROM HER HOME STUDIO IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA AND HAS SOLD OUT SEVERAL SELF-PUBLISHED PRINT EDITIONS OF HER WORK". THE STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY ALSO PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF THIS PRINT, THE LETHBRIDGE POST OFFICE BUILDING: "THIS PROMINENT VINTAGE BUILDING, WITH ITS ELEGANT REPEATING ROMAN ARCHED WINDOWS AND ENTRIES, SUPPORTS A STATELY CLOCK TOWER CROWNED WITH A COPPER-SHEATHED MANSARD PEAK. THE TOWER'S CUSTOM DEISGNED ENGLISH CLOCK'S FOUR FACES CONTINUE TO GIVE US THE CORRECT TIME AS WELL AS AUNIQUE REFERENCE POINT FROM ITS CENTRAL DOWNTOWN LOCATION. THIS BUILDING'S ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, AS PORTRAYED IN THIS PAINTING, WAS COMMONLY USED ACROSS WESTERN CANADA. HOWEVER, THE LETHBRIDGE POST OFFICE IS ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING ONES OF ITS KIND THAT IT STILL IN OPERATION [AS OF THE YEAR OF THIS SURVEY, 2015]. THE POST OFFICE, DEDICATED IN 1913, PROVIDES PEOPLE TODAY WITH A SENSE OF CONTINUITY AND A STRONG VISUAL LINK TO THE PAST." SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY.

Catalogue Number

P20000090001

Acquisition Date

2001-07

Collection

Museum

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