Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CRUCIFIXION

Date

1964

Materials

MASONITE, PAINT, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

92.6

Length

72.5

Width

2.9

Description

PAINT ON MASONITE. FLAT WOODEN FRAME PAINTED WHITE WITH VARIOUS SCRATCHES AND CHIPS. PAINTING DEPICTS AN ABSTRACTED SCENE WITH WOODEN BEAMS AND BACKGROUND. SIGNED AT BOTTOM RIGHT, “CATHERINE EVINS 64.” REVERSE OF FRAME HAS CORNERS REINFORCED WITH STAPLES. HANGING METHOD IS GREEN WIRE STRETCHED ACROSS BACK WITH EYEHOOKS. UPPER EDGE OF FRAME HAS “27” WITH “26” WRITTEN OVERTOP IN PERMANENT MARKER AND ENCLOSED WITHIN A CIRCLE. WRITTEN BESIDE IS, “26” IN PERMANENT MARKER. BOTTOM LEFT CORNER OF MASONITE HAS WATER DAMAGE WITH STAINING. UPPER RIGHT CORNER HAS WHITE PAINT APPLIED IN STROKES. BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER HAS TEXT WRITTEN IN PERMANENT MARKER THAT READS, “CRUCIFIXION, CATHERINE EVINS, 609 27TH ST N, LETHBRIDGE, MEDIUM MIXED $75.”

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

AGNUS CATHERINE “CATHY” EVINS (SEPTEMBER 22, 1921 - AUGUST 17, 1992) WAS BORN IN LISBURN, NORTHERN IRELAND. SHE BEGAN HER ARTISTIC TRAINING AT SIX WHEN SHE RECEIVED HER FIRST SET OF WATERCOLOURS. SHE RECEIVED FORMAL TRAINING AT THE BELFAST TECHNICAL INSTITUTE THROUGH THE NUMEROUS COURSES SHE ENROLLED IN. EVINS WENT ON TO SERVE IN THE RAF FROM 1940-1945. IN MARCH OF THAT YEAR, SHE AND HER FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO ALBERTA. SHE RECEIVED FURTHER FORMAL TRAINING AT THE CALGARY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, NOW SAIT. SHE LIVED IN NANTON BUT MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1964. FROM 1964-68, EVINS WAS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR THE ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL, BUT RESIGNED DUE TO IMPROPER BUDGETING AND LATENESS OF HER OWN SALARY. IN 1965, THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB ASKED HER TO HELP WITH CLASSES AT THE BOWMAN ARTS CENTRE. SHE CONTINUED TO TEACH CLASSES FOR THE CLUB INTO THE 1970S. IN 1967, SHE WAS COORDINATOR FOR THE BOWMAN ARTS CENTRE. THE CENTER FLOURISHED AS SHE GAVE DIFFERENT CLASSES TO EVERYONE FROM CHILDREN TO SENIORS, EVINS WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE CENTRE, AS THEIR FIVE YEAR GOAL HAD BEEN REACHED IN TWO. ALSO INVOLVED HEAVILY IN LOCAL THEATRE SINCE 1968, EVINS USED HER TALENTS FOR EVERYTHING FROM BACKGROUND PAINTING AND COSTUME DESIGN TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. EVINS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE LETHBRIDGE ARTS COMMUNITY FROM 1964 UNTIL HER DEATH THIRTY YEARS LATER ON AUGUST 17, 1992. THIS PARTICULAR WORK, CRUCIFIXION, WAS DISPLAYED AT A PUBLIC LIBRARY IN LETHBRIDGE IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY 1964. AT THE TIME OF DONATION, THE PAINTING WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. OVER THE YEARS, ARTIST, FAMILY MEMBERS AND PATRONS HAVE DONATED PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED WORKS BACK TO THE CLUB’S COLLECTION. THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB HELD THEIR FIRST MEETING AT THE HOME OF MISS ANNA MACKENZIE ON OCTOBER 7, 1936. EDITH FANNY KIRK WAS THE FIRST ART TEACHER IN LETHBRIDGE. SHE CAME FROM BRITAIN WITH CLASSICAL TRAINING AND IT WAS KIRK WHO SET THE STAGE FOR THE SKETCH CLUB TO COME INTO BEING. THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE FORMATION BY PROVIDING RECOGNITION OF ARTISTIC MERIT THROUGH DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS. ANNA MACKENZIE AND P.J. COLLINS CONCEIVED OF THE CLUB AFTER THEIR EXPERIENCE IN BANFF. THE GROUP WAS FORMED OUT OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC INTEREST IN ART AND SOON AFTER THE GROUP BEGAN MEETING, THERE WERE REGULAR EXHIBITIONS. THE GROUP WAS PRIVY TO THE ATTENTION OF GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST A.Y.JACKSON WHEN HE MADE HIS FREQUENT SKETCHING TRIPS TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE REGULARLY ACCOMPANIED THE SKETCH CLUB AND HIS INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN IN MUCH OF THEIR WORK. ANOTHER GUEST OF THE GROUP WAS ANNORA BROWN WHO WAS AN ARTIST WHO HAD TRAINED IN TORONTO, BUT RESIDED IN FORT MACLEOD AND BEGAN SPENDING TIME WITH THE GROUP IN 1939. HER INTEREST IN FLOWER STUDIES IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE INSPIRED MANY OF THE WORKS BY CLUB MEMBERS. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THE GROUP ORGANIZED SUMMER CLASSES TAUGHT BY OUT OF TOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS: H.G.GLYDE, WALTER J. PHILIPS AND A.C. LEIGHTON. ACCORDING TO A HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB WRITTEN BY JOAN STEBBINS IN JUNE, 1985, “THE PAINTINGS OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB PORTRAY FAVOURITE SKETCHING AREAS IN THE REGION – THE COULEES PROVIDED ENDLESS MATERIAL, THE RIVERBOTTOM, THE OLD R.C.M.P. BARRACKS, THE WHITNEY FARM, HENDERSON LAKE, THE FELGER HUTTERITE COLONY, THE FOOTHILLS AND WATERTON LAKE WERE OFTEN REPEATED SUBJECTS.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120030002

Acquisition Date

2012-08

Collection

Museum

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