Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BREWERY GARDENS

Date

1969

Materials

GLASS, PAPER, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Length

61

Width

101.5

Description

FRAMED WATERCOLOR OF BREWERY GARDEN, BREWERY IN LEFT BACKGROUND & HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE IN RIGHT BACKGROUND. PLAQUE BC READS: "PRESENTED TO MOLSON'S BREWERIES LIMITED BY THE BRIDGE PLAYERS OF ALBERTA IN DEEP APPRECIATION OF YOUR HELP CALGARY UNIT. EDMONTON UNIT. LETHBRIDGE UNIT. JULY 1969". ARTIST SIGNATURE BL "KUNIYOSHI MASADA 1969" ALSO JAPANESE CHARACTERS & STAMP.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

FRAMED IN LETHBRIDGE AS IDENTIFIED BY TAG: "A.E. CROSS 710 3RD AVE. S. LETHBRIDGE, ALTA." TYPED SHEET TAPED TO BOTTOM REAR STATES: "WATERCOLOR PAINTING OF SICKS' LETHBRIDGE BREWERY GARDEN BY KUNIYOSHI MASADA, A JAPANESE ARTIST WHILE FURTHERING HIS ART STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE 1969. MR MASADA COMMENCED HIS CAREER IN JAPAN STUDYING AT AN ARTIST SCHOOL IN OSAKA JAPAN THE LOCATION OF EXPO 70." PAINTING HUNG IN "PENTHOUSE" OFFICE OF THE BREWERY ADJACENT TO THE BREWMASTER'S & LAB OFFICES. SEE P19900020001-GA FOR LETHBRIDGE BREWERY HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY GARDENS WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE GALT MUSEUM BROCHURE 'ALBERTA'S PRIDE: A HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY' AND RECORD P19900020032. THE BREWERY GARDENS, LOCATED ON THE NORTHWEST HILLSIDE ADJACENT TO THE SICK'S BREWERY, WERE DESIGNED IN 1949 WITH THE HELP OF DR. W.H. FAIRFIELD, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT OF THE LOCAL DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARM. THE GARDENS WERE PLANTED WITH THE INTENTION OF KEEPING THE HILL FROM SLIDING, BUT BECAME A TOURIST ATTRACTION, WINNING NUMEROUS AWARDS. INITIALLY THE GARDENS FEATURED A CENTREPIECE "6" IN PLANTS AND FLOWERS THAT WERE MAINTAINED BY HEAD GARDENER TOM JONES. THE GARDENS WERE EXPANDED IN 1958 WHEN MORE SPRUCE TREES WERE PLANTED TO FORM A WINDBREAK, AND AGAIN IN 1965 WHEN A ROCK GARDEN AND WATERFALL WERE INSTALLED. WHEN THE BREWERY CEASED OPERATION IN 1990, THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE TOOK OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BREWERY GARDENS. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST, KUNIYOSHI MASADA, WAS NOT FOUND, BUT HE WAS FEATURED IN AN ARTICLE FROM THE JULY 3, 1968 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. MASADA SPENT THE SUMMER OF 1968 PAINTING WATERCOLOURS IN THE NIKKA YUKO JAPANESE GARDEN, WHICH WERE THEN EXHIBITED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE LETHBRIDGE EATON'S STORE. MASADA WAS A STUDENT AT THE ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART, THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE, AND THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS, AND RECEIVED A HUDSON'S BAY SCHOLARSHIP TOWARD HIS STUDIES. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPY OF ARTICLE ABOUT MASADA'S PAINTINGS.

Catalogue Number

P19900020028

Acquisition Date

1990-05

Collection

Museum

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