Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CONVIVIAL FRIENDS

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

WOOD, MASONITE

No. Pieces

1

Length

60.8

Width

51

Description

FRAMED OIL PAINTING ON MASONITE. INTERIOR SCENE 5 MEN AROUND A TABLE, 2 OTHER MEN IN ROOM. SIGNED LR "RUSS TRAVERS" PAINTING IS PULLING AWAY FROM FRAME. LABEL REVERSE: "LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB" IDENTIFIES ARTIST NAME, ADDRESS & TITLE OF PIECE. N.D. SEE CONSERVATION REPORT.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

ARTIST RUSS TRAVERS PAINTED SCENE AS A MEMBER OF LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. BREWERY SPONSORED COMPETITION IN 1967 TO COMMEMORATE CANADA'S CENTENNIAL, THIS LIKELY PRODUCED AT THAT TIME. SCENE SHOWS A ROOM FOR EMPLOYEES & FOR BREWERY FUNCTIONS IN BREWERY COMPLEX. IT WAS LOCATED IN A BASEMENT AREA & BECAME KNOWN AS THE "SNAKE ROOM" OR THE "SNAKE PIT". SEE P19900020001-GA FOR LETHBRIDGE BREWERY HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS (SOME OF WHICH ORIGINATED WITH THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY), AND CORRELATED THIS ARTIFACT'S ORIGINAL LOCATION (THE "SNAKE ROOM" AT THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY) WITH THE CONTENT OF TWO DONOR INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY COLLECTIONS TECH KEVIN MACLEAN. SEE RECORD P20120028003 FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH DONOR LINDA LIPTAK, WHO WORKED THE BAR AND FOOD SERVICE THERE, AND P20100013007 FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH DONOR GUNTER HORN, FORMER LETHBRIDGE BREWERY BREWMASTER. LIMITED BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE ARTIST, RUSS TRAVERS, WAS FOUND IN AN ARTICLE FROM THE NOVEMBER 28, 1967 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. RUSS TRAVERS MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1937 WITH HIS JOB POSTING AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AREA MANAGER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO SWIFT CURRENT, REGINA, AND WHITEHORSE IN BETWEEN 1939 AND 1948, WHEN HE WAS POSTED BACK IN LETHBRIDGE. TRAVERS WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE LETHBRIDGE CURLING CLUB, THE HENDERSON LAKE GOLF CLUB, AND THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. IN AN ARTICLE FROM THE MAY 20, 1967 ISSUE OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, TRAVERS IS LISTED AS WINNING THE SECOND PRIZE FOR THIS PAINTING, 'CONVIVAL FRIENDS', IN THE ARTISTS' DAYS CONTEST SPONSORED BY THE SICK'S BREWERY. IN NOVEMBER 1967, TRAVERS WAS TRANSFERRED TO CALGARY. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES. 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.”

Catalogue Number

P19900020087

Acquisition Date

1991-01

Collection

Museum

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