Material Type

Artifact

Date

1978

Materials

WOOD, GLASS, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

2

Length

55.1

Width

44.9

Description

WOOD FRAMED WATERCOLOUR PAINTING. IMAGE IS OF RED BRICK BUILDING DURING WINTER WITH SPRUCE TREES AND BARE TREE. BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER HAS ARTIST'S SIGNATURE "JESSIE R. WISENBACK". BEIGE CARDBOARD MATTING, WOOD FRAME HAS DOVETAIL CORNERS AND MEDIUM STAIN WITH CARVED ORNATE DESIGN, PAINTED GOLD. GOLD PAINT IS WORN ON THE CORNERS. CARDBOARD BACK HAS PENCIL MARKINGS "DONATED BY JESSIE R. WISENBACK PATIENT JULY/78 TO S MONICA OF ST. MIKES". CARDBOARD BACKING AND FRAME HAVE WATER STAINS. *2014 UPDATE* THE SIGNATURE WAS FOUND TO READ "JESSIE R. URSENBACH"

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

HEALTH SERVICES

History

RECIEVED FROM ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL BEFORE IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1996. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE FOUND THAT THE SIGNATURE ON THIS PAINTING HAD BEEN ERRONEOUSLY RECORDED AS "JESSIE R. WISENBACK", WHEN IT ACTUALLY MATCHES THOSE ON ARTWORKS DEFINITIVELY ATTRIBUTED TO LOCAL ARTIST JESSIE REDD URSENBACH. JESSIE REDD URSENBACH WAS BORN IN NEW HARMONY, UTAH ON AUGUST 15, 1895, TO WILLIAM AND VERENA BRYNER REDD. URSENBACH WAS RAISED AND EDUCATED IN RAYMOND, GRADUATING FROM THE KNIGHT ACADEMY IN 1912. SHE ATTENDED SUMMER SESSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA & THE ALBERTA NORMAL SCHOOL IN CALGARY, AND TAUGHT ART IN SCHOOLS IN RAYMOND, CARDSTON, AND GLENWOOD. SHE WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB & HANDLED CLUB PUBLICITY FOR MANY YEARS. URSENBACH ATTENDED THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS IN THE SUMMER OF 1937 ON A SCHOLARSHIP, AND CONTINUED PAINTING PROLIFICALLY FOR THE NEXT 11 YEARS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PROFESSOR H.G. GLYDE. URSENBACH ALSO RECEIVED ART TRAINING UNDER A.Y. JACKSON (GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST), AND STUDIED AT THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART IN TORONTO, STUDYING MODERN ART UNDER RODY COURTICES (THOUGH SHE PREFFERED THE MORE TRADITIONAL STYLES OF LANDSCAPE AND STILL LIFE). URSENBACH WAS AFFILIATED WITH THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF ARTISTS UNDER WHICH SHE EXHIBITED FROM COAST TO COAST, INCLUDING IN NEW YORK CITY AND CALIFORNIA. SHE TUTORED A LARGE CLASS OF PRIVATE PUPILS IN LETHBRIDGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL SHE BEGAN THE VOCATION OF MATRON AT THE LATTER DAY SAINTS TEMPLE IN CARDSTON. JESSIE URSENBACH DIED ON MAY 11, 1987. 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.” THE FOLLOWING HISTORY OF ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE GALT ARCHIVES, ARCHIVES CANADA ONLINE, AND RECORD P19960116001. ST. MICHAEL'S GENERAL HOSPITAL WAS FOUNDED IN LETHBRIDGE BY CATHOLIC SISTERS OF ST. MARTHA OF ANTIGONISH IN MAY 1929. THE FACILITY OF THE PRIVATELY-OWNED VAN HAARLEM HOSPITAL (1224 - 7TH AVE S.), ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 27 PATIENTS, WAS PURCHASED FOR $34000. A SMALL HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET SERVED AS A RESIDENCE FOR THE SISTERS, WITH ONE ROOM FURNISHED AS A CHAPEL. A HOSPITAL BOARD WAS FORMED, CONSISTING OF THE PARISH PRIEST AND SIX LOCAL BUSINESSMEN. IN COOPERATION WITH THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW MODERN 100-BED HOSPITAL STARTED IN 1930. HENRY WILLIAM MEECH WAS THE ARCHITECT FOR THE PROJECT. THE NEW BUILDING OPENED AT 9TH AVENUE AND 13TH ST SOUTH IN SEPTEMBER 1931. THE NEWLY NAMED ST. MICHAEL’S GENERAL HOSPITAL WAS NOW ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 100 PATIENTS, AND THE ORIGINAL GROUP OF DOCTORS INCLUDED D.A. MCNALLY, W.S. GALBRAITH, P.M. CAMPBELL, R. SHILLINGTON, G.W. LEECH, D. WOODCOCK, G.L. CONNOR, W. BRIANS, L.A. ROY, G. SPACKMAN, J.S. WRAY, B.O. FOWLER, J.E. LOVERING, F.W. SWANCESKY, D.A. TAYLOR, BRAITHWAITH, J.K. BIGELOW, AND A.A. HAIG. THE HOSPITAL CONTAINED CHILDREN'S, YOUTH AND PSYCHIATRIC WARDS, FOUR OPERATING ROOMS, A CHAPEL AND A SPECIAL WARD FOR CASUALTIES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND THE P.O.W. CAMP. IN 1932 THE HOSPITAL OBTAINED ACCREDITATION UNDER THE HOSPITAL STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR THE HOSPITAL WAS EXPANDED WITH AN 83-BED EAST WING, OPENING IN 1951. IN THE 1953, THE HOSPITAL RECEIVED A NEW NURSES' RESIDENCE AND THE SCHOOL OF NURSING; THE SCHOOL TRAINED OVER 500 NURSES OVER THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS. IN 1965 ANOTHER EXPANSION WING EXTENDED THE HOSPITAL’S CAPACITY TO 207 BEDS. THE SCHOOL OF NURSING CLOSED IN 1973, AND THE REMAINING SISTERS OF ST. MARTHA STILL WORKING IN THE HOSPITAL LIVED IN THE VACATED STUDENT RESIDENCES. IN 1984 OWNERSHIP OF THE HOSPITAL WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE ALBERTA CATHOLIC HOSPITAL FOUNDATION. IN 1986 FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES BEGAN TO APPEAR AND EVENTAULLY RESULTED IN THE HOSPITAL BEING CONVERTED TO ST. MICHAEL'S HEALTH CENTRE IN 1992, FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS OF LONG TERM PATIENTS. FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES CONTINUED UNTIL THE HOSPITAL WAS CLOSED IN 1995. ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1996. AT THE TIME OF THE 2014 SURVEY, THE FORMER HOSPITAL SITE HOUSED THE ST. THERESE VILLA, A LONGTERM NURSING CARE FACILITY, AND THE ST. MICHAEL'S HEALTH CENTRE, A MULTI-PURPOSE REHABILITATION, PALLATIVE AND CONTINUING CARE FACILITY, BOTH CONSTRUCTED IN THE LATE 1990S.

Catalogue Number

P19960116006

Acquisition Date

1996-01

Collection

Museum

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