Jack Shadbolt: Underpinnings
Works On Paper From The Collection
Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
University of British Columbia
1825 Main Mall
Vancouver, British Columbia,
May 1 to August 23, 2009
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 2, from 2 to 4 pm
Jack Shadbolt (1909-1998) is one of Canada's most important artists. He is known for his
paintings and murals that draw from his personal experiences and from the social and political
conflicts that have taken place in British Columbia and world history such as the struggles of the
First Nations, the Second World War, and the environmental movement. "Jack Shadbolt:
Underpinnings" is a celebration of Shadbolt's centenary and includes over 150 drawings,
sketches, and archival materials that date from the 1930s to the 1980s. One section of the
exhibition reveals the artist's technical approaches to large-scale mural work and also shows the
artist's creative approaches to themes that continue to resonate today.
Over the past two decades, the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery has benefited from a rich
relationship with the Shadbolts. The works of art that have been gifted by Jack and Doris
Shadbolt from 1996 to 1998, by Doris Shadbolt in 1998 after the death of her husband, and by
the Estate of Doris Shadbolt from 2008 to 2009 have deepened the Gallery's existing collection
of important work by this artist. The works are significant to the understanding of Shadbolt’s
production and to the history of Canadian art.
Jack Shadbolt was born in England in 1909 and with his family, came to Victoria, British Columbia
in 1921. He lived and taught in Victoria, Vancouver, and Burnaby. His work is represented in all
the major galleries across Canada as well as in corporate and private collections. Shadbolt's
numerous awards include The Order of Canada in 1972, an Honorary Degree from the University
of British Columbia, and in 1987 he and his wife, art historian and curator Doris Shadbolt,
established VIVA, the Vancouver Institute for Visual Arts, which supports and recognizes the
achievements of artists in British Columbia.
