40 YEARS OF FINE ART
Masters Gallery celebrates
Rod Green celebrated the 30th anniversary of Masters Gallery a decade ago by providing a number of paintings by Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven for an exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London, which houses more than 600 European masterpieces.
To celebrate 40 years in business, the gallery — a respected dealer of historical, postwar and contemporary Canadian art — held a wonderful night for clients and friends that began with dinner at The Ranchmen’s Club, where Green is a longtime member and serves on its art committee. After dinner, guests were taken to the Glenbow Museum — celebrating its own 50th anniversary — to view the Lawren Harris painting recently donated by Imperial Oil.
Glenbow chairman Jim McLeod noted Green — who was appointed a fellow of Glenbow — has always been a generous contributor to the museum’s success.
After leaving the museum, guests arrived at Masters Gallery where they viewed an exhibition of Harris’ works that included 53 paintings.
Green began his career as a biologist, and even had a phytoplankton named after him. It was while helping his friend Peter Holer Sr., when Masters was located across the alley from its current 4th Street S.W. location, that he developed a passion for art. He joined the gallery full time in 1977.
Masters relocated to the block east of 8th Street on 17th Avenue S.W. in 1979 when that area was a destination district for art galleries and antique shops.
By 2002, Masters was the only surviving gallery, and moved back to 4th Street.
Green had taken over ownership of the gallery in 1986 when Holer moved to Vancouver where his son, Peter Holer Jr., now runs Masters Vancouver along historic Granville Street.
Another big change in the business took place earlier this year when Rod’s son Ryan was named president of Masters Gallery.
Ryan has worked in the gallery since he was a schoolboy.
He studied at the University of Calgary to obtain an art history degree and then left for England, where he earned a Masters in Art History at University College London, with a thesis on Florentine sculpture.
He was eager to return home to Masters to begin his chosen career as an art dealer, although his degree has allowed him to teach at the U of C.
Like his father, Ryan is passionate about his work and keen to educate people about the art scene. He welcomes visitors to walk into Masters and enjoy browsing. Regular clients often drop in for a coffee and cookie to relax in a calming atmosphere surrounded by the paintings of Emily Carr and Maxwell Bates, or a Joe Fafard horse statue.
Most galleries represent artists on commission, but Masters has always sought to buy its inventory; a huge confidence for purchasers who are welcomed back to tradeup when they want to increase the value of their collection.
The Dulwich also mounted an Emily Carr exhibition and Masters loaned it paintings borrowed from its Calgary friends.
The number of Carr and Harris paintings in this city gives some idea of the quality to be found in Calgary collections. Contemporary art is a department managed by gallerist Megan Paterson, who represents 12 artists, including several graduates of ACAD.
The other department is the custom framing shop where three full-time framers are kept very busy with in-house projects as well as with steady walk-in traffic. And as well as creating important exhibitions, Masters also publishes books that help educate people about Canadian art.
NEWS AND NOTES
The second annual Peter Burgener Memorial Charity Concert was held last week. More than 250 people enjoyed the show, which raised $35,000 for CAUSE.
I see Private Banking 1859 has moved into its new home in the elegant landmark building at the corner of 8th Avenue and 2nd Street S.W.