Prior Issue (Archive)
Internationally Renowned Artists
Living and Loving Saint John

Saint John has had a vibrant artistic community for many years. In 1908 the Saint John Art Club was organized with the objective of the general advancement of fine arts and the promoting and facilitating of greater knowledge and love of art on the part of the public generally.

Fred Ross, one of the City's most prominent artists, explains how the establishment of Saint John Vocational School was also a major factor on the artistic development of the city. He does mural painting and decoration, printmaking and drawing and has been the recipient of awards including the Freedom of the City from Saint John, the highest honour the city can give to an individual. Mr. Ross also received the Order of Canada. His work can be found in many locations across Canada including University of Calgary Library, Vancouver Art Gallery, National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In Saint John one of his murals can be found in the Main Hall of the Saint John Regional Library.

"I changed over to Vocational School when I was getting ready for high school and that was the best thing I ever did because first of all it was a wonderful school and the teachers were first rate and I had the good luck of meeting Ted Campbell who was a very well-known art teacher in the Province and a very fine painter himself. He became my mentor for quite a while and I progressed very quickly under his direction. He made me realize that it was possible at this age and time to be an artist, to make a living, to support yourself and to do valid and important work if you had the right combination of abilities."

Raymond Butler, another well known Saint John artist also went to Vocational School and was influenced by the school and its art teachers including Fred Ross. Later Ray lived in Fredericton and began taking courses at the University of New Brunswick from various famous Canadian artists who came there annually to do Art Programs. In 1992 he received the commemorative medal for the 125th anniversary of Confederation of Canada. Ray says, "Primarily I was interested in the City even in the years when we lived in Fredericton. I don't remember ever having done a Fredericton drawing but when I came back to Saint John, I painted Saint John almost exclusively. We have been to London, Greece, all across Canada two or three times, and painted Canada but I still like Saint John and I paint Saint John because it is changing all the time."

Fred Ross says, "Saint John is a naturally wonderful city, it is a very poor city and nobody pretends otherwise but it is a very beautiful city and the location - every time you look in a different direction because of the topography and so on, the views are wonderful. There is atmosphere and character. Everywhere you go you can see the water and look at the wonderful atmosphere we get with the fog, you might complain about it but when the sunlight shines through it, it is just gorgeous. It all depends on your perception and your mood."

The history of Saint John and his family background have had a major influence on Ray Butler's paintings. Looking at projects that I have worked on in Saint John, the Irish project is significant. It is a series of 6 oil paintings that are 4 x 6 feet and they tell the story of the Irish leaving Ireland and coming to Saint John and the coffin ships, the hardships that they had here. In my lifetime it is perhaps maybe my biggest or most worthwhile project. All in all it has been a worthwhile venture and Saint John being Canada's most Irish city it strikes a chord here. They are owned by and are
in Fitzpatrick‘s Funeral Parlour on Waterloo Street. They are one of the projects that I have made prints on. I have made prints on many of my paintings. There is a steady demand for Saint John prints in colour - so that is what I have done with many of my paintings".

The architectural legacy of Saint John often features stained glass. Paul Blaney, the owner of P&B stained glass, was born in England and emigrated to Saint John in 1963. He has chosen to live and work in Saint John. He wanted to be a commercial artist and went to art school to study. For the first three years, he did general art but for the final two years he was permitted to specialize. "I saw somebody doing stained glass one day", Paul explains, "thought I would try that too. I enjoyed doing it so my specialities became stained glass and lettering".

Exhibitions of Paul's work have been held at the New Brunswick Museum, University of New Brunswick, as well as various churches throughout the Maritimes - including St. Marks Church, Saint John, Carleton Kirk Church (interesting use of slab glass), Saint John City Hall and Saint John Regional Library.

Visitors can see the works of these and other Saint John artists by visiting The New Brunswick Museum, the Saint John Arts Centre and Trinity Galleries.

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