DAVID SIDLEY
Current Address: Box 1217 Rossland, B.C. Canada V0G 1Y0 Phone: 250 362 9037
Birth Date: April 26, 1958 Birthplace: Sun Valley Idaho Resident: 1965 Butte, Montana; 1973 Portland, Oregon; 1976 Eugene, Oregon; 1979 Landed Immigrant Status, Canada (mother Canadian); 1980 Aurora, Toronto & Lefroy Ontario; 1988 Rossland BC; 1995 Canadian Citizen
EDUCATION
ASSOCIATE of the ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART Toronto, Ontario:
Full time General Studies: 1980-84; Post-graduate studies, Foundry 1985-88
SENECA COLLEGE Willowdale, Ontario: Full time studies in Art: 1980
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Eugene, Oregon: Anthropology 1976-77; International Banking 1977-78
OTHER: Extensive North American travel-over 100 Rock Art sites; European Alpine tour 1979-1980
AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART SCHOLARSHIP AWARD: First place, Fourth year, Printmaking: 1980
US NATIONAL BANK OF OREGON WORK COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP: University of Oregon: 1976
MEDIA: ARTICLES AND REVIEWS
“Purposely Primitive” May 1988, vol 17(12) Southwest Art Houston, Texas
“A New Look at Ancient Art” Mar 1987 Lead item: Wonderstruck #45 CBC Television, Toronto
“Handmade Home” Apr-May 1985, # 11 Canada Century Home Port Hope, Ontario
OTHER EXPERIENCE
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART Jury member of Student Advisory Council scholarship awards 1985
EXHIBITIONS
ROSSLAND'S SKATEPARK "Salmon and Turtle" #2 installed in River's memory 2018
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA- OKANAGAN CAMPUS MAIN COURTYARD
Life size "Pair of Deer" installed in River's memory 2017
CASTLEGAR SCULPTURE WALK "Salmon and Turtle" #2 (slightly smaller) 2016
BAMFIELD MARINE SCIENCE CENTRE COMMONS "Salmon and Turtle" #1 installed Nov. 2015
BAMFIELD MARINE SCIENCE CENTRE CAMPUS River's sculpture and print collection installed in his memory May 2015
DOWNTOWN CASTLEGAR "SCULPTURE CAPITAL OF CANADA" Life size "Seeker Of Visions" # 2/4 permanently installed 2014
CASTLEGAR SCULPTURE WALK Life size "Seeker of Visions" #2/4 2012
CURVE LAKE FIRST NATIONS LEARNING CENTRE Peterbourough Petroglyph Site Life size "Seeker of Visions" # 1/4 2011
88 CREEKSIDE, RED MOUNTAIN Commission for life size bronze sculptures of “Pair of Deer” 2004
DUCKS UNLIMITED CANADA Purchase of entire limited ed. of “Duck on Head” 2003
GLACIER GALLERY 579 Baker Street, Nelson, B.C. May 7- 30 1999 (two person)
NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE, North Gallery, RR1 S1 C10 Castlegar, B.C.
“Four legs good, Two legs bad” Aug 9- Oct 6 1996 (solo)
MAIN STAGE GALLERY 2012 Columbia Ave. Rossland, B.C. Dec 14- Jan 31 1992 (solo)
PRAIRIE GALLERY 10209 99th St., Grand Prairie, AL. “Moose by Mail” Jul 13- Aug 31 1989 (catalogue)
WELLER/POTOVSKY GALLERY 104.5 Scollard St. Toronto, ON Dec 2-24 1987 (4 person)
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART 100 McCaul St., Toronto, ON 1984 -1987 (group)
GRIMSBY PUBLIC ART GALLERY Grimsby, ON. “Paperworks” Feb 6- Mar 3 1985 (group)
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART Atrium, Toronto, ON “David Sidley’s First Show” Apr 9- 12 1983 (solo)
CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION “Art Toronto’81”, rep. by Circle Arts Int. Jun 5-8 1981 (group)
PAST PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO Art rental & sales gallery 317 Dundas St. W. Toronto, Ontario.
GALLERY FRANKLIN SILVERSTONE 1618 Quest rue Sherbrooke, Montreal, Quebec.
WELLER/POTOVSKY GALLERY 104.5 Scollard St., Toronto, Ontario.
SHELLY LAMB FINE ART 2 Matilda St. Toronto, Ontario.
CAROL STERN AND ASSOCIATES 805 Spadina Ave. Suite 502, Toronto, Ontario.
QUINTANA GALLERIES 139 NW 2nd St., Portland, Oregon.
PAM DRISCOL GALLERY 616 E Hyman St., Aspen, Colorado.
MARION SCOTT GALLERY 671 Howe St., Vancouver, British Columbia.
RENDEZ-VOUS ART GALLERY 1009 Cambie St., Vancouver, British Columbia.
ART OF MAN GALLERY Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise, Alberta
ARTISTS OF THE WORLD Calgary, Alberta
ARTSPACE GALLERY Calgary, Alberta
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
CLARIDGE COLLECTION (Charles Bronfman) 1170 Peel St., Suite 700 Montreal, Que. (Catalogue)
REPRESENTED BY
FALLEN LEAF GALLERY 102 822 Main St. Canmore, Alberta
HAMBLETON GALLERIES 781 Bernard Ave., Kelowna, British Columbia.
University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology, Sales Gallery. Vancouver, B.C.
Artist's Statement
North American Native rock art has been around for at least 10,000 years. Yet, it is shrouded in mystery. Archaeologists admit they know little of the purpose or function of these intriguing ancient paintings, called pictographs, and carvings, known as petroglyphs.
As a painter and sculptor, I am fascinated by this artform. I have a lifelong personal admiration for the North American native culture and religion, and firmly believe these were the keys to survival for the peoples of the pre-white contact on this continent --- people who lived with nature, not in spite of it.
Through rock art, I can blend two of my favourite passions: art and native history. I transform these powerful two-dimensional pictographs and petroglyphs into watercolour paintings and cast bronze sculpture, using the lost wax process.
Despite the relative scarcity of rock art sites, since 1984 I have visited and studied more than 100 of them throughout North America. For me, these special places have a real feeling of magic and mystery. Many of the images are thought to be related to some form of hunting magic, vision-seeking or other religious purpose.
I believe North American rock art has a contemporary feel. At the same time, it is a very pure artform that has evolved apart from conventional western art.
My work allows me to express my deep sense of loss for our once abundant wildlife and the ability to live as part of, or at one with, nature. Native North Americans gained an intimate spiritual knowledge of wildlife and its environment because of their dependence on it for survival. Through my work, I am trying to recapture that spiritual knowledge.
David Sidley
