Chronology
J.B. Taylor
The Artist | The Mountain Paintings
1917 — John Benjamin Taylor born at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of Reginald Taylor, jeweler, and Elizabeth Chappel.
1934 — Receives art lessons from local artist Mabel Gass.
1935 — Attends Summer School in Painting on Cape Breton. The teacher is Frank DuMond of the Arts Student’s League.
1936 — Leaves Charlottetown for New York where he enrolls in Frank DuMond’s painting class at the Arts Student’s League
1937 — Begins a second year of study at the Arts Student’s League.
1938 — Opens a studio and begins teaching in Charlottetown.
1939 — First one-man show of paintings at the Harris Memorial Gallery in Charlottetown.
1940 — Morning Shadows purchased by International Business Machines for their North American Collection. Participates in an exhibition of the Maritime Art Association.
1941 — Participates in an exhibition of the Maritime Art Association. Enlists in the Royal Canadian Air Force as Draftsman and posted to New Brunswick.
1942 — Stationed in Moncton, New Brunswick.
1943 — Exhibits with the Sketch Club of the Moncton Society of Art.
1944 — Stationed with the R.C.A.F. in Edmonton, Alberta.
1945 — Stationed for a time in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. First Edmonton exhibition of Allied aircraft paintings. Discharged from the R.C.A.F. Marries Audrey Anderson of Elgin, Manitoba. Enrolls as a veteran in the Ontario College of Art.
1946 — Spends second year at the Ontario College of Art.
1947 — Graduates with honours from the Ontario College of Art and receives medal for proficiency in painting and drawing. Apppointed Lecturer in Painting in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Alberta.
1948 — During summer begins teaching at the Banff School of Fine Arts. During the winter session in Edmonton begins field trips for the Department of Extension. Visits many centres in central and southern Alberta. Has an exhibition of paintings in the Arts Building of the University of Alberta. First son Philip is born in March.
1949 — Exhibits paintings in several smaller Alberta centres.
1950 — Promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor. Exhibits paintings at Lethbridge and Red Deer, Alberta. Gives lecture on ‘Beauty’ to the Humanities Association of Canada, Edmonton Branch.
1951 — Exhibits paintings at the Banff School of Fine Arts, where he continues to teach summer sessions.
1952 — One-man exhibition of paintings is shown at the Rutherford Library Art Gallery at the University of Alberta. Teaches spring and fall courses in painting at the Banff School of Fine Arts. Second son Christopher is born in September.
1953 — Rutherford exhibition is sent on tour of Western Art Circuit. Exhibits at the Coste House in Calgary.
1955 — Granted sabbatical leave. The family goes to London, England and Jack studies at the Slade School of Art, University of London. They travel in the United Kingdom and Jack and Audrey visit the continent Jack sketches in Italy.
1956 — Returns to teaching at the University of Alberta.
1958 — Promoted to Associate Professor. Exhibits with Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour in their Annual Show. Exhibits with the Royal Canadian Academy in their Seventy-ninth Exhibition.
1959 — Jack travels to Prince Edward Island and visits New York. Exhibits paintings in the Studio Theatre, University of Alberta. Participates in the Eightieth Exhibition of the Royal Canadian Academy.
1960 — Exhibits in the Summer Festival of the Arts in Edmonton.
1961 — Travels to Europe in summer, visits Holland, Belgium, France and Italy.
1962 — Travels to Gunnar Mines and Yellowknife, N.W.T. to give lectures and demonstrations. Becomes juror for the Canada Council.
1963 — Exhibits at the Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary. Exhibits with the Saskatchewan Arts Board in Regina. Serves as president of the Edmonton Film Society. Works included in the All-Alberta Exhibition.
1964 — First Show at the Jacox Galleries, Edmonton. Exhibits at the Confederation Gallery in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Exhibits at the Torches Theatre, Edmonton. Delivers lecture to the Dante Alighieri Society on Michelangelo. Is represented in the All-Alberta show at the Edmonton Art Gallery.
1965 — Makes a tour of art schools and art galleries in the mid-western States. Exhibits at the Owen Gallery at Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick.
1966 — Second one-man show at Jacox Gallery, Edmonton. In summer travels to Europe, visits London, Wales and Amsterdam. Appointed Acting Head of the Department of Art on the retirement of Professor H.G. Glyde. Participates in All-Alberta Exhibition at the Edmonton Art Gallery. Organizes Memorial Exhibition for late Professor Bart Pragnell.
1967 — Travels to the West Coast and to the Expo in Montreal. Participates in Canadian Universities Centennial Drawing Exhibition.
1968 — Visiting Lecturer at the University of British Columbia Summer Session. Third show at the Jacox Gallery, Edmonton. Travels to eastern United States visiting art schools and galleries. Has a small exhibition of sketches at Jacox Gallery in December.
1969 — Travels to Western States visiting art schools and galleries.
1970 — Spends summer studying mountains and glaciers in British Columbia and Alberta producing many sketches. Exhibition of portraits in University Hall, University of Alberta. Plans trip to the North West Territories. Dies in September at his home.
(Chronology by J. Allison Forbes — Reproduced with permission)
(The above Chronology was taken from the catalogue of the 1973 memorial exhibition J.B. Taylor Landscapes organized by The Edmonton Art Gallery and the University of Alberta, Department of Art and Design. The exhibition was shown at the Confederation Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, September 5 – 23, 1973, and The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta, November 22 – December 18, 1973.)