This exhibition brings together works by former School of Art instructor Robert Nelson, his students, and several alumni who have been influenced by Manitoba’s regional surrealism. Nelson came from Chicago to Winnipeg in 1953 to teach at the School of Art. He was the only surrealist among a cohort of abstractionists, and was relatively close in age to his students. He became close friends with many of his students – they would babysit for him, and he would occasionally have to bail one of them out of jail. He took them to Chicago, giving many their first opportunity to see major artworks in person. Nelson was an influential figure in the artwork of Ivan Eyre, who went on to inspire another generation of surrealist artists at the School of Art. This exhibition, which features works by Robert Nelson, Ivan Eyre, Ernest Wilson, Kathleen Coburn-Donnelly, Kelly Clark, Esther Warkov, and Jack Sures, among others, sheds light on the impact a teacher can have on students – stylistically, and personally.
Photo Documentation by Karen Asher