Edmonton Contemporary Artists' Society

Edmonton Contemporary Artists' Society (ECAS) is an international artists' exhibition collective founded in 1993, based in Edmonton, Canada.

Background

Since the 1920s, artists in English Canada had been heavily influenced by the landscape painting of the Group of Seven, the Canadian Group of Painters and the Eastern Group of Painters. In Quebec, John Goodwin Lyman founded The Contemporary Arts Society in 1939, promoting post-impressionist and fauvist art.^[1] Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle spearheaded the modernist collective known as Les Automatistes, which began having exhibitions as early as 1941. However, their artistic influence was not quickly felt in English Canada, or indeed much beyond Montreal.^[2] The Painters Eleven (1953 - 1960) was founded in Toronto to promote their members' abstract works. Regina Five is the name given to five abstract painters, Kenneth Lochhead, Arthur McKay, Douglas Morton, Ted Godwin, and Ronald Bloore, who displayed their works in the 1961 National Gallery of Canada's exhibition "Five Painters from Regina". Though not an organized group per se, the name stuck with the 'members' and the artists would continue to show together.^[3]

ECAS

The Edmonton Contemporary Artists' Society was formed in 1993 by a group of abstract artists working in Edmonton, Alberta. Founding artists include sculptor Peter Hide and painter Terrence Keller.^[4] The inaugural ECAS exhibition was held at the City Centre Building in Edmonton.^[5] Membership in ECAS is dynamic: some artists have left, and new artists have joined. ECAS includes artists from within Edmonton, as well as locations beyond in Canada, the US, England, and Germany.^[6]

Membership

Walter Darby Bannard, Russell Bingham, Douglas Bentham, Hendrik Bres, Nola Cassady, Ann Clarke, Robert Christie, Dick Der, Michèle Drouin, Edward Epp, Gerald Faulder, Terry Fenton, Andrew French, John Griefen, Peter Hide, Terrence Keller, Bianca Khan, John King, John Link, Sheila Luck, Kara Nina Maehler, Ruby J. Mah, Linda Maines, Ryan McCourt, Royden Mills, Lelde Muehlenbachs, Amanda O’Connell, Seka Owen, Dennis J. Panylyk, Graham Peacock, Hilary Prince, Sasha Silverstein, Mitchel Smith, Ann Walsh, James Walsh, Libby Weir, Robert Willms.^[7]

References