Doris Shadbolt (1918-2003) had a practice as an educator, curator and writer in the visual arts, that spanned the mid-20th century development of a vital art scene on the West Coast and in Canada. She was Curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery during the riotous 1960s and early 70s. It was a time when modernist art practices and markets were being challenged, and art was moving off the walls and into territories of collaboration, performance and new media. Doris facilitated this activity, bringing the best pop and conceptual art work to Vancouver, establishing the city as part of a national and international scene. Through her activities and exhibitions, she had a major impact on the formation of a West Coast identity, founded onthe work of Emily Carr and First Nations people.
Doris and Jack Shadbolt later established the VIVA Awards to encourage emerging talent in British Columbia. She was honoured with degrees from Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. In 2000, Doris was awarded the Governor-General’s Award in recognition of her work in the arts.
Those days... a portrait of Doris Shadbolt focuses on her pivotal activities at the Vancouver Art Gallery and features interviews with Doris in her 80s. Her reflections on art and the times, combined with commentary from artists and curators whom she inspired, establish a sense of the vitality of the era and celebrate her commitment to art practice.
