In Memoriam

Arteast Ottawa is honoured to have had these members in its association and would like to acknowledge their significant volunteer contributions.

Richard Stanley (June 21, 1945 – November 12, 2023)

Painter, poolie, passionate debater.
It is with sorrow that we announce that Richard (Dick) Stanley died suddenly on November 12, 2023. He is survived by his wife Eve (nee Parsons), daughters Anna (Phil) and Gillian (Mark), and extended family in Ireland. Beloved grandfather of Fergus, Hazel, Oliver, and Simone.

Family and friends will remember him for his love of art and deep philosophical commitment to reason. In retirement, he read widely and enjoyed spending time in his hammock at the cottage, pipe in hand. Dick, we raise a glass of whisky in your honour.

A celebration of life will be held in spring 2024. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ottawa Mission or Food Bank.

Christine Gendron (December 11, 1945 – July 13, 2022)

Sadly, Arteast has lost long-time Arteast member and volunteer Christine Gendron, who passed away on July 13, 2022. Christine had a lifelong interest in a diverse range of creative activities from knitting and sewing to designing clothes, to designing and handcrafting jewellery, and creating works with stained glass. In addition, she worked for Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates Architects for almost 30 years. In 2007, Christine took up painting and then joined Arteast in February 2010. Over the years, she brought her enthusiasm and sparkling personality to volunteering with the organization and, until a few years ago, was the Lead Coordinator of the North Gloucester Library exhibition space. Christine loved to produce abstract paintings that evoked subjective responses in the viewer with their vibrant colour and fluid composition. She exhibited them often for the community to enjoy at Arteast shows in the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans and in Arteast’s library exhibition spaces. Generous by nature, she often donated pieces of her handmade jewellery as door prizes at the Grow with Art meetings and the Annual Volunteers’ Appreciation Events, which were treasured by the lucky winners. Christine will be missed for her inspiring presence and all the contributions she made to Arteast. Arteast extends deepest condolences to her husband, Pierre Gendron, her two daughters, Lia and Tania, and other members of her family.

SUSAN CORNTHWAITE-GRENIER (1947-2021)

Paint, paper, ink, brush / Joy of discovery / Delight in creating / Art / It’s not what I do / It’s who I am / Artist. These are Susan’s own words about herself, from her artist’s bio.  She was a member of Arteast for a number of years and came to be known for creating artwork as poetic as the words above. Having gathered experience in a variety of media, she ultimately focussed on creating mixed-media works that she described as “abstracted realism”.  Susan’s works appeared often in Arteast exhibitions, notably Mosaic and the Arteast Juried Awards Exhibition (AJAE), as well as in Promenade Arteast.  And some of them were prizewinners, including Garden Shed, which took second place in the acrylic category of the 2018 AJAE.  Susan and her artworks will be missed by all her friends at Arteast.

Otto Graser (1932-2020)

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Otto Graser, a valued and respected member of Arteast for many years. Otto was an active participant at our events and exhibitions and won awards at our juried shows. His prodigious artistic talent, humour and wit will be remembered always. Otto passed away on April 6, 2020 due to COVID19-related illness. Our deepest condolences go to the Graser family whose support of Arteast Ottawa is greatly appreciated. Full details can be found here.

Kate (Kathleen) Daller (1948-2019)

Kate is remembered as a gentle, humble and thoughtful soul who contributed much to Arteast as a longtime member and valued volunteer. She was dedicated to her work on the Promenade Arteast and Mosaic teams and could be counted on to adeptly handle all the tasks she took on to help run the shows. In addition, Kate was one of the Associate Editors of Communiqué, Arteast’s newsletter, providing a second pair of eyes in the English editing process. Before her Arteast days, Kate had acquired extensive professional experience working for RCA Records and A&M Records and as an entertainment writer, publishing regularly in print media, such as the Toronto Star and Starweek Magazine. Kate was also devoted to her family and was a compassionate human being who supported the charity, Child Haven International. These qualities, as well as a deep love of nature, were reflected in the sensitivity and poignancy of her artwork, some of which won awards.

Ted Johnston (1939-2019)

Well-known for his sense of humour and witty character, Ted was key to helping move Arteast toward incorporation. As a member-at-large of the Management and Planning Committee, he provided tremendous support to the management team with his experience, knowledge and profound insight. He was a career diplomat who lived a life of service, not only to the Arts but to the wider community. As an artist, Ted worked in woodcut and block prints. He focused on local architecture and scenes that depicted Canadian icons such as the RCMP Musical Ride. He was often seen at many vernissages wearing his signature blazer and hat. He was also the Arteast archivist and has left us his invaluable collection of newsletters and all the information on exhibits and activities held by Arteast.

Bernard Poirier (1929-2019)

Described as a “scholar and gentleman” by all who had the honour of knowing him, Bernard was a member of Arteast for many years and is a valuable part of our history. He was editor of Communiqué for a number of years and was a member-at-large on the Management and Planning Committee. A lawyer by profession, he revised our bylaws for incorporation and provided his expertise generously, where required. He was a member of the Promenade Arteast team and was responsible for ensuring that the hanging requirements were met. As a result, he was nicknamed “the Hanging Judge” by Maureen Rooney Mitchell, Lead Coordinator of Promenade, which amused him greatly. He was a wonderful watercolour painter and gifted Arteast with many of his artworks, which were awarded as prizes. He will be remembered in Maureen’s words as “a lovely, kind, humorous gentleman”.

Joy Rutherford (1948-2019)

A Past President of Arteast (2007-2008), Joy came to the organization at a particularly low point in our past. No member was prepared to assume the presidency and Joy stepped in, following a search to fill this role. Joy’s leadership skills helped develop Arteast and meet the challenges of leaving the Visual Arts Centre of Orleans (VACO) to form a new partnership with the City of Ottawa in the Shenkman Arts Centre. Joy was a musician and a member of A’Chord East, which provided music to many Promenade Arteast vernissages at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Joy will be remembered by many Arteast members for her warmth, encouragement and support.