Don McLeay

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Don McLeay was born on March 21, 1940 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. He moved at the age of nine to Victoria, British Columbia and began work in his early teens. His work and travels have taken him to Baffin Island and Inuvik in Canada’s Arctic, across all the provinces of Canada, numerous states in the U.S. including California, Oklahoma, Washington, Texas and Rhode Island, and Mexico.

Nishka and Kwakiutl influenced Don's earlier works. One of the most influential artists in Don's career was carver Russell Smith in 1970. In May of 1975, McLeay went to Toronto for a show and met someone who would again influence his work - Norval Morrisseau. The Woodland artist introduced new elements which McLeay brought into his work.

His works on paper contain the stylistic expression that is uniquely McLeay. Images are taken from nature and his native background. Traces of West Coast design - patterns of flat, bright colours, and geometric designs characteristic of American southwest paintings are found in his paintings and silkscreens.

For the past 15years or so McLeay has worked almost exclusively in wood, from free standing sculptures to 3 dimensional wall panels. He has also developed a line of fine art functional furniture that incorporates carved and painted west coast design and is in everyday use in homes across Canada. He now resides on the Sunshine Coast, B.C.

 

COLLECTIONS

Museum of Man, Ottawa, Ontario

Helen Band Collection, Toronto, Ontario

Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio

Department of Indian Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario

Kelly Green Collection, Stayner, Ontario

Dodd Collection, Brantford, Ontario

Mannheim Gallery, Mannheim, West Germany

ONE MAN SHOWS

1975 Bow Rings, TD Centre, Toronto, Ontario

1976 Guild Shop, Yorkville, Toronto, Ontario

1977 Gallery Eugene, Toronto, Ontario

1994/95 Manx Pub, Ottawa, Ontario

1997 Centrepointe Library, Nepean, Ontario

1980 Thompson Gallery, Toronto, Ontario

1981 Anthony's Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia

1982 Cardigan-Milne Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1997-99 Dunvegan Pub, Ottawa, Ontario

1997 Indian Arts Centre, DIAND, Hull, Quebec

GROUP SHOWS

1974 Friendship Through Art, Vancouver, British Columbia

1976 London, England

1977 Group Show, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

1979 McDowell Gallery, Toronto, Ontario

1980 Thompson Gallery Travelling Show - Calgary, Alberta;

Vancouver, B.C.; Niagara Falls, Ontario

1980 Annual Group Show, Mohawk lntstitute, Brantford, Ontario

1981 Annual Group Show, Mohawk Institute, Brantford, Ontario

1982 Canoe Festival of Indian Arts & Crafts, Ottawa, Ontario

1982 World Assembly of First Nations, Regina, Saskatchewan

1982 National Indian Arts & Crafts Show, Edmonton, Alberta

1982 Leslie Ross Gallery, Brantford, Ontario

1982 McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario

1982 Beckett Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario

1982 Atlantic Festival of Indian Arts & Crafts, Halifax, Nova Scotia

1983 National Indian Arts & Crafts Christmas Show, Ottawa, Ontario

1983 Constitutional Daze, Four Seasons Hotel, Ottawa

1983 Adobe Wall Gallery, Houston,Texas, U.S.

1983 Woodland Indian Cultural & Educational Centre, Brantford, Ontario

1983 Leslie Ross Gallery, Brantford, Ontario

1983 Art Show '83, Sheraton Northwoods Inn, Fort McMurray, Alberta

1983 Art in the Park, Kitchener, Ontario

1983 Once Sleeping, Now Awake, Leslie Ross Gallery, Brantford, Ontario

1984 Annual Group show of Regina Artists, Brantford, Ontario

1984 Woodland Indian Cultural & Educational Centre, Brantford, Ontario

1984 Manitoba Indian Arts & Crafts Show, Winnipeg, Manitoba

1984 National Indian Arts & Crafts Show, Edmonton, Alberta

1984 National Indian Arts & Crafts Show, Calgary, Alberta

1985Woodland Indian Cultural & Educational Centre, Brantford, Ontario

1985 National Capital Annual Christmas Show, Ottawa, Ontario

1985 Native American Trading Co., Two Person Show, Newport, Rhode Island

1985 National Indian Arts & Crafts Show, Edmonton, Alberta

1985 National Indian Arts & Crafts Show, Calgary, Alberta

1985 Lies My Grandfather Told Me, Two Person Show, Ottawa, Ontario

1986 National lndian Arts & Crafts Show, Edmonton, Alberta

1986 National lndian Arts & Crafts Show, Calgary, Alberta

1995 Queen’s Park Legislative Bldg., Toronto, Ontario

1995- 1999 Merrickville Artist’s Studio Tour, Merrickville, Ontario

1997-1999 Annual Show, Dunvegan Pub, Ottawa, Ontario

COMMISSIONS

1974 Seattle Indian Centre Mural, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

1976 Board of Education, Cherokee Public School, North York - 4 murals

1978 Boy Scouts of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, - 3 Totem Poles

1979 Boy Scouts of Canada, Toronto, Ontario - 1 Totem Pole (18')

1979 Native Centre of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario - 1 Totem Pole (18')

1979 Meadowvalc Public School, Scarborough, Ontario - 1 Totem Pole (22')

1980 Thompson Gallery, Toronto, Ontario - 1 Totem Pole (10')

1982 West German Private Collection - 1 Totem Pole (7')

Dr. B. Ciniadar, Toronto, Ontario

1985 Canadian Art and Antiques, Stayner, Ontario - 1 Totem Pole (14')

1987-90 A total of 14 totem poles one of which stands at the Water Transportation Museum, Muskoka, Ontario

1991-99 Fine art pieces of furniture adorned with West Coast Images

1995 Private collections 2 Totem Poles (7')

1996 Carved Dolphin, Elgin, Ontario

1999 Carved Raven, Ottawa, Ontario

1999 Carved House Gable, Collingwood, Ontario

National Native Women’s Association, Ottawa, Ontario

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