The two most-photographed public art pieces in Burnaby are up on the mountain at SFU.
They are colourful mosaics by Gordon Smith that were added when the Burnaby Mountain campus was built in the 1960s. They are located at the top of the steps at the entrance of the academic quadrangle.
According to a tweet by the SFU Alumni Association, the mosaics are widely photographed by people who visit the campus.
Smith, sadly, died on Saturday in his West Vancouver home.
He was 100.
Born in East Brighton, England, Smith moved to Winnipeg at the age of 14. Following service in the Second World War, Smith taught art and art history at UBC.
A tireless artist, Smith painted every day and was honoured with the Order of Canada as well as career retrospectives at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Known for his kindness and generosity, Smith made frequent donations to galleries and was crucial in establishing the Artists for Kids program in North Vancouver along with his former student Bill MacDonald.
In 2015, Smith donated 50 works of art to the West Vancouver Museum.
“West Vancouver has been my home for over 50 years. My work has been inspired by living here and I believe it is time to celebrate this by supporting the visual arts in the place I call home,” Smith stated in a release.
Former North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Naomi Yamamoto paid tribute to her friend on social media, writing: “We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of a true gentleman, artist, teacher and great Canadian. #RIP my friend. Gordon Appelbe Smith. 1919-2020.”
Equinox Gallery has announced “a memorial gathering in Gordon's honour will be announced at a future date.”
- With files from the North Shore News
