&PAGE 12. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 23. 1978. WHrITBY FREE PRESS Whitby rtiest soon to exhihit By BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer From Sept. 5 to 3o, in connection with its officiai opening, the Whitby Public Library is featuring a speciai exhibit of oul paintings by Wbitby artist William R. Smith. Mr. Smitb, wbo wili be present on officiai opening day, Sept. 13, bas been painting for 60 years, and had a close association with a number of members of tbe Group of Seven. Forty of his paintings, mostly landscapes of summer and winter scenes in northern Ontario, wili be on exhibit in the library's auditorium. Mr. Smith bas iived at 708 Newman Crescent since a year after his retirement as a commer- cial artist in 1966. H1e has a studio in bis basement, and tbe walls are hung with many of bis brilliantly coiored paintings. Mr. Smith had an interest in drawing since he attended public scbool in Toronto and drew pictures in bis books, much.to tbe annoyance of bis teachers. H1e came witb bis family to Canadafrom Engriand in 1911 and settled in Toronto where he attended the Ontario' College of Art from 1918 to 1922. There he was taught by Groirn of Seven members J.E.11. Macdonald and Arthur Lis'.ier. As a young 1) vhe had met the legendary Canadian artist Tom Thomscl', and as he grew up Mr. 'mith NEW& USED SALES SERVICE CAR SALES e:00 - 9:00 Mon. PARTS & SERVICE 17-Sû a.m. - gQOf became acquainted \,-th m any members of the. art world in Canada, some of whomn went on to fame and some who are generally unknown by the public today. After his graduation in 1922, Mr. Smith took bis first job at the commercial art firm 0of Sampson Matthews, wber~ the art dîrector was anoteier member of the ;roup of Seven, Frank Carmichael. They became close friends and"-went on a number of sketching trips together before Carmichael's deatb in 1945. After three years of working with. Carmichael, Mr. Smith opened bis -own studio. It lasted only two years, and he went on to become art director for an engraving company, H1e sta»ed. for four years but once again he wanted to try it on his own. In 1930 Mr. Smitn was offered a position with the Dominion Paper Box Company as a commercial artist. Here be designed sucb weil-known packages as the Lowney's 'Cherry Blossom box, and developed many of the concepts stili used in commercial arttoday. 'For many years, Mr. Smitb designed the art work for cereal boxes, candy wrappers, meat packages, and. anytbing else that was assigned to him. He specialized in designs for packaging for 36 years, retiring in 1966. From 1941 until bis retirement, Mr. Smith was art director for Dominion Paper Box PARTS g LEASING &DAILY-INTALS HOURS: thrti Thurs. 96 Fri. Mon. - Thu 9-Sat.1 - 5Fr[ 4 Wbitby artist William R. Smith shows off one of his recent paintings, "Meiody Bay" at Buckhorn Lake, Ontario. Forty of Mr. Smith's landscapes of northern Ontario are on exhibition at the Wbitby Public Library from Sept. 5 to 30 in connection with the iibrary's officiai opening. A resident of Whitby since 1967, Mr. Smith bas a studio in the basement of his borne on Newman Crescent and is still activeiy painting 60*years after he entered the Ontario Coliege of Art as a student. Free Press Photo Company. One of the most interesting aspects of Mr. Smith's life bas been bis close associa- tion with the artists of Toronto* for 50 years. In 1935 Mr. Smith and a number of bis friends formed the Commercial, Artists Guiid of Toronto, which met once a montb at the King Edward Hotel. The artists always took their work seriously, but there was a certain camaradarie in those days which seems to be missing today, says Mr. Smith. He bas vivid meniories of the personalities of the some artists whose names are household words today. He remembers that Athur Lismer had a dry sense of humor and liked to laugb at bis own jokes, Carmîcbael was fastidious and a chain smoker, and A.Y. Jackson was known for bis rugged- ness, wbile Macdonald was a reiigious man wbo neither smoked nor drank. H1e also remembers that in the 1920s the Group of Seven painters were lucky if they couid seli their sketches, for' $25 to $30 apiece, if they were able. to seil tbem at al. Today these sketches are worth up to $3,000 each. Since coming to Whitby, Mr. Smith bas held several exhibitions of his owni works in local churches, such as Al Saints' Anglican Church in Whitby, and St. George's Anglican and St. Stepben's United Churches i Oshawa. Last October, Mr. Smith held an exhibition for the 66th anniversary of St. Stephen's United Church, and palnted a p icture of the church as a gift from the, congregation ta Stehe Sayweil, on his 4th anle sry as a lay preacher >it tat church. Mr. Smith alsÈo bas an interesting association with Witby's Ail Saints' Anglican -Cburcb, dating back to the time of bis arrivai in Canada in 1911. One of the first tbings Mr. Smith did after he came to Toronto was to sing af as a choir boy at St. George's Anglican Cburcb for the funeral of Rev. John Darcy Cayley. Mr. Cayley founded Ail Paints' Church in Wbitby and was its first minister in the 1860s. Mr. Smith enjoys painting at bis cottage at McKeller and in the Haliburton and Parry Sound districts. A number of bis most recent paintings are of pink granite outcroppings in this area. Many of Mr. Smnitb's early and recent paintings are in private collections, and bis works bave been shown on a number of occasions. A good sampling of Mr. Smith's work, which was influenced by the members of the Group of Seven and other artista, is a special feature of the Whitby Public Library's opening in September, and represents the output of many years of experience i the art world. WHITBY FABRICS CUSTOM DRAPES V.resscGoods; ~e4~ Excellent 21 5 'Customn made dkapeL. È. 66"4821 CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN 0F WHITBY MUNICIPAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 13TH, 1978 DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICERS & POLL CLEXKS THE TOWN 0F WHITBY REQUIRES CITIZENS TO SERVE AS DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICERS AND POLL CLERKS FOR THE FORTHCOMING MUNICIPAL ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 13TH, 1978. ALL CITIZENS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BEING APPOINTED FOR EMPLOYMENT ON THIS DATE ARE INVITED TO CONTACT THE OFFICE 0F THE UNDERSIGNED ON, OR BEFORE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 1978. Wm. H. Wallace, A.M.C.T., C.M.C., Clerk-Administrator, Town of Whitby, 575 Rossiand Rd. E., Whitby, Ontario LIN 2M8 FOýR ALL YOUR CAR NEEDS NOW ON SAVINGS Effective Aug l1,1978 vICTORIA8 mid GREY KEffH IAWES Manager 308 Dundas St. W, Whitby 668-9324