Epp, Leonhard
Item
Maker Name
Epp, Leonhard
Marks
Biography
Leonard Epp led a multi-faceted life. Born near Heidelberg, youngest of 9, he lived through WWII while in his teens. Before he left Germany, he took a journeyman certificate in stone sculpture at the Handwerkskammer, Manheim. He arrived in Canada in 1951 and worked as a lumberjack for one year in Rimouski, Quebec.
He moved to Vancouver and by 1956 enrolled at the VSA, graduating in 1960. At some point while at VSA he also took up ceramics, and would have been a student of Robert Weghsteen. He just missed John Reeve and would have crossed over with fellow students, Heinz Laffin and Wayne Ngan. By 1962 and until 1972 he taught sculpture and ceramics at the VSA. In 1972 Sally Michener and Tam Irving took over teaching at the Ceramics Department.
In 1973 Leonard moved up country to Falkland, Okanagan and taught sculpture and ceramics at the Okanagan College from 1974-1976. From 1976 until 2008 Leonard worked out of his studio. His last , curated exhibition was in 2008 in the Vernon Art Gallery. His life partner was Ann Kipling, another respected BC artist.
Leonard was a quirky artist, focusing on social commentary/working society, and the human condition. In 1957 he won a competition for the Federal Manpower Building in Victoria, and in 1968 made a pre-cast concrete relief, a triptych that sits on three sides of the former Fisherman’s Union building, on the NE corner East Hastings and Hawkes (today, home to AIDS Vancouver).
Leonard's work was exhibited in many galleries in BC, including the Vernon, Kamloops and Kelowna public Art Galleries , and in numerous group exhibitions in Vancouver and Seattle. He exhibited at the Bau-Xi Gallery, and the House of Ceramics. In 2021 his work was included in 2 group shows at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art in North Vancouver.
He moved to Vancouver and by 1956 enrolled at the VSA, graduating in 1960. At some point while at VSA he also took up ceramics, and would have been a student of Robert Weghsteen. He just missed John Reeve and would have crossed over with fellow students, Heinz Laffin and Wayne Ngan. By 1962 and until 1972 he taught sculpture and ceramics at the VSA. In 1972 Sally Michener and Tam Irving took over teaching at the Ceramics Department.
In 1973 Leonard moved up country to Falkland, Okanagan and taught sculpture and ceramics at the Okanagan College from 1974-1976. From 1976 until 2008 Leonard worked out of his studio. His last , curated exhibition was in 2008 in the Vernon Art Gallery. His life partner was Ann Kipling, another respected BC artist.
Leonard was a quirky artist, focusing on social commentary/working society, and the human condition. In 1957 he won a competition for the Federal Manpower Building in Victoria, and in 1968 made a pre-cast concrete relief, a triptych that sits on three sides of the former Fisherman’s Union building, on the NE corner East Hastings and Hawkes (today, home to AIDS Vancouver).
Leonard's work was exhibited in many galleries in BC, including the Vernon, Kamloops and Kelowna public Art Galleries , and in numerous group exhibitions in Vancouver and Seattle. He exhibited at the Bau-Xi Gallery, and the House of Ceramics. In 2021 his work was included in 2 group shows at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art in North Vancouver.
First name
Leonhard
Last name
Epp
Career dates (start and end)
1960
2008
Date of Birth
1932
Date of Death
2018
Place of Birth
Heidelberg
Place of Death
Studio location
Formal Education
Major Exhibitions
2021 Dialogues in Curating
Art for Kids, Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art
ROUGH AND GO -Curated by Tallon Ellison
HORIZON - Curated by Dorsa Hadikhanloo
Art for Kids, Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art
ROUGH AND GO -Curated by Tallon Ellison
HORIZON - Curated by Dorsa Hadikhanloo
2011 Okanagan Eyes Okanagan Wise Okanagan-ise
Curated by Julie Oakes, Headstones Gallery, Group show.
Curated by Julie Oakes, Headstones Gallery, Group show.
2008 'Gotta Have It' Vernon Art Gallery, curated by Lubos Culen
1980 Retrospect Ceramics 80, PGBC 25th Anniversary
Affiliated organizations
Links to Further Resources
https://vanasitwas.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/fishermans-union/
2021 https://www.prax300.com
Dialogues in Curating
Art for Kids, Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art
ROUGH AND GO -Curated by Tallon Ellison
HORIZON - Curated by Dorsa Hadikhanloo
Dialogues in Curating
Art for Kids, Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art
ROUGH AND GO -Curated by Tallon Ellison
HORIZON - Curated by Dorsa Hadikhanloo
Sculpture by Leonhard Epp - "Canadians " - C.1957
Life size statue on north west corner Federal Building, Vancouver St. at Pandora, Victoria BC Canada.
Life size statue on north west corner Federal Building, Vancouver St. at Pandora, Victoria BC Canada.
Lehttps://www.legacy.com/obituaries/okanaganvalley/obituonard Epp Obituary, Okanagan Valley Newspaper
Source
Debra E. Sloan
Item sets
Linked resources
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