Dexter, Walter
Item
Maker Name
Dexter, Walter
Biography
Dexter graduated from the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (later Alberta College of Art) in 1954. He spent the next year at the Swedish School of Arts and Crafts. Between the mid-50s and 1963, he worked in Alberta as a pottery instructor, a production potter at Ceramic Arts and production manager at Sunburst Ceramics.
From 1963 to 1967, he set up his studio in Kelowna, BC. Pottery from this period is the only work in his 50 year career in BC which is consistently marked with the location of his studio. Hence, pottery marked Kelowna is from this 4 year period.
Between 1967 and ca 1974 he was in charge of the ceramics program at the Kootenay School of Art (Nelson, BC) where he taught Robin Righton, Linda Mackie, and Ted Driediger, among others. In the mid-70s Dexter taught at Langara College and was president of the Craft Association of BC. He moved to Victoria in 1978 where, until his death in 2015, he produced the raku and large Torso vases for which he is so well-known.
Dexter is one of Canada's most celebrated ceramic artists with a varied range of production and an extensive award-winning exhibition history, which is outlined in part, below. He was named the winner of the Saidye Bronfman Award in 1992.
From 1963 to 1967, he set up his studio in Kelowna, BC. Pottery from this period is the only work in his 50 year career in BC which is consistently marked with the location of his studio. Hence, pottery marked Kelowna is from this 4 year period.
Between 1967 and ca 1974 he was in charge of the ceramics program at the Kootenay School of Art (Nelson, BC) where he taught Robin Righton, Linda Mackie, and Ted Driediger, among others. In the mid-70s Dexter taught at Langara College and was president of the Craft Association of BC. He moved to Victoria in 1978 where, until his death in 2015, he produced the raku and large Torso vases for which he is so well-known.
Dexter is one of Canada's most celebrated ceramic artists with a varied range of production and an extensive award-winning exhibition history, which is outlined in part, below. He was named the winner of the Saidye Bronfman Award in 1992.
First name
Walter
Last name
Dexter
Career dates (start and end)
1957
2015
Date of Birth
1931
Date of Death
2015
Place of Birth
Calgary, Alberta
Place of Death
Studio location
Formal Education
Major Exhibitions
Brussels World’s Fair, 1958
Canadian Ceramics, 1959, 1961 (award), 1961
Contemporary Ceramics (Ceramic International) Ostende, Belgium, 1959 (silver medal)
Eighth International Exhibition of Ceramic Art, Smithsonian, 1961
Silver medal, Ceramic International, Prague, 1962
Canadian Fine Crafts, Expo 67
Craft Dimensions Canada, Toronto, 1969
Handcraft House, North Vancouver, BC, 1969
International Competitions, Faenza Italy, 1969, 1970
BC Craft, SFU 1972
Ceramics International, Calgary, 1973
House of Ceramics, 1974, 1975
Retrospect Ceramics 80, Vancouver
Fired Up exhibitions/sales, Metchosin, BC 1985-1999
Collections
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
University of Victoria
Affiliated organizations
Links to Further Resources
Studio Ceramics in Canada, Gail Crawford, 2005
The Modern Eye catalogue, AGGV, 2011
Walter Dexter The Torso Masterworks, Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, 2012
Back to the Land catalogue, AGGV, 2012
Collier, Allan, et al. Modern in the Making: POST-WAR Craft and Design in British Columbia. Edited by Daina Augaitis, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2020.
A Catalogue of British Columbian Potters, Bob Kingsmill, 1977
Source
Allan Collier
Linked resources
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