Lewis, Glenn
Item
Maker Name
Lewis, Glenn
Biography
Glenn Lewis’s long and prestigious art career encompasses ceramics, performance, media, horticulture, installations and an early social practice, each distinct praxis informing his other practices. Glenn, the second Canadian and BC Leach Apprentice is the one who has translated the Leach/ Mingei philosophies into a conceptual and postmodern practice.
From 1987 -1990 he was Head of Media Arts for the Canada Council. In 2000 Glenn was the recipient of the prestigious “Emily” Award from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and in 2017 his contributions to Canadian art were recognized with the Governor General’s Award.
This short profile is focussed on Glenn’s practice around ceramics.
Glenn Lewis graduated from VSA in 1958, his instructor was Robert Weghsteen who had taken over from Reg Dixon. Encouraged by John Reeve, who was working at the Leach Pottery, Glenn applied and apprenticed with Bernard Leach, 1961-64, crossing over with other BC potters, Mick Henry (1963-65) and Ian Steele (1963-65)(1967-69). (Other BC potters - 1974 Martin Peters, the 5th BC potter to work at the Leach, and Charmian Johnson, 1975, the 6th BC potter - she came to assist Bernard Leach catalogue his Asian collection.)
In 1963, after Glenn’s apprenticeship ended, Glenn, John Reeve and Warren MacKenzie established Longlands on Dartmoor where an assortment of potters worked. It ran until 1972.
In 1964 Glenn returned to Vancouver and taught ceramics at UBC in the Faculty of Education until 1967. ( Gathie Falk (1964-67) and Charmain Johnson (1964-67) were his students).
From 1971-74 he taught at the UBC Fine Art Facility. Gathie Falk took over his position until 1976, she was the last person to teach ceramics in the UBC Fine Arts Faculty. During this time Glenn, Gathie and Charmian were also active in the Potters Guild of BC. Glenn was vice-President in1965, Charmian was the Western Potter editor (1967-69) and Gathie was a board member at large. Charmain and Gathie even did a throwing demo together for the PGBC in 1966.
After his experience at the Leach Glenn remained very interested in the Japanese aesthetic and in the integration of beauty in daily life. This notion became a part of his social practice, Quoting from Eva Madden’s interview / video; “There is a certain treasure in a mundane thing, I mean if you regard it long enough and think about it, you can make it into something or you see it as something more extraordinary.” In1969 Glenn traveled to Japan photographing different styles of Japanese ceramics. He would return to Japan twice more.
In 1970/71 Glenn took a hiatus from UBC teaching and was professor of ceramics at the New York College of Ceramics, Alfred University, New York. After teaching at Alfred Glenn returned to UBC for three more years.
Glenn’s approach to ceramics had changed from the Mingei / Leach to a conceptualized approach that incorporated ideas around postmodernism, avant garde, and Zen Buddhism, and turned his attention to social practice, media, and performance art. He did not return to ceramics until 2006.
His last major work in ceramic was the 1970 - wall mural, “Artifact, (22ft x 8 ft) for the Canadian Pavilion, Expo 70, Osaka, Japan (removed as pornographic) (acquired by Vancouver Art Gallery in 1986). It was brought out of VAG storage for the 2010 exhibition 'Artifact' at Presentation House, and again in 2020/21 'Playing With Fire' exhibition at the UBC, Museum of Anthropology.
Glenn, fondly known as Flakey (Rose Hip) an early practitioner of performance and social practice, was a member of the collective “intermedia’, and a founder of the Western Front.
As both a potter and as a conceptual multi-media artist Glenn was involved in the Post-Modern exodus to Roberts Creek in the 1970s where the 'Back to the Land' potters, the ecologists and the avant-garde cross-pollinated.
Glenn was also active in the grunt gallery, in Vancouver, where he help coordinate the 1991 performance/ installation of the 'Masque of the Red Death' with Glenn Alteen, Stan Lake and Bill Rennie provided the 'Violet' ceramic room.
Glenn has exhibited and performed throughout Canada as well as in London, New York, Oakland, Los Angeles. France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Belgium, supported by Canada Arts Council grants. Glenn was also active on many national and civic Boards, including the VAG, Intermedia, Western Front, and from 1978 – 1985 Served on Canada Council juries: Art Bank, Performance Art, Multimedia, Senior Visual Arts Awards, Video, Computer-Integrated Media, Exhibition 1980 – 1981 Served as Vice President of the Association of National Non-Profit Artist Centres (ANNPAC).
In 1983 Glenn returned to Japan this time photographing gardens as well as ceramics. In his words from Eva Madden’s interview/video …”I think the journey in the garden represents our journey through life. I mean it interests me to understand the world, and to understand people better, in that sense.” In 1993 Glenn returned to Roberts Creek and established and ran the nursery 'Fragrant Flora' and founded The Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden.
In 2004 curator, Scott Watson held the significant group exhibition 'Thrown, British Columbia's Apprentices of Bernard Leach and Their Contemporaries" at the UBC Belkin Gallery, of over 500 pots, including some of Glenn's early works. This show re-awakened interest in the Back-to-the-Land era of the 1960s and 70s and the Leach /Mingei influences still being felt in BC, and an important 'catalogue' also called 'Thrown' appeared in 2009.
In 2006 Glenn returned to Vancouver and after a near 40-year hiatus from clay and started to throw pots with Sam Kwan at Capilano College, Maggie Boyd who later relocated for a successful ceramic practice in New York, was his studio-mate at his Franc Street Studio. some time 2009/2010 until 2016/17.
In 2015 Maggie Boyd, Jaulie Chirka 'Jules', and Glenn Lewis founded Summer Skool at the Franklin studios. Maggie Boyd relocated to New York, (2017) however 'Jules' still works and teaches at Summer Skool (2022) in a studio near Glenn's on Franlin Street. His aim has been; simply put in his words from Eva Madden’s interview/video …..’To return craft and art together, I don’t think there should be a division there….”
In 2008 Phyllis Schwartz and Debra Sloan contacted Glenn about publishing a book based on the Leach glazes he used to teach at the UBC Faculty of Education. Other than recipes the book contained artist profiles, a few essays and a simplified history about the artists involved in the BC-Leach diaspora. “Seeking the Nuance” was published in 2009. (2nd Ed. 2017)
In 2011 ‘Seeking the Nuance’ was discovered by Alex Lambley, a PhD candidate at Falmouth University and the Leach Pottery. Alex decided to investigate the connection of the BC apprentices and whether to make it the focus of her PhD. Under the auspices of the Leach Pottery Alex came to Vancouver in 2012 for a month and stayed with Debra. This led to her PhD (published in 2019/20) and to an invitation to Glenn from Leach Pottery Director, Julia Twomlow, for Glenn to return for a residency in 2013, to celebrate his fiftieth anniversary of apprenticeship. (Debra was invited for 2014 ) In 2014 an exhibition was held at the Leach Pottery Gallery, celebrating four North American artists at the Leach, "Across the Pond, with Warren MacKenzie, Jeff Oestreich, Glenn Lewis and Debra Sloan" curated by Dr. Matt Tyas.
In 2014 Glenn spent six months in Japan at ceramic residencies in Shigaraki and in Bizen, reinforcing his ceramic practice and photographing gardens.
Glenn returned to the Leach in 2017, working with sets of medieval forms, and crossed over with Debra Sloan. He has continued to work with pottery/floral/stucture compositions, and has had a number of exhibitions around the conversation between ordinary objects, function and wonder.
Since 2004, in BC, Glenn’s work has been included in important exhibitions in BC featuring ceramics and craft;
2004 'Thrown, and in 2011 'The Modern Eye. In 2019/20 'Playing With Fire, and in 2020/21 'Modern in the Making'.
Glenn exhibited his recent pottery in the Franc Gallery, on Franklin street, Vancouver, often combining the pot with photography, changing the dynamic of both. Also in group shows at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Richmond Art Gallery, and at the Gardiner in Toronto
A complete record of Glenn’s performance, installation, social practice and Media contributions can be found in his CV on his website;
https://glennlewis.art/glenn-lewis-profile/cv/
From 1987 -1990 he was Head of Media Arts for the Canada Council. In 2000 Glenn was the recipient of the prestigious “Emily” Award from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and in 2017 his contributions to Canadian art were recognized with the Governor General’s Award.
This short profile is focussed on Glenn’s practice around ceramics.
Glenn Lewis graduated from VSA in 1958, his instructor was Robert Weghsteen who had taken over from Reg Dixon. Encouraged by John Reeve, who was working at the Leach Pottery, Glenn applied and apprenticed with Bernard Leach, 1961-64, crossing over with other BC potters, Mick Henry (1963-65) and Ian Steele (1963-65)(1967-69). (Other BC potters - 1974 Martin Peters, the 5th BC potter to work at the Leach, and Charmian Johnson, 1975, the 6th BC potter - she came to assist Bernard Leach catalogue his Asian collection.)
In 1963, after Glenn’s apprenticeship ended, Glenn, John Reeve and Warren MacKenzie established Longlands on Dartmoor where an assortment of potters worked. It ran until 1972.
In 1964 Glenn returned to Vancouver and taught ceramics at UBC in the Faculty of Education until 1967. ( Gathie Falk (1964-67) and Charmain Johnson (1964-67) were his students).
From 1971-74 he taught at the UBC Fine Art Facility. Gathie Falk took over his position until 1976, she was the last person to teach ceramics in the UBC Fine Arts Faculty. During this time Glenn, Gathie and Charmian were also active in the Potters Guild of BC. Glenn was vice-President in1965, Charmian was the Western Potter editor (1967-69) and Gathie was a board member at large. Charmain and Gathie even did a throwing demo together for the PGBC in 1966.
After his experience at the Leach Glenn remained very interested in the Japanese aesthetic and in the integration of beauty in daily life. This notion became a part of his social practice, Quoting from Eva Madden’s interview / video; “There is a certain treasure in a mundane thing, I mean if you regard it long enough and think about it, you can make it into something or you see it as something more extraordinary.” In1969 Glenn traveled to Japan photographing different styles of Japanese ceramics. He would return to Japan twice more.
In 1970/71 Glenn took a hiatus from UBC teaching and was professor of ceramics at the New York College of Ceramics, Alfred University, New York. After teaching at Alfred Glenn returned to UBC for three more years.
Glenn’s approach to ceramics had changed from the Mingei / Leach to a conceptualized approach that incorporated ideas around postmodernism, avant garde, and Zen Buddhism, and turned his attention to social practice, media, and performance art. He did not return to ceramics until 2006.
His last major work in ceramic was the 1970 - wall mural, “Artifact, (22ft x 8 ft) for the Canadian Pavilion, Expo 70, Osaka, Japan (removed as pornographic) (acquired by Vancouver Art Gallery in 1986). It was brought out of VAG storage for the 2010 exhibition 'Artifact' at Presentation House, and again in 2020/21 'Playing With Fire' exhibition at the UBC, Museum of Anthropology.
Glenn, fondly known as Flakey (Rose Hip) an early practitioner of performance and social practice, was a member of the collective “intermedia’, and a founder of the Western Front.
As both a potter and as a conceptual multi-media artist Glenn was involved in the Post-Modern exodus to Roberts Creek in the 1970s where the 'Back to the Land' potters, the ecologists and the avant-garde cross-pollinated.
Glenn was also active in the grunt gallery, in Vancouver, where he help coordinate the 1991 performance/ installation of the 'Masque of the Red Death' with Glenn Alteen, Stan Lake and Bill Rennie provided the 'Violet' ceramic room.
Glenn has exhibited and performed throughout Canada as well as in London, New York, Oakland, Los Angeles. France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Belgium, supported by Canada Arts Council grants. Glenn was also active on many national and civic Boards, including the VAG, Intermedia, Western Front, and from 1978 – 1985 Served on Canada Council juries: Art Bank, Performance Art, Multimedia, Senior Visual Arts Awards, Video, Computer-Integrated Media, Exhibition 1980 – 1981 Served as Vice President of the Association of National Non-Profit Artist Centres (ANNPAC).
In 1983 Glenn returned to Japan this time photographing gardens as well as ceramics. In his words from Eva Madden’s interview/video …”I think the journey in the garden represents our journey through life. I mean it interests me to understand the world, and to understand people better, in that sense.” In 1993 Glenn returned to Roberts Creek and established and ran the nursery 'Fragrant Flora' and founded The Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden.
In 2004 curator, Scott Watson held the significant group exhibition 'Thrown, British Columbia's Apprentices of Bernard Leach and Their Contemporaries" at the UBC Belkin Gallery, of over 500 pots, including some of Glenn's early works. This show re-awakened interest in the Back-to-the-Land era of the 1960s and 70s and the Leach /Mingei influences still being felt in BC, and an important 'catalogue' also called 'Thrown' appeared in 2009.
In 2006 Glenn returned to Vancouver and after a near 40-year hiatus from clay and started to throw pots with Sam Kwan at Capilano College, Maggie Boyd who later relocated for a successful ceramic practice in New York, was his studio-mate at his Franc Street Studio. some time 2009/2010 until 2016/17.
In 2015 Maggie Boyd, Jaulie Chirka 'Jules', and Glenn Lewis founded Summer Skool at the Franklin studios. Maggie Boyd relocated to New York, (2017) however 'Jules' still works and teaches at Summer Skool (2022) in a studio near Glenn's on Franlin Street. His aim has been; simply put in his words from Eva Madden’s interview/video …..’To return craft and art together, I don’t think there should be a division there….”
In 2008 Phyllis Schwartz and Debra Sloan contacted Glenn about publishing a book based on the Leach glazes he used to teach at the UBC Faculty of Education. Other than recipes the book contained artist profiles, a few essays and a simplified history about the artists involved in the BC-Leach diaspora. “Seeking the Nuance” was published in 2009. (2nd Ed. 2017)
In 2011 ‘Seeking the Nuance’ was discovered by Alex Lambley, a PhD candidate at Falmouth University and the Leach Pottery. Alex decided to investigate the connection of the BC apprentices and whether to make it the focus of her PhD. Under the auspices of the Leach Pottery Alex came to Vancouver in 2012 for a month and stayed with Debra. This led to her PhD (published in 2019/20) and to an invitation to Glenn from Leach Pottery Director, Julia Twomlow, for Glenn to return for a residency in 2013, to celebrate his fiftieth anniversary of apprenticeship. (Debra was invited for 2014 ) In 2014 an exhibition was held at the Leach Pottery Gallery, celebrating four North American artists at the Leach, "Across the Pond, with Warren MacKenzie, Jeff Oestreich, Glenn Lewis and Debra Sloan" curated by Dr. Matt Tyas.
In 2014 Glenn spent six months in Japan at ceramic residencies in Shigaraki and in Bizen, reinforcing his ceramic practice and photographing gardens.
Glenn returned to the Leach in 2017, working with sets of medieval forms, and crossed over with Debra Sloan. He has continued to work with pottery/floral/stucture compositions, and has had a number of exhibitions around the conversation between ordinary objects, function and wonder.
Since 2004, in BC, Glenn’s work has been included in important exhibitions in BC featuring ceramics and craft;
2004 'Thrown, and in 2011 'The Modern Eye. In 2019/20 'Playing With Fire, and in 2020/21 'Modern in the Making'.
Glenn exhibited his recent pottery in the Franc Gallery, on Franklin street, Vancouver, often combining the pot with photography, changing the dynamic of both. Also in group shows at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Richmond Art Gallery, and at the Gardiner in Toronto
A complete record of Glenn’s performance, installation, social practice and Media contributions can be found in his CV on his website;
https://glennlewis.art/glenn-lewis-profile/cv/
First name
Glenn
Last name
Lewis
Career dates (start and end)
1963
Date of Birth
1935
Place of Birth
Chemainus, British Columbia
Studio location
Formal Education
Apprenticeships
1961-64 Apprentice of Bernard Leach, Leach Pottery, ST Ives, UK
Major Exhibitions
See Glenn Lewis website for complete CV
Below,mainly ceramic exhibitions in BC
Below,mainly ceramic exhibitions in BC
2020/21 "Modern in the Making, Post War Craft and Design in British Columbia”, Vancouver Art Gallery, curated, catalogue, Daina Augaitis, Allan Collier, Rebecca Rebick
2019/20 "Playing With Fire, Ceramics of the Extraordinary"
UBC, Museum of Anthropology, curated, catalogue, Dr. Carol E. Mayer
UBC, Museum of Anthropology, curated, catalogue, Dr. Carol E. Mayer
2019 Group, The Poetic Process
Contact Photography Festival
Installation, ceramics, photographs
Contact Photography Festival
Installation, ceramics, photographs
2017 solo HANDMADE HANDDOWN HANDUP NOT HANDOUT
Franc Gallery, Vancouver
Franc Gallery, Vancouver
2016, 2017 VANCOUVER SPECIAL: AMBIGUOUS PLEASURES,
Ceramics, Group, Photography, Vancouver Art Gallery
Ceramics, Group, Photography, Vancouver Art Gallery
1968, 1969, 2015, Group, Vancouver, Vancouver Art Gallery, Video/Film
THE POETICS OF SPACE: FROM THE COLLECTION
THE POETICS OF SPACE: FROM THE COLLECTION
2014 From Across the Pond, Warren MacKenzie, Jeff Oestreich, Glenn Lewis, Debra Sloan, Leach Pottery Gallery and Museum, curated, Dr. Matt Tyas
2011 "The Modern Eye, Craft and Design in Canada 1940-1980" Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, curated, catalogue, Allan Collier
2010 “Artifact” at Presentation House, N. Vancouver, 1970 ceramic mural on the wall for first time
2004 - ‘Thrown, British Columbian Apprentices of Bernard Leach and Their Contemporaries”, Scott Watson, Lee Plested, Charmian Johnson, 2009 catalogue
Collections
Vancouver Art Gallery
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Morris & Helen Belkin Art Gallery, UBC, Vancouver
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Confederation Art Gallery, Charlottetown, P.E.I
City of Vancouver
Queens University, Kingston, Ontario
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa
Freybe collection; External Affairs, Government of Canada
Affiliated organizations
Personal Website
https://glennlewis.art
Links to Further Resources
Arch-BC - https://bchdp.arcabc.ca/islandora/object/arch-bc%3Aroot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Lewis_(artist)
https://glennlewis.art/gg-award-canada-council/
2019/22 Translation and Appropriation, Mingei Theory, Bernard Leach and his Vancouver Apprentices. PhD Alexandra Lambley Clark, Falmouth University, England
2009 "Thrown, British Columbian Apprenticed of Bernard Leach and their Contemporaries", Scott Watson, Charmian Johnson, Naomi Sawada, UBC Belkin ( with record of Marks)
https://www.martygrossfilms.com/films/leach/leach_on-bernard-leach.html
Source
Debra Sloan
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
 Lewis, Glenn mark |
Image | |
 Lewis, Glenn mark |
Image |
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Boyd, Maggie | Apprenticeships | Person |