Artist

Akroyd, Jack

Title

Untitled

Date

1978

Dimensions

56cm height x 76.3cm width

Type

painting

Accession Number

1978.27

Owner

City of Burnaby

Collection

Permanent Collection

Presented to the Gallery in memory of Mrs. M. Wright by her students at Clinton Elementary

Artist Jack Akroyd (1921-1996) was born in Halifax, England. In 1947, he immigrated to Ontario to work as a machinist. After 18 months he quit his job working for the CNR and enrolled at the Ontario College of Art, going on to graduate in 1953. Shortly after, Akroyd moved to the West Coast, taking on various positions and working full-time as a draftsman with a Vancouver consulting engineering firm. He sketched and painted in his spare time and between jobs. By 1961, he was living in Kitsilano and had declared himself a freelance artist. Jack is quoted as saying “I figured if I could generate $100 per month, I could make it.” As not many of his early works sold, Jack supported himself by helping local sculptors. While Akroyd remains comparatively unknown on the West Coast, his work is held in many private and public collections, and a book by Mother Tongue Press features his work. Through his drawings and paintings, Akroyd documented his surroundings with meticulous detail and often added a personal, almost humorous, touch to his art.