Fonds SC515 - Avis Rasmussen fonds

Avis Margaret Rasmussen was born in Sidney, British Columbia, May 8, 1937, to John Ernest Bosher and Grace Simister Bosher.

Even as a pre-school child, she demonstrated a talent for drawing and painting and pursued these activities with enthusiasm. She was educated at local schools and then entered Education at Victoria College in 1956 where she completed the program required to qualify for a certificate to teach school. In 1975 she earned a B.Ed. degree (art major) from the University of Victoria. In 1979 she received a BFA degree (with distinction) from the University of Victoria. During this period she worked extensively with John Dobereiner on Painting and with Pat Martin Bates on Printmaking. Her third and final degree was an M.Ed (Counselling and Art) from the University of Victoria in 1982.

In 1959, she married Hans Rasmussen, a local businessperson and entrepreneur. She was married to Hans Rasmussen for 20 years and had five children. The children now live in many parts of Canada and the United States.

Despite her career in teaching and substantial family responsibilities, Avis Rasmussen continued to paint and through an ambitious program of advanced education, study art and its creation. Over her long and still continuing career as an artist, Avis Rasmussen has produced hundreds of works ranging from monumentally scaled abstract expressionist oils on canvas to much smaller, intricately detailed woodblock prints and fluidly realized "plein air" watercolours. Much of this work has been sold through galleries (principally the Winchester Galleries). Over 150 of her works are represented in public collections. She is also extensively represented in private collections in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Professional Development:
2015 Taught 'Try Reduction Linocut--Picasso Did', Metchosin Summer School of the Arts-B.C., Canada
2012 Solo 'Plein Air' painting-Maine, U.S.A.
2011 Solo 'Plein air' painting-Rhineland, Germany
2010 Solo 'Plein air' painting-United Kingdom
2007-2009 Solo 'plein air' painting-France
2004-2005 Painting with Daniel Lang of NYC-Montone, Perugia, Italy
2003 Juried Residency at the International School of Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture-Italy
1996 & 1999 Metchosin Summer School of the Arts. Studied under Leslie Poole and Zane St. Phillip-B.C., Canada
1992 Emma Lake Artists' Workshop (juried), University of Saskatchewan-Saskatchewan, Canada
1985 & 1987 Metchosin Summer School of the Arts, Pearson College campus. Studied under Flemming Jorgensen (painting) and Noburo Sawai (woodblock)-B.C., Canada
1982 M.Ed. Counselling and Art (curriculum), University of Victoria-B.C., Canada
1979 B.F.A. (Distinction) in Painting (with John Dobereiner) and Printmaking (with Pat Martin Bates), University of Victoria-B.C., Canada
1975 B.Ed. Art Major with an illustrated book project, University of Victoria-B.C., Canada

Galleries:
1992-2016 Winchester Gallery artist-Victoria, B.C., Canada
Winchester Galleries: www.winchestergalleriesltd.com
1998-2015 Burnaby Gallery (Rental) artist-B.C., Canada
Burnaby Art Gallery: www.burnabyartgallery.com
2016-present Eclectic Gallery-Victoria, B.C., Canada
Kumf Gallery Toronto: www. kumfgallery.com-Ontario, Canada

Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2019 13 Travel Paintings, Union Club, McGregor Lounge (April/May)-Victoria, B.C., Canada
2017 Avis Rasmussen & Alanna Sparanese, Eclectic Gallery-Victoria, B.C., Canada
2015 "New Plein Air Paintings," Winchester Gallery-Victoria, B.C., Canada
2014 "Pacific Northwest Paintings," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2013 "New England Seascapes," Winchester Galleries, 2260 Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
Artist-in-Residence at Oak Bay Beach Hotel (continuing)-B.C., Canada
2011 "Rhineland Paintings," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2010 "Paintings: London to Stratford-on-Avon," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
"Take Five Coast to Coast," Bob Prittie Library, Burnaby-B.C., Canada
2009 "Normandy Paintings," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2008 "Paris, Provence Paintings," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2007 "Paintings from Provence," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2006 "Landscapes from Italy," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2005 "Recent Italian Paintings," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2004 "Montone (PG), Italy," Winchester Galleries, Oak Bay-B.C., Canada
2002 "Ambient Italy," 30 paintings at McPherson Gallery, University of Victoria-B.C., Canada
2001 "Jazz Expressions and Invited Sculptors," Community Arts Council of Victoria-B.C., Canada

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2019 "Latitude 48," International Exchange, Ground Zero Printmakers-Victoria, B.C., Canada
and Atelier aux Lilas-Paris, France
2018 "Strong Women, Strong World," International Women's Day, Victoria Arts Council Gallery
-B.C., Canada
2017 Winter Salon, Eclectic Gallery-Victoria, B.C., Canada
2016 Small Works, Eclectic Gallery-Victoria, B.C., Canada
2015 "Me, Myself and I," Ground Zero Printmakers, Community Arts Council of Victoria-B.C., Canada
2014 "TD Moss Street Paint In," Art Gallery of Victoria-B.C., Canada
2013 "International Womens' Day," Victoria Community Arts Council Gallery-B.C., Canada
"Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger," Community Arts Council of Victoria-B.C., Canada
2012 "150th Visions of Victoria," Ground Zero Printmakers' Portfolio, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2011 "Convergence/Divergence Landscapes," Legacy Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
"Elegance of Black," Martin Batchelor Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2010 "Portals," Ground Zero Printmakers at Martin Batchelor Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2009 "That's Progress: 20th Anniversary," Xhanges Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2008 "Travels with Avis," 14 Reliefs at Bob Prittie Gallery, Burnaby-B.C., Canada
2007 "Word/Image," Ground Zero Printmakers at Xchanges Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2006 "Strangers," Ground Zero Printmakers at Atelier les Mille-Feuilles, Rouyn-Noranda-Quebec, Canada
2003 "Nine Artists," International School of Painting and Drawing-Italy
2002 "University of Victoria Alumni/BFAs," (juried), Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2001 "Cavities," Salon de Refuse, Selkirk Properties, Victoria-B.C., Canada
"Print Indaba," Victoria/Pretoria International Exhibition, Victoria-B.C., Canada
"UVic 20th Anniversary Womens' Maltwood," (curated), Victoria-B.C., Canada
"Micro Macro," Ground Zero Printmakers / South African Exchange at Xhanges Gallery, Victoria-B.C., Canada
2000 "Print Indaba," Victoria/Pretoria International Exhibition, Victoria-B.C., Canada
"Visible Knowledge: Women's World in Art," 20th Anniversary of women's studies at the University of Victoria (curated), Victoria-B.C., Canada
"Celebration of the Body," Comox Valley Art Gallery (juried)-B.C., Canada
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