Gerry Garneau interview, Journal from OUC, November 2001
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Gerry Garneau, fine arts instructor in our BFA program from 1971 to 1997. Gerry was one of the first instructors to teach fine arts as a diploma program at Okanagan College, and was instrumental in creating the degree program that was offered when the institution became Okanagan University College.
“I first met Gerry in 1972. At that time there were only two instructors in the Fine Arts Department of Okanagan College, Gerry and Toru Fujibiashi.” says colleague and Emeritus Professor, Mary Smith McCulloch.
Gerry taught drawing and painting, and Toru sculpture and drawing. The following year, when the fine arts programme expanded to include second year studies, Mary was hired to teach printmaking.
“Gerry’s most important legacy was that he provided stability. He always insisted that keeping the core programme of the two foundation years in studio practice and art history intact was key to further development. As a result the two year programme gained an excellent reputation especially for those students who wished to transfer to other art schools and universities to further their studies in Fine Arts,” notes Mary.
Even though Gerry retired before we became UBC, the legacy of his creation of the fine arts program lives on in what we offer in our studio courses today. We are forever grateful for his dedication as a teacher of fine arts, and will miss him as part of our arts community.
Read the full article in the OUC Journal – Gerry Garneau – Fine Arts success.