Harry Kiyooka: A Tribute
to
Herringer Kiss Gallery 101-1615 10 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T3C 0J7
Harry Kiyooka, RCA (1928 – 2022)
Harry Kiyooka: A Tribute
Rest in Peace, Harry Kiyooka.
Harry Kiyooka, RCA (1928 – 2022)
B.Ed, B.FA, M.A., MFA.
Co-Founder, Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre
Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 16th from 2 to 5 pm.
Katie Ohe in Attendance.
The Herringer Kiss Gallery is honoured to present a tribute exhibition to the late Harry Kiyooka who passed away in April at the age of 94. This exhibition represents a cross sampling of Harry’s work throughout his 70+ career. Harry’s last request to Deborah was to show a collection of early paintings he did in Italy when he was there studying on a Canada Council Grant in 1960. We are very proud to honour that request in this exhibition.
Harry Kiyooka gave his life to the art community of Canada. He was active not only as an artist but as an educator, curator, collector, mentor, activist, administrator and philanthropist.
Born in Calgary in 1928, Harry Kiyooka overcame prejudice and poverty to become an artist. He eventually received four degrees, including a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Masters of Art, and a Masters of Fine Arts all before turning 30 years old. In 1958, Harry left Canada to study art in Italy. Upon his return to Calgary in 1961, he began a teaching position at the new University of Alberta, Calgary campus. In 1988, Harry retired from the University of Calgary after 27 years with the rank of Professor Emeritus of Art.
Over the course of his long career, Harry served on local, provincial, and national boards such as the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the Royal Canadian Academy, the Alberta Society of Artists, the Alberta Art Foundation, Calgary Allied Arts Centre, the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation and the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society. Harry was a founding member of the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society (1982), Life Member of the Alberta Society of Artists and member of the Royal Canadian Academy.
In 1988, Harry was awarded a 125th Anniversary Medal of Confederation for his contribution to the community in establishing the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts (now Contemporary Calgary), and in 1996, Harry was the recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Alberta College of Art and Design for his contributions to the visual arts and in 2018, he was bestowed an Honourary MFA from the Alberta University for the Arts.
In 2007, Harry and his wife, sculptor, Katie Ohe, founded the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre, a year-round, sustainable, art-in-nature destination dedicated to the research, exhibition, education, and documentation of contemporary visual arts.
The KOAC and all of the people who have been influenced and inspired by Harry will be his lasting legacy to the Canadian art world. He will be deeply missed.
Rest in Peace, Harry Kiyooka.
Harry Kiyooka, RCA (1928 – 2022)
B.Ed, B.FA, M.A., MFA.
Co-Founder, Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre