Leona Lattimer Collection

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Jay Simeon, "Model Canoe"

cedar, acrylic paint, monogrammed J.S 99, 7.5 x 32.5 x 6.1 in. Courtesy of the Collector.

Leona Lattimer dedicated her career to promoting contemporary Northwest Coast Art in Canada and abroad, establishing Vancouver’s Lattimer Gallery in 1986. Waddington’s is honoured to be offering highlights from her estate in this special auction. Highlights include works by Norval Morrisseau, Gordon Miller, and Jim Logan; jewellery by Robert Davidson and Phil Janzé; carvings by Francis Horne, Walter Harris, Earl Muldoe, Russell Smith and Phil Gray.

“Leona Lattimer was a strong-minded woman who was full of life and energy. She knew what she wanted and always worked hard to get it.” These are the words of Peter Lattimer, who continues to run the eponymous gallery that his grandmother Leona Lattimer (March 21, 1932 – June 25, 2022) founded in 1986. Peter paints a picture of Leona as an outgoing woman who worked hard, who cared intensely about her family as well as her community. When not in the gallery, Leona could often be found at home in her kitchen, cooking for loved ones, or preparing to entertain. Leona was a woman who changed the Canadian art market, but was never too busy to lend a helping hand – around Christmastime, she would cook ten full turkey dinners to be distributed to those in need.

LEONA’S COLLECTION

When speaking with art world professionals, it is common to ask their advice on what to collect. It is even more common to hear that collecting, when done right, should be about something ineffable, about simply buying works that speak to you. Leona was no exception, often telling those who walked into her gallery: “don’t worry about who made it or whether it’s a good investment. Just let it speak to you and if it does, buy it!”

She followed her own advice, collecting and showcasing art that had personal resonance, art that spoke to her. Peter says that, like him, Leona would have liked to take everything she presented in her gallery home with her, and like him, having to say goodbye to certain pieces has been hard. Leona viewed the works in her gallery as an extension of her personal collection, an ever-changing presentation which needed to be seen and enjoyed by broader audiences. Sometimes the pull of certain pieces was too strong, and Leona would take work home with her – work that we are pleased to be offering in this auction. Of particular interest to Leona were Woodlands painting, especially the work of Daphne Odjig and Norval Morrisseau, as well as fine jewellery – Peter recalls her always wearing something beautiful by Robert Davidson, Phil Janzé or Bill Reid.