William Forrestall is a nationaly recognized artist with an extensive exhibition record of over 150 solo and group exhibitions. He teaches part time in the Fine Arts program at St. Thomas University. He has been responsible for the initiation and development of numerous art projects, lectures, publications, and cultural projects including the conception and planning of the Fred Ross mural restoration project at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and the book Redeemed; Restoring the Lost Fred Ross Mural, with essays by Charles Hill, Virgil Hammock, Tom Smart and John Leroux. He is a member of the AICA International Association of Art Critics and has developed numerous group and solo exhibitions as curator and director of the Yellow Box Gallery at St. Thomas University.
Profile
William Forrestall was born in Middleton, Nova Scotia in 1959. He attended Mount Allison University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Following immediate success in group shows, William dedicated himself to art professionally. He had his first solo exhibition at Gallery 78 in 1987 and has had many shows since in Fredericton, all over New Brunswick, in Halifax, in Saskatchewan and in Los Angeles, California .
William has been the recipient of many grants and in 1994 he was awarded the Brucebo scholarship to study and tour through European art Galleries. Among other important influences in his current work are the Egyptian artifacts and remnants in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford where William spent a summer.
William Forrestall was lucky in finding his specific artistic direction and interest early. The paintings that established his reputation and that have continued to impress his collectors are all characterised by unique vision. He has an ascetic aesthetic in which he strives to create, in his words, “the illusion of a new reality”. This artist’s subject is time and the passage of time into history and the preserving of moments. In order to presents this he paints the shapes and textures of objects that interest him in that most basic of compositions: the still life; he juxtaposes objects with varying levels of permanence creating dialogue from the inanimate. William Forrestall presents symmetry and asymmetry as a mechanism of tension in his paintings. He uses tempera because the technique involves subtlety and patient progress: these requirements emphasize the abstract peace of the subject matters. The quantum passage of time is key to William’s work. His paintings make the stillness and quiet of his studio available to the viewer eternally.
Selected Solo Exhibitions (and 2 person)
2015 “ A Vision of Still Life: Favourite and New” Gallery 78 Ferdericton, NB
2015 “New and Selected Works” Kinsman Robinson Galleries. Toronto Ont.
2014 “The Reflective Gaze” Saint John Art Centre (2 person) Saint John NB
2013 “The Reflective View” St. Francis Xavier University Art Gallery. Nova Scotia
2012 “New and Familiar” Kinsmen Robinson Art Galleries. Toronto Ont.
2012 “Paper and Panel: Studies and Still Lifes” Gallery 78, Fredericton NB
2011 “For Those Who have Gone Before / Objects for Study”” Sunbury Shores Art
Gallery, St. Andrews NB (two person) with Herménégilde Chiasson
2011 “Objects for Study” Exhibition /booklaunch , Congress 2011
St. Thomas University Fredericton NB
2010 “William Forrestall” retrospective Beaverbrook Art Gallery Fredericton NB
2010 “For Those Have Gone Before” Yellow Box Gallery St. Thomas University NB
2010 “Recent Works” Studio 21 Art Gallery Halifax Nova Scotia
2009 “William Forrestall” retrospective New Brunswick Museum, Saint John NB
2009 “Focus Works” Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John NB
2008 “Objects for Study” Gallery 78, Fredericton NB
2006 “New Paintings”, Gallery 78, Fredericton NB
2005 “New Works” Gallery 78, Fredericton NB
2005 “New and Familiar” City of Saint John Gallery
2004 “New Works” (two- person show) Kinsman Robinson Gallery, Toronto ON
2004 “Still Life and Landscapes” Studio 21 Art Gallery, Halifax NS
2004 “Still Life Opening” New Brunswick Museum, Saint. John NB
2003 “Beauty and Myth” Peterson Fine Arts, Toronto, ON
2003 “Still Life: A Collection of Paintings” Renaissance College, UNB, Fredericton,
2003 “Still Looking, Still Life” Studio 21, Halifax, NS
2002 “Ancient, Instant Still Life” Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John, NB
2002 “Still Life Opening” St. Peter’s College Art Gallery, SK
2002 “Still Life Opening” (two-person show) Rosemont Gallery, Regina, SK (catalouge)
2002 “New Paintings” Studio 21, Halifax, NS
2000 “Artifacts of Time” Gallery 78, Fredericton, NB
2000 “New Works in Egg Tempera” Studio 21, Halifax, NS
2000 Media Market, representing NB, Los Angeles, California
1999 “Recent Works and Prints” Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John, NB
1999 “Flowers, Paintings and Works on Paper” McCain Gallery, Florenceville, NB
1997 “New Still Life Works” Studio 21, Halifax, NS
1996 “A View of Still Life” Sunbury Shores Art Center, St. Andrews, NB
1996 “Still Life Works, Selected and New” Gallery 78, Fredericton, NB
1995 “The Artist in Profile: Paintings and Prints” Studio 21, Halifax, NS
1995 “Prints and Paintings” Pilar Shephard Gallery, Charlottetown, PEI
1994 “Diptychs” Galerie Rochon, Toronto, Ontario (catalogue)
1993 “Diptychs” Mount Saint Vincent Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia (catalogue)
1993 “Painting in Series” McCain Gallery, Florenceville, New Brunswick
1993 “Primary Elements” Edmund Casey Hall, St. Thomas University, Fredericton,
1993 “Primary Elements” Ward Chipman Art Gallery, UNB , Saint John Campus
1992 “Still Life Works”Studio 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia (catalogue)
1992 “Studies and Paintings with Broken Glass” McCain Gallery, Florenceville, NB
1992 “Still Life with Painted Shards” Aitken Bicentennial Exhibition Centre,
Saint John, New Brunswick (catalogue)
1991 “Shards” University of New Brunswick Art Centre, Fredericton, NB
1990 “New Egg Tempera Paintings” Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1990 “Recent Works” Anthony Gallery, Burlington, Ontario
1989 “Egg Tempera Paintings” Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1988 University of New Brunswick University Club, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1987 “Egg Tempera Paintings” Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1986 “Aspects of Still Life” Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2015 Print Makers, Sunbury Shores St. Andrews NB
2014 Mount Allison University Alumni Exhibition
2014 Teaching Faculty, Sunbury Shores St. Andrews NB
2014 Bearverbrook Art Gallery, The Marcus Collection, Fred. NB
2013 Kinsmen Robinson Art Gallery, Selected Artists. Toronto Ont.
2012 “New Brunswick Art” Government House , Fredericton NB
2012 “Gallery Artists “ Gallery 78 Fredericton NB
2011 CASA Confrence Art Exhibition Fredericton NB
2011 New Space Gallery , St.Thomas university October
2010 “New Works” Studio 21 Art Gallery Halifax Nova Scotia
2010 “A Family Affair” Peter Buckland Art Gallery , Saint John NB
2010 “The Art of Drawing” Gallery 78 Fredericton New Brunswick
2009 “Portraits; New Brunswick Painters” overview of painting 1970-2000 in New Brunswick,
168 page catalogue/book, New Brunswick Museum Saint John NB
2009 Peter Buckland Gallery Small Works Exhibition, Saint John NB
2009 “Rock, Paper, Scissors” Faculty Exhibition YBG St. Thomas University Fredericton NB
2009 Gallery 78 Group Exhibition, Fredericton NB
2009 Fredericton Arts Alliance Exhibition, City Hall Fredericton NB
2008 Peter Buckland 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Saint John NB.
2008 Studio 21 Group Exhibition, Halifax NS
2007 Gallery 78 group show, Fredericton NB
2007 Casements Exhibitions, Fredericton City Hall
2006 A Tribute to Natalie, Gallery 78, Fredericton, NB
2005 Toronto International Art Fair, Kinsman Robinson Gallery, Toronto, ON
2005 Studio 21, Halifax, NS
2004 Kinsman Robinson Gallery, Toronto, ON
2003 Peterson Fine Art Gallery, December Show, Toronto, ON
2003 “The Casement Show” NB Crafts Council
2003 Christmas Show, Gallery 78
2003 Vision 20/21, Studio 21, Halifax NS
2003 Peterson Fine Art Gallery, Summer Show
2003 “Atlantic Canadian Artists a Selection” Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton NB
2003 “Faith Healers” A Space Gallery/Spin Gallery, Toronto, ON
2002 “Four by Three” Galley 78, Fredericton, NB
2002 Group Exhibition, Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John NB
2001 “Recent Additions to the Permanent Collection” Nova Scotia Art Gallery
2002 Peter Buckland Gallery, Group shows Fort Lauderdale, Florida
2000 Evidence of Things Unseen, Tynedale College, University of Toronto
2000 Provincial Exhibition, Aitken Bicentennial Exhibition Centre, Saint John, NB
2000 Three-person show, Sunbury Shores Art Center, St. Andrews, New Brunswick
2000 Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John, New Brunswick
2000 Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1999 “Egg Tempera Paintings” Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1999 “Arts Festival” Studio 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia
1999 “Works On Paper” Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John, New Brunswick
1998 Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1998 Studio 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia
1998 Peter Buckland Gallery, Saint John, New Brunswick
1997 Theatrum Mundi, Marion McCain Atlantic Art Exhibition, Beaverbrook Art Gallery,
Fredericton, New Brunswick; Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia;
Canadian Embassy, Washington, DC. Curated by Susan Gibson Garvey
1997 Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1997 Studio 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia
1996 Vision 20/20, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1996 Between Oceans and Lands: Through the Eyes of Canadian Artists, Taipei, Taiwan
1995 50th Anniversary of The Fiddlehead, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1995 New Brunswick Artists, The Algonquin Hotel, St. Andrews, New Brunswick
1995 Spring Time at the Gallery, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1994 Gallery Artists, Galerie Rochon, Toronto, Ontario
1994 Middlemarch, Literary Press Group, Toronto, Ontario
1994 Small Works, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1994 10th Anniversary Show, Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1993 Christmas Show, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1993 Reflections on Still Life, UNB Art Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1993 Exquisite Corpse, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, Curated by Tom Smart
1993 Acquisitions 91-92, UNB Art Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1993 Mini Format Show, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1992 Studio 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia
1992 Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1992 Kicking Against the Pricks, Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, NB,
1992 Small Works, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1992 Marion McCain New Brunswick Juried Exhibition, Beaverbrook Art Gallery,
1991 New Art Brunswick, UNB Art Centre/Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, NB
1991 Mini Format Show, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1991 Vert, Studio 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia
1990 The Artist in the Garden, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1990 Recent Acquisitions Show, UNB Art Center, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1990 The New Brunswick Art Bank Collection, Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, NB
1989 Marion McCain New Brunswick Juried Exhibition, Beaverbrook Art Gallery NB
1989 10th Anniversary Ring Gallery of Art Exhibition, Ring Gallery, Saint John, NB
1988 Flying with Bats, University of New Brunswick Art Centre, Fredericton, NB
1988 Unchartered Terrain II, Windrush Gallery, Saint John, New Brunswick
1988 The Chess Show, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1987 New Brunswick Juried Art Competition, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton,
1987 Unchartered Terrain, Windrush Gallery, Saint John, New Brunswick
1986 Mini Format Show, Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1986 Group Show, Playhouse Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1985 The Flower Show, Ring Gallery of Art, Saint John, New Brunswick
1985 Aspects of Fredericton, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1984 New Brunswick Juried Show, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, NB
1984 Reflections of a Province, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
1983 Christmas Exhibition University of New Brunswick Arts Center
1983 Group Show, Annapolis Valley MacDonald Museum, Middleton, Nova Scotia
Selected Bibliography
Virgil Hammock “The Reflective Gaze” Vie des Arts, Spring 2015
Margret Patricia Eaton “ History’s Painting Through Todays Lens” Atlantic Books Today, December 2014
Kelsey Nevers “William Forrestall: 6000 Years In The Making” The East, November 2014
Mike Landry “Lost and Found” Telegraph Journal , Salon , Saturday May 21 2011
Heather McLauglin “ Missing mural to be recreated” Daily Gleaner , front page , Saturday, March 12 2011.
Marty Klinkenberg “Father –son art” The Telegraph Journal/Salon Febuary 12, 2011
Diane Cole “Finding beauty in the ordinary” HERE magazine, volume 12 issue 031 , January 20-26, 2011
Karen Ruet “ Forrestall at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery” The Daily Gleaner , November 23, 2010
Guy Watts “ Much More Than an Artist” The River Region Reporter Saturday, July 10 2010
K Mike Landry “ Fred, Forrestall and family” Salon Magazine , The Telegraph Journal Saturday, May 1, 2010
Paige Aarhus “All in the family” Here Magazine ( cover story) April 28- May 5 , 2010.
Kate Wallace, “Subtly animated Objects” Salon Magazine -The Telegraph Journal , December 19, 2009
Kate Wallace “ Brushes with Greatness” Salon Magazine The Telegraph Journal , October 3 2009
Tara Chislett “NB Painter exhibit a Long time Coming” The Aquinian September 2009
Kate LeBlanc “Longstanding tradition” Salon Magazine Salon Magazine The Telegraph Journal August 8 2009
Kyle Mullin “ City’s diversity on display” The Daily Gleaner Thursday July 2, 2009
V Karen Reut , “ From Art to Politics” The New Brunswick Reader December 16, 2006
RM Vaughan, “Forrestall’s Intricate Still life’s Sparkle and Hum Like Crystal” National Post , Nov.13.2004
Virgil Hammock, “William Forrestall; Beauty and Myth” catalogue essay,
published by Maritimes Arts Projects / Broken Jaw Press
Jack Anderson, “Contemplative Character of Still Life Exhibited” review, Regina Leader Post, February 21, 2002
Peter J. Larocque, “William Forrestall and the Irrevocable Passage of Time”
catalogue essay. Rosemont Art Gallery, Regina Saskatchewan, 2002.
Ray Cronin, “Still-lifes Capture Time and Place” The Daily Gleaner, January 29, 2000
Ray Cronin, “Still-lifes Seem to Exist in Their Own World” The Daily Gleaner, June 24, 2000.
Alison Hughes “ The aging process continues” Telegraph Journal August 21, 1999
Susan Gibson Garvey, “Parallel Cosmologies” Theatrum Mundi, catalogue essay. The Marion McCain Foundation
for New Brunswick and The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, 1997, pp. 36,38-39,64-65.
Terri Robin Vernon,” William Forrestall: Millennium Icons” review Arts Atlantic Vol.15, no. 2, Fall 1997.
Jennifer Campbell “Portrait of the Artist as a Novice” The New Brunswick Reader Magazine, September 6, 1997
Tom Smart ‘An Exquisite Corpse” catalouge essay , Gallery Connexion ISBN 0-920674-36-4 1994
Christina Sabat “ He found Artistic Roots On European Tour” The Daily Gleaner Dec.31,1994
Matthew MacKay, “Opposing Arguments- the Diptychs of William Forrestall” essay, Galerie Rochon; Toronto ON, 1994
Gil McElory, “Under the Grid of Originality: Diptychs by William Forrestall” review Arts Atlantic 50 Summer 1994
Tony Fabijancic “ Under The Grid of Originality; William Forrestall’s Diptychs” catalouge essay
Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, October 1993
Joanne Claus, “Forrestall Makes Bricks Mystical” review, Telegraph Journal, February 20,1993
Maria Kubacki, “William Forrestall: Primary Elements” review, Arts Atlantic 47, Fall 1993
Elissa Barnard “Young Forrestall’s First Solo Exhibit at Studio 21” The Chronicle-Herald, September 17, 1992
R.M. Vaughan, “William Forrestall: Still Life With Painted Shards” review, Arts Atlantic 43 Summer 1992
Jo Anne Clause ‘William Forrestall’s egg tempera works depict his vision The Evening Times-Globe Feb.13 1992
Christina Sabat “ forrestall Exhibit Opens” The Daily Gleaner Oct.8 1991
Allen Bentley ,”William Forrestall: New Egg tempera Paintings” review, Arts Atlantic 40, Summer 1991
Christina Sabat “ William Forrestall: Still-Life” The Daily Gleaner Nov.24, 1990
Christina Sabat, “William Forrestall Tackles Painting Still Lifes” The Daily Gleaner November13,1990
Jeff Mahoney, “New Brunswick Artist Slows Us down from ‘Rock Video Pace’” The Hamilton Spectator October 25, 1990
Michael Christopher Lawlor “William Forrestall: Recent Egg Tempera Paintings” review Arts Atlantic 35 Fall 1989
Joanne Claus, “Young Fredericton Artist Developing Subject Matter ” review The Evening Times-Globe, April 21 1989
Christina Sabat, “William Forrestall: Recent Egg Tempera Paintings” review, Arts Atlantic 32 Fall 1988
Christina Sabat “ Exhibition of Paintings By City Artist” April 11. 1988
Sheila Blagrave “William Forrestall: Aspects of Still Life” review, Arts Atlantic 27 1987
Christina Sabat, “Visual Arts in Review “ The Daily Gleaner August 15, 1987
Helmer Biermann ,“ First One-Man Show For William Forrestall” The Evening Times-Globe May 29,1986