$95,000 painting once collected dust at fire hall

By John MoorhouseTuesday, March 6, 2007

A painting which was donated to the City of Penticton by a carnival operator 60 years ago, is now valued at almost $100,000.The 1947 work "Carnival Time" by renowned B.C. artist Jack Shadbolt is currently on display in the front lobby of the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan. It depicts a clown standing in front of various midway rides.The oil painting was commissioned by Henry Meyerhoff, owner of Crescent Shows, and was presented to the city in 1947 in appreciation of being allowed to store the rides and other equipment for his travelling carnival on city property each winter.

Coun. Rory McIvor recalled his personal involvement with the artwork Monday. He first noticed it hanging in the downtown fire hall when he was being given a tour of city facilities shortly after being hired as the Penticton Library director in 1972."That picture reposed, believe it or not, in the engine bay at the fire hall which is not a great place for a Shadbolt painting," he said."I took it to the then-Lloyd Gallery to have it cleaned and reframed -- not that I'm an art connoisseur, but I certainly knew the name Shadbolt."McIvor suggested it be relocated in the children's area of the library where it remained for several years."

The city was shocked when they did the appraisal on it for insurance," he said. "They had thought: 'Hmmph, it's just a picture.' "McIvor said the city soon realized what a quality work they possessed and donated the piece to the art gallery in 1992 where it remains part of the gallery's permanent collection."Carnival Time" is now assessed as having a value of $95,000. Present gallery curator Paul Crawford recently decided to put the work on display along with a write-up of its history and background information on Shadbolt.Jack Shadbolt was considered among the most important artists in Canada in the second half of the 20th Century for his passionate and dynamic use of colour and organic form. A member of the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia, he died in Burnaby on Nov. 22, 1998 at age 89.