John D. Turner
1900 - 1980
In addition to pursing his own art, John was a champion of other local artists. John was a co-organizer and charter member of the Edmonton Art Club, one of the oldest continuing art organizations in the province. He also founded, owned and managed the first art gallery in Calgary – Canadian Art Galleries – which opened in 1945 and still operates, in an online capacity, today.
Largely self-taught, John was an exceptional and professional caricaturist and landscape artist. His paintings are rigorous and fanciful and often depict environments during winter or an early thaw.
John’s artwork has been exhibited widely across Canada. Some of John’s pieces are held in the collections of the Peter Whyte Foundation, the Glenbow Museum, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the Calgary Court House, the Ranchmen’s Club, and various oil companies, as well as numerous private collections.