Lot 321: Ross Penhall 1959 - Canadian oil on canvas Between

Ross Penhall 1959 - Canadian oil on canvas Between Artist's and Scholar's Gate, NYC 36 x 48 inches 91.4 x 121.9 centimeters signed and on verso signed, titled, dated 2011 and inscribed 1120 Provenance:Gift of the Artist to the Kay Meek Centre, West Vancouver When Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were almost finished building Central Park in the early 1860s, there was one more thing to consider - the entrances. While rich New Yorkers desired grand, ornate gates like those in the urban parks of London and Paris, Olmsted and Vaux opted for low sandstone openings - symbolizing an accessible city park that would be open to all. They chose names for the entrances that referenced those who would use the park, such as Artisan's, Artist's, Merchant's, Scholar's, Mariner's, and Warrior's Gate. North Shore born artist Ross Penhall is familiar with these gates, having walked every inch of the historic park while sketching and exhibiting his work over the years in New York. West Vancouver's Kay Meek Centre was planning its annual fundraising gala for June 2011 and had contracted New York City-based jazz doo-wop legends, The Manhattan Transfer, as the evening's headliner act. Penhall and his wife Caron had wanted to do something special for the Meek Centre since its completion in 2006 - and that something was to gift a painting. Penhall would "shut up and paint", as the tattoo on his left forearm says, a masterpiece to help profile the upcoming gala, donating it to the centre for auction just in advance of the gala. The theme would be Manhattan and Central Park - specifically Between Artist's and Scholar's Gate, NYC. Kay Meek Centre is grateful to the Penhall family for their charitable contribution to this cultural heart and jewel of West Vancouver. Proceeds of the sale of this work will go to the Kay Meek Centre. Please note: this work is unframed.