PANSIES #2 (1980)
watercolour
4 x 4 in.
framed
SOLD

Rick was born in Middleton, Nova Scotia, and lived in a number of provinces but finally settled in Fredericton, New Brunswick in the late sixties. He studied at the University of New Brunswick and after taking Kent Thompson's Creative Writing course, had a number of short stories and plays produced on CBC Radio. He twice participated in Theatre New Brunswick's Brave New Words.

After apprenticing with Rosemary James Cross, in the mid-seventies, Burns began painting and sculpting. His first solo exhibit was at the Landmark Gallery in 1980, followed by an extensive exhibition record, including a major solo exhibition and accompanying catalogue published by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in 1992. His work is included in numerous collections including the UNB Permanent collection, the NB Museum Collection, the Bank of Montreal, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the NB Art Bank and the Canada Council Art bank.

He received an Exploration Grant from Canada Council, four Creation Grants from the NB Arts Branch, a grant from the NB Co-operation Agreement on Cultural Development and the prestigious Strathbutler Award.

Rick was a founding member of Gallery Connexion and a driving force in the Fredericton Art community. He taught drawing and mixed media painting at the NB College of Craft and Design. Rick served as the visual arts representative on the New Brunswick Arts Board and as an appointed member of the Cultural Task Force for the Province of New Brunswick.

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery's exhibition Rick Burns: Between Presence and Absence December 10, 2006 - January 28, 2007 will present 40-60 works by "this important Canadian artist, works that make clear the wonderful legacy he has left. Whether working in charcoal, wood, paint or metal, Burns was a poet, a philosopher, a craftsman."